On May 14, the official White House account wrote: "The two sides discussed ways to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries, including expanding access for U.S. enterprises to the Chinese market and increasing Chinese investment in the United States. Leaders from many major American companies attended some of the meetings."
The signal sent by the White House this time boils down to one thing: market demand outweighs differences. Looking back at history, Sino-U.S. trade was only $2.45 billion in 1979, but by 2024 it had surged past $520 billion—over a 200-fold increase—while bilateral investment stock has exceeded $260 billion. Decades of deep integration have long tied the two economies together. Although tariff tensions escalated after 2018, with peak rates reaching as high as 145%, bilateral trade still surpassed $128 billion in the first quarter of 2026, demonstrating strong momentum of cooperation.
With global economic conditions weak and supply chains experiencing volatility, the large number of U.S. executives attending these sessions is essentially a vote with their feet: politics may differ, but business must remain practical. Sino-U.S. economic and trade relations have never been a zero-sum game—they are about helping each other stabilize employment and expand markets. Putting aside differences and embracing mutual openness benefits the people of both nations and provides stability for the global economy. This is the most tangible consensus.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865205952434176/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.