Greater exchanges crucial for deepening trust between peoples

President Xi Jinping's state visit to the United States from Wednesday to Friday once again draws global attention to arguably the world's most consequential bilateral relationship. While official interactions guide strategic stability, societal trust ensures resilience. People-to-people diplomacy — engaging governments, think tanks, media, businesses and civil society — goes beyond limitations to foster shared understanding and trust between the people of the two countries through dialogue, cooperation and cultural exchanges.

People's diplomacy relies on "soft" approaches, helping countries perceive each other's genuine concerns as reasonable and their people as trustworthy, thus breaking down stereotypes. This reduces the risk of misinterpreting official signals and prevents security dilemmas from escalating. Establishing regular collaborative networks among think tanks, universities and businesses on issues such as climate change, public health and artificial intelligence ethics can strengthen societal bonds, serving as a ballast when official relations hit rough waters.

Ahead of the summit, mainstream public opinion in the United States reflects cautious optimism for pragmatic stability, with bipartisan consensus on managing differences, avoiding conflict and pursuing cooperation. This presents a valuable opportunity for people-to-people diplomacy.

A survey in spring by the Pew Research Center revealed that the percentage of US respondents with a favorable view of China has nearly doubled from its historic low in 2023, while those seeing China as an enemy dropped from 42 percent in 2024 to 28 percent. What's more, 52 percent of people in the US now question the justification for a tariff war with China because of its economic repercussions; Washington's political climate is cooling its aggressive rhetoric on China; and younger generations, shaped by globalization and cross-cultural exchanges, are engaging with China through diverse channels and viewing it less ideologically.

Despite this improvement, the shift is more a rebound from rock bottom than a fundamental change. Political polarization, hegemonic anxiety and demonizing narratives keep fueling negative perceptions about China. Rhetoric focused on threat, competition and confrontation still prevails in US media and think tanks. However, the current positive momentum offers an opportunity for people-to-people diplomacy to foster proactive engagement, warranting sustained, long-term efforts.

People's diplomacy can be a strategic choice for Washington. An overwhelming threat narrative not only entrenches public bias but also limits policy flexibility. With bilateral trade amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars, US businesses have significant commercial interests in China. People's diplomacy fosters a more stable environment for these interests. Moreover, on critical issues such as climate change, AI governance, public health and nuclear non-proliferation, China's involvement is crucial for effective international rule implementation. Preliminary dialogues and standard alignments among think tanks and academia before formal negotiations lay the groundwork for social and professional consensus, yielding high returns in global governance at a lower diplomatic cost.

For Washington, Sino-US people's diplomacy offers dual benefits. Domestically, it provides tangible gains for US farmers, workers, students and researchers, helping the White House alleviate political pressure. Internationally, by engaging in dialogue and fostering ties with Chinese society, Washington can enhance its image as open and inclusive, thereby strengthening its soft power on the global stage.

In this context, the US should restore and expand institutional channels for cultural and people-to-people exchanges with China. Educational exchange, once a key vehicle for cultural interaction, can be revitalized by promoting educational exchange programs, streamlining visa procedures for Chinese students and scholars, and reestablishing joint training and research collaborations between universities.

Collaboration in basic scientific research, academic publishing, open-source communities and standard-setting should remain apolitical. The US government should support unofficial joint research between leading universities and research institutions in both countries, and the joint development of technical standards and ethical guidelines. This approach will help maintain the US' technological edge while preventing the isolation caused by decoupling.

As the leading forces in AI development, China and the US have respective advantages in basic research, computing power, data and application scenarios. It is crucial for them to encourage top universities and research institutions to establish joint research mechanisms, cooperate on algorithmic fairness and safety assessments of large language models, and jointly make technical standards and ethical guidelines.

With 50 pairs of sister provinces/states and 238 pairs of sister cities in the two countries, support should be extended to sister cities, governors' forums and chamber-of-commerce exchanges. This will ensure that local cooperation networks are fully utilized, allowing economic, trade and people-to-people ties to transcend federal political cycles and maintain continuity.

The truths offered by China compete with the West's "China threat" narrative, fostering trust-building at the cognitive level. Data show that younger generations in the US generally view China more favorably than older groups. Therefore, enhancing dialogue between young people from both countries on issues such as climate change and digital governance, through initiatives such as the China-US Young Leaders Dialogues, is crucial. When young people collaborate to solve problems, they develop resilient trust that can transcend political cycles.

In today's uncertain world, strategic top-level design and trust between the peoples of the two countries are essential. People's diplomacy is valuable because it acknowledges competition while setting boundaries, fostering cooperation, and providing buffers for tensions. This approach offers a way to transcend the "Thucydides Trap", paving a new path for major countries to coexist peacefully and pursue win-win cooperation.

The author is a professor at Renmin University of China and a nonresident senior fellow at The University of Hong Kong.

The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

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