Commentary: U.S. should act to reduce frictions with China to achieve healthy ties

In a welcome respite from weeks of harsh rhetoric and groundless accusations against China, Washington on Wednesday said the United States will continue to engage with China in the foreseeable future since the policy has served U.S. interests well.

Considering the increasing interdependence between the two countries, to continue engagement with China is indeed the right choice for the United States.

However, it seems that Washington has been repeatedly forgetting that condescension and critique will not help its engagement with China.

To make U.S.-China interactions more efficient and productive, responsible U.S. politicians should at least refrain from remarks or moves that may undermine mutual trust.

In the past few days, various U.S. officials and lawmakers have accused China of an alleged massive cyber breach of the U.S. federal government networks.

Despite the fact that the probe is still going on so as to trace the origin of the alleged hacker attacks, many U.S. officials have already jumped to the conclusion that China is to blame for the attacks.

Besides cyber security, another case that highlights the United States' deep bias against China is the South China Sea issue.

After years of turning a blind eye to reclamations by Vietnam and the Philippines in the disputed area, the United States recently became a harsh critic of China's construction efforts there.

The United States also provided China's rival claimants with military assistance and words of assurance that the United States will continue to challenge China's claims regarding the South China Sea.

The clearly lopsided approach has brought unprecedented tension in the area and put regional stability at risk.

Relations between China and the United States, the world's two largest economies and also heavyweight global players, have an impact that goes far beyond the bilateral scope.

A smooth development of China-U.S. ties is a boon not only for the two countries, but for the whole world, and any serious setback in their relations will be a cause for worldwide concern.

It is hoped that Washington is on the same page with Beijing in building a new type of relationship between major countries, which features win-win cooperation and mutual respect, instead of confrontation and zero-sum games.

China attaches great importance to its ties with the United States and has been serious about promoting the bilateral relationship.

Washington's habitual and groundless accusations against China as the world's primary exporter of hacking attacks come at the price of damaging mutual trust, while the U.S. maneuvers regarding the South China Sea so far have produced the same effect but only worse.

For U.S.-China ties to prosper, Washington should waste no time in changing its attitude and resolving its differences with China, which can be done only by engaging in real dialogue. Endi