The International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC) and the American Asia Society holds the third China-US Track 1.5 Dialogue in Beijing, China on August 25, 2026. Photo: IDCPC's WeChat account

The third China-US Track 1.5 Dialogue was held in Beijing on Tuesday, bringing together government officials, scholars and business representatives from both countries for discussions on constructive strategic stability and practical cooperation.

Co-hosted by the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC) and the Asia Society, the dialogue was attended by about 40 representatives. Participants included officials from relevant Chinese government departments and local governments, experts from think tanks and universities, as well as figures from US strategic and business circles, including John L. Thornton, co-chair of the Asia Society Board of Trustees.

Under the theme "Constructive Strategic Stability - Practical China-US Cooperation in the New Era," the participants held candid, in-depth and constructive exchanges, according to the IDCPC's release on its WeChat account on Tuesday.

Addressing the dialogue, Liu Haixing, head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, said the two sides have recently followed the direction set by the two heads of state, taken practical steps to strengthen communication and dialogue, advanced a positive agenda and achieved notable results.

Liu called on the two countries to continuously enlarge common interests and make cooperation the anchor of positive stability. He urged the two countries to uphold mutual benefit and reject zero-sum games so that competition remains within bounds, to seek common ground while managing differences, and observe the bottom line of no conflict and no confrontation to achieve lasting peace and stability.

Participants discussed ways to enhance political mutual trust, expand economic and trade cooperation, and explore cooperation in artificial intelligence, science and technology, CCTV News reported.

Established in 2023, the China-US Track 1.5 Dialogue operates between formal government-to-government diplomacy, known as Track 1, and purely nongovernmental exchanges, known as Track 2. The second dialogue was held on June 13, 2024, during which participants held candid, in-depth and constructive exchanges around the theme of "sharing perspectives and finding solutions on key and urgent issues."

As a channel involving both government and nongovernmental participants, the Track 1.5 mechanism can help China and the US communicate more effectively, identify common ground and better understand the consensus reached by the two heads of state, Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

It can also help translate the consensus into greater mutual understanding and concrete action, Zhou said.

Discussions on AI at this year's dialogue could help the two sides identify shared interests despite existing frictions and technological challenges, creating opportunities for practical cooperation and laying the groundwork for follow-up efforts, he noted.

Wang Yiwei, a professor at the Renmin University of China's School of International Studies, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the Track 1.5 dialogue serves as a bridge between Track 1 and Track 2, allowing participants to discuss sensitive issues and explore policy space while conveying frontline assessments and feasible proposals to decision-making departments. 

Liu outlined practical pathways for China-US cooperation in the new era. First, the two sides should uphold mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, steer China-US relations to overcome the "Thucydides Trap," and create a new paradigm of major-country relations.

Second, the two countries should jointly shoulder their responsibilities as major powers, make constructive interaction an important driver of international cooperation, address global challenges together and inject greater stability into the world, Liu noted.

Third, they should expand exchanges and cooperation in trade, public health, agriculture, tourism, people-to-people ties, law enforcement and cooperation between localities, thereby strengthening the resilience of bilateral relations and working toward a better future, Liu said.

Overcoming the "Thucydides Trap" fundamentally rejects the notion that conflict between major powers is inevitable, Wang Yiwei said. It reflects an effort by China and the US to pursue a path different from the historical confrontation between an established power and a rising one.

Such a model does not seek to avoid competition altogether, but to ensure that competition has boundaries, differences remain manageable and cooperation retains sufficient space, Wang Yiwei said.

To put this approach into practice, the two countries should respect each other, avoid crossing red lines concerning core interests and reduce the risk of strategic miscalculation. They should expand areas where their interests converge and establish regular cooperation mechanisms on global issues such as climate change, public health, food security and AI safety, turning shared responsibilities into joint action, he noted.

As the world's two largest economies, China and the US should recognize that many global challenges cannot be effectively addressed without coordination between them, particularly at a time of intensifying competition. Constructive engagement is therefore not a temporary expedient but a long-term responsibility that major countries should undertake for the world, Wang Yiwei said.

The dialogue came a day after China's top political advisor Wang Huning met with US delegates attending the event in Beijing on Monday.

During their meetings, the US side said that the US-China relationship is at a special juncture, adding that the sound rapport between the two heads of state constitutes the most valuable and important part of bilateral ties. The US side agrees that both sides should act on the consensus of building a constructive US-China relationship of strategic stability, advance corporate cooperation, expand people-to-people and cultural exchanges, guard against risks such as those posed by artificial intelligence, and deliver benefits to both countries and the rest of the world, according to Xinhua.