A more cooperative relationship between China and the United States not only conforms to the interests of the two countries but also benefits Asia as well as the rest of the world, said participants at a forum here on U.S.-China relations.
The two-day forum under the theme of "U.S. and China: Forging a Common Cause for the Development of Asia and the World" concluded on Thursday with the participation of some 80 delegates from over 10 countries and areas.
The forum is co-organized by the China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE), Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) at the National University of Singapore, and U.S. research group Brookings Institution.
Present at the forum were officials, experts and business leaders, including Zeng Peiyan, chairman of the CCIEE, Singapore's Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, and Bruce Jones, vice president and director of the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution.
In his keynote speech to the symposium on Wednesday, Zeng said that from the historical, global and longer-term perspectives, China and the United States have never been presented with more areas in which they can and should cooperate.
The two sides need to "restore in due course the various inter-governmental dialogues that were established previously and strengthen the all-round exchanges between enterprises, think tanks and universities and at the sub-national level," Zeng said.
Goh, who is also the chair of the Governing Board of the LKYSPP, cautioned that the U.S.-China disputes in trade and science will be disastrous for Asia as well as the rest of the world.
The world today needs leaders to find a common cause to reach a new equilibrium that benefits all the people and there are many trans-boundary challenges that require all countries to work together to build a better future for the world, he said.
Exchanges of ideas between different countries will improve mutual understanding and help provide invaluable insight and advice on the economics and trade that can benefit the economies on both sides of the Pacific, Jones said at the forum.
Zhang Xiaoqiang, executive vice chairman and CEO of the CCIEE, said at a press conference that many participants share the view that the United States and China could work together not only on global economic governance, but also in areas like climate change and poverty alleviation.
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