Xi's visit and optimism of youths to boost Sino-US ties

In 2013, Xi had a meeting with US president Barack Obama in Annenberg Estate, California. [Photo/Agencies]

A survey conducted by China Daily website found President Xi Jinping's state visit to the United States is an attention-grabbing event for both Chinese and American youths. The majority of the respondents to the survey also expressed optimism over the prospects of bilateral ties.

The survey released before Xi's visit, which begins on Tuesday, could help people around the world gauge the dynamics of China-US relations and provide useful reference to decision-makers on both sides when they chart the future of bilateral ties.

More than half of the respondents deem China-US ties as the most important bilateral relationship for their countries. This is in conformity with the evaluation of both governments and international observers focusing on interactions between Beijing and Washington.

But since the importance of China-US ties extends beyond the bilateral realm, the two countries have to manage their ties in a more mature and skillful manner so as to avoid unnecessary ups and downs.

The survey also found that a great majority of youths on both sides believe bilateral trade to be mutually beneficial and reciprocal, which reflects the extent and depth of the two countries' efforts in recent years to deepen cooperation in trade.

With the volume of two-way trade reaching $555.1 billion last year, trade and economic ties between Beijing and Washington not only balance their overall relationship but also help boost world economic development. Therefore, it is in the interest of both sides to keep the momentum in bilateral trade.

The favorable survey results testify to the fact that years' of meaningful interactions have brought tangible benefits to people on both sides. They also prove that the efforts made by both countries to deepen mutual understanding and build mutual trust have yielded positive results.

Xi has said many times that the bilateral relationship is based on people-to-people relations. And the bond between Chinese and American peoples has never been stronger.

Xi's state visit to the US is a golden opportunity for both countries to further their common interests and increase people-to-people exchanges.

We have every reason to believe Xi's visit will help drive home the message that China and the US are committed to building a new model of major-country relationship based on non-confrontation, non-conflict, mutual cooperation and a win-win principle.