From Sept. 23 to 25, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to the United States at the invitation of US President Donald Trump. The two heads of state held in-depth discussions on a constructive China–US relationship of strategic stability and major international and regional issues, and reached consensus on eight outcomes. The visit has been closely followed by academic communities in China and abroad, where it has received broadly positive assessments. To explore its significance for friendly exchanges between the two countries, CSST spoke with a number of Chinese and foreign scholars.

Head-of-state diplomacy takes the lead

2026 is widely regarded as a landmark year for China–US relations. In May, the two presidents met in Beijing. Less than six months later, they met again.

“This visit is especially valuable with historic significance, with presidents of China and the United States sitting across from each other and discussing the most critical issues facing the bilateral relationship and the world,” said Anthony Moretti, an associate professor from the Department of Communication and Organizational Leadership at Robert Morris University in the United States. Moretti described the reciprocal visits by the two heads of state within just six months as highly unusual, saying they sent a clear signal to the world that the two leaders are determined to reach consensus in key areas and move their positions closer together.

“Grand welcome ceremony, state banquet, and other well designed arrangements…It is clear from the multiple unprecedented features of President Trump’s ceremonies for President Xi and President Xi’s acceptance of such gestures that both sides have made every effort to make this encounter one for the history books,” said Alexis Dudden, a professor of history at the University of Connecticut. Dudden added that the world is experiencing widening and troubling economic disparities, but that it is heartening to see China and the United States increasingly reaching common ground and seeking to work together to contribute to the world’s future.

Ross N. Mitchell, an American research fellow at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that in any transnational relationship, maintaining dialogue is essential, even in difficult times. He added that the reciprocal visits by the two presidents set an example not only for the people of China and the United States, but for people around the world, demonstrating a determination to confront challenges and resolve problems.

Sun Chenghao, an associate research fellow from the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, said head-of-state diplomacy can help clarify strategic intentions directly and send both societies a signal of support for cooperation.

Keeping China–US ties on steady course

During their Beijing meeting in May, the two presidents agreed to make building a “China–US constructive relationship of strategic stability” the new framework for bilateral relations. This framework was further developed during the latest visit, when the two sides agreed to build a “China–US constructive relationship of strategic stability based on respect, fairness, and reciprocity.”

Sun argued that the key value of building a “constructive relationship of strategic stability based on respect, fairness and reciprocity” is that it offers the two major countries with profound differences a long-term direction for managing their relationship. “Constructiveness,” he explained, means the two sides should proactively expand common interests and create benefits for each other’s development and for the international community; “strategic stability” requires the two sides to form sustainable expectations about the fundamental direction of the relationship, so that it is not swayed by a single friction or short-term political sentiment.

A recent article in Foreign Affairs argued that building a “China–US constructive relationship of strategic stability” represents a new diplomatic framework and marks the first time in over a decade that the two countries have reached an important consensus on how to define their bilateral relationship. According to the article, the framework reflects a pragmatic goal: establishing a “baseline” for China–US relations rather than attempting to resolve every conflict at once.

Moretti said that the framework of a “China–US constructive relationship of strategic stability based on respect, fairness and reciprocity” meets the needs of both countries and is also welcomed by the international community. In his view, it signals that the long-standing positions of both sides should be maintained and respected, while policies that benefit neither side nor the world at large should be approached with caution.

Dudden noted that the wording of the current framework is centered on “stability,” indicating that the two sides hope to manage differences and frictions appropriately and keep the relationship moving forward steadily.

Dialogue and cooperation follow the tide of history

Amid a complex and fast-changing international environment, China and the United States face the challenge of seeking common ground while managing their differences. Dialogue and cooperation remain the necessary path in keeping with broader historical trends. Josef Mahoney, an American professor from the School of Politics and International Relations at East China Normal University, observed that the common ground between China and the United States far outweighs their differences.

Some international observers now believe that positive factors in China–US relations are on the rise, an assessment Mitchell shares. He noted that Western views of China today are becoming more balanced, more measured, and more grounded in reality.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and economic and trade relations were key topics of this visit. Mitchell emphasized that both the AI economy and the real economy are vital to the future of the two countries, adding that they possess highly complementary strengths in foundational algorithms and frontier theoretical research.

Mahoney described AI as both a major area of China–US cooperation and a significant challenge, while emphasizing that the two sides nevertheless share genuine common interests in the field. In his view, as leading countries in AI, both should draw on their respective strengths, engage in dialogue over risks and benefits, and ensure that the technology remains under human control.

Dudden noted that AI is a transnational field with applications that cross national borders. Given the possibility that AI systems could evolve autonomously and pose dangerous and destructive challenges to humanity, she argued that China and the United States should work together to establish appropriate safeguards and help lead global AI research at the frontier, with a focus extending beyond their own countries to humanity as a whole.

Responsible for human progress

As the most important bilateral relationship in the world today, China and the United States shoulder a historic responsibility to promote human development and progress. To advance bilateral people-to-people exchanges, China announced a series of new measures. Over the next five years, China will invite 100,000 young Americans to visit and study in China. Meanwhile, giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang will soon take up residence at Zoo Atlanta.

Sun said that these measures demonstrate the importance China attaches to youth exchanges between the two countries and to the long-term development of bilateral relations. He added that while Chinese and American cultures each have their own distinct characteristics, young people in both countries share a common pursuit of knowledge, friendship, and a better life, and that social bonds form an important foundation for the long-term stability of China–US relations.

Moretti concluded that although China and the United States differ in political systems, national conditions, and paths of modernization, they can still find deep cultural resonance. In his view, the summit affirmed the mutual respect between the two countries and showed that both sides hope to identify more areas of consensus. He added that the world needs good leadership and that China–US cooperation therefore carries high expectations.