A view of Beijing and Washington File photos: VCG

Editor's Note:

The head-of-state meeting between China and the US itself is the biggest announcement that both leaders are committed to a stable relationship, said Robert Lawrence Kuhn (Kuhn), chairman of The Kuhn Foundation, in an interview with Global Times (GT) reporter Li Aixin. "It's a dangerously different world in which we're living, this is especially why stable US-China relations are critical: to keep the world from getting any worse," Kuhn noted. He is also creator of Closer to Truth, which focuses on science and philosophy, and the Landscape of Consciousness project, as well as the 2018 recipient of the China Reform Friendship Medal. 

GT: Chinese President Xi Jinping is currently on a state visit to the US, marking the first time in 11 years since his last state visit. As someone who has closely observed this relationship, how should this trip be weighed?

Kuhn: The trip of President Xi to Washington to meet with President Donald Trump is critical in a number of areas.

First of all, the top leaders of China and the US should meet on a regular basis, because that sends a signal to everyone, especially officials, that the leadership is committed to maintaining a stable relationship and that relations are at least good enough for dialogue and progress at their levels.

The US-China relationship is fragile. It will remain fragile, and it will remain needing to be nurtured. You cannot leave it alone and assume it is fine. The best way to keep watching US-China relations is from the top.

While it is in everyone's best interest to maintain stability between the two sides, this does not mean that all of the problems have disappeared, or that there is long-term certainty about future conditions and events. But the meeting itself is the biggest announcement that both leaders are committed to a stable relationship. It's a dangerously different world in which we're living, this is especially why stable US-China relations are critical: to keep the world from getting any worse.

There will obviously be geopolitical differences, and hopefully those can be contained. However, there should be some positive things that can be done in areas that are non-strategic, non-threatening, and non-sensitive. Even small positive steps can be big achievements.

Take AI governance, which is critical today and is on the summit agenda. It has overtaken even climate change in importance for humanity - not just the semi-humorous, doomsday exemplar that "AI will turn humanity into paper clips," but the real dislocations in jobs and unemployment, and the uncertainty of frontier models recursively generating their own improvements toward "artificial general intelligence" without human oversight.

But AI governance is a hot, complex, and challenging issue. Some in China fear that the US seeks to impose a "slowdown" to hold China back and maintain its own lead. Some in the US fear that China would not abide by any agreement. Only the senior leaders can give directives and set guidelines, particularly a mechanism for technical discussions that would exemplify the "constructive strategic stability" framework that both sides support. We would like to try to find some modest positive moves that the two countries can make together, for their own good and for the good of the world. 

GT: In May, the two sides agreed on building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability. You have long sought to explain China to the world in various ways. How would you translate that vision into language that resonates with both policymakers and the public?

Kuhn: These three words now define US-China relations. We have one noun and two adjectives. The noun is stability: stability is the primary thing. Two adjectives modify it; they tell us what kind of stability we seek.

"Constructive" carries more than one meaning. One is simply to make things better: a constructive idea improves a situation. The other is closer to "construction": building something. Both meanings imply that things today aren't as good as they could be. If everything were already going well, there would be no need to improve it or to build anything. 

"Strategic" also has multiple meanings. Here I'd select "important" and "long-term." Strategic is not short-term. For public companies, focusing on this quarter's earnings to report good numbers is not strategic. Making a 10-year plan to invest in R&D, even if it has little impact in the near term, is strategic.

So, when considering the two adjectives "constructive" and "strategic" together, it suggests that things are not as they should be; they must be built and made better; and the effort is important and long-term.

GT: What concrete steps would count as building such bilateral ties between China and the US?

Kuhn: My three-fold prescription for improved China-US relations is simple. I offer both sides the same three points: First, don't make things worse by pushing against mutual red lines. Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan was not helpful. Second, do find small areas of cooperation, such as combating illegal drugs, organized crime, epidemics, AI risks, and climate change. Third, regarding entrenched structural differences, allow time to pass peacefully and work its calming magic. The Chinese and American people will support it, and the peace and prosperity of the world will depend on it.

I'll focus on the second point. Some things do not affect national security, and healthcare is one of them. We should encourage professionals in both countries to work together - on epidemic control, advanced pharmaceuticals, and more. China has become an innovative country in developing new medicines. It has a faster clinical-trial cycle, so it can establish viability sooner. The US can work with China so that drugs developed by each country can benefit both. 

GT: The "China threat" narrative remains a recurring feature of American public debate. It seems that China's pursuit of its own development is often framed as "inherently threatening" to the US. How do you interpret this?

Kuhn: Emotions often overpower logic in public perceptions, an unhappy trend exacerbated by social media. China does not want to replace the US or become the world's policeman. Sooner or later, everybody hates the world's policeman. China's goal is to improve the living standards of its people and to bring about the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. It aspires to be a leader in all areas of global importance, especially in science and technology, to strengthen China while contributing to the world. That does not mean replacing the US.

We live in a dangerously different world. China sees a multipolar global governance structure as the way forward, including the rise of India, perhaps Brazil, and several "middle power countries." The US will be a very strong participant in this new world, as will China. However, China is not "threatening" to take over the world, become the world's policeman, or replace the US. Instead, China seeks to stand as an equal among major powers as the 21st century develops, helping to shape global governance and influence the future.

GT: What would a more stable China-US relationship mean for American development?

Kuhn: The American economy and its development obviously depend on business. The vast majority is private enterprise, which is very sensitive to instability and the uncertainties that cause it.

One of the biggest sources of that uncertainty is China-US relations. We have seen this in the wild fluctuations over tariffs, which have dealt a double blow to US businesses. On one hand, the tariffs themselves hit importers, exporters, and manufacturers. On the other, the uncertainty - such as what happens next, how China might respond with rare earths controls or anything else - undermines their confidence in the future. For both reasons, businesses tend to hold back on investment. When they do not invest, the whole economy suffers, and that affects every American. You don't need to know much about economics to see why stability in US-China relations matters.

That is the theoretical side. On the practical side, Chinese goods offer good quality at the lowest cost. That is why they succeed in a market economy. Almost everyone buys Chinese products, from Christmas decorations, socks and shoes, to home appliances, and even higher up the value chain: electric vehicles, batteries, solar technologies, and new innovations. If the relationship is stable, these products will be more available.

However, there is a destabilizing side. Bilateral trade is not balanced. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that, from a basic economic perspective, stability raises living standards. Thus, a stable China-US relationship is exceedingly important for everyone.