People-to-people exchanges key to addressing misunderstanding

The 14th China-US Tourism Leadership Summit that opened in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, on Wednesday, is expected to serve as an important bridge to further facilitate exchanges and closer understanding between the peoples of China and the United States.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the US. A lesson for the two countries is that they benefit from cooperation and lose from confrontation, and bilateral relations can only be based on mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation. Last November, the heads of state of the two countries reached a series of common understandings on the future development of bilateral ties and launched the "San Francisco vision", agreeing to take joint actions to strengthen people-to-people exchanges and promote the steady and long-term development of ties.

China and the US differ in history, culture, social systems and development paths, but their people are friendly, hardworking and pragmatic. It is goodwill and friendship between the two peoples that have brought China-US relations back on the right track again and again. However, in recent years, some in the US see China as a strategic rival and make containment a priority in their China policy.