A stable and sustainable relationship between China and the United States is increasingly viewed as vital to global peace and prosperity amid global turbulence, officials and experts said.

The world today is far from tranquil, and peace and development are facing serious threats. Amid all the turbulence, people have come to realize more clearly that a stable, sound and sustainable China-US relationship not only meets the interests of both sides, but also serves as a ballast, propeller and engine of global peace and prosperity, Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng said at a recent global business forum in Philadelphia.

"Only with the steady and sustained development of China-US relations can both our peoples benefit and global stability and development be secured," Xie said.

Describing this year as a pivotal one for China-US relations, Xie emphasized the need for both sides to demonstrate greater courage and wisdom to advance a stable, healthy and sustainable bilateral relationship.

"We need to follow the strategic guidance of the two presidents without wavering, adhere to the three principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation without deviating and enhance whole-process management for high-level interactions without slacking.

"We look forward to acting together with friends from various sectors, to sow the seeds of exchange and mutual trust, and plow the soil for win-win cooperation, so as to advance the stable, sound and sustainable development of bilateral relations this year, and also actively explore the right way for China and the US to get along in the new era," Xie said.

This emphasis on top-level strategic guidance is not merely rhetoric. It reflects the institutional importance attached to head-of-state diplomacy, which has historically served as the compass for navigating complex bilateral waters.

"Head-of-state diplomacy has always played an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in the development of China-US relations," said Su Xiaohui, an associate research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies.

"Through direct communication, the two sides can clarify intentions and prevent miscalculation, expand areas of cooperation and manage differences, steer the general direction of bilateral ties, and explore the building of a China-US relationship that is strategic, constructive and stable," Su added.

Zheng Yongnian, dean of the School of Public Policy at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, said: "China and the US each possess distinct comparative advantages. For the US, these lie in basic scientific research, financial services, producer services, software development and substantial agricultural and energy output.

"China's advantages are equally prominent, primarily centered on applied technology conversion, the real economy, manufacturing capacity, and massive demand for agricultural products, energy and software.

"This complementary relationship should not be simplistically viewed as a contest of winners and losers. As long as mutual needs exist, both sides can work to make the 'pie' of cooperation bigger and bigger. This represents not only a win-win for China and the US, but a multi-win for the entire world."

Regarding the difference between Donald Trump's current visit to China and his visit nine years ago, Zheng highlighted Beijing's response to Washington's push for "reciprocal tariffs". "China became the first and only country in the world to counter the US," Zheng said.

He praised specific measures, noting that "the Chinese government's innovative introduction of new rare earth regulations and the recently issued blocking order are very impressive."

"China-US relations will increasingly be built on the basis of strength," Zheng added.

"I believe exchanges between the two countries have become increasingly rational," he said. Emphasizing China's strategic intent behind its leverage, he said, "Our idea is actually 'achieving peace through strength'."

He argued that relationships grounded in power are more durable: "The more a bilateral relationship is based on strength, the firmer it is. Relationships based on morality and ideology are not reliable."

Zheng stressed the interconnected fate of the two nations, saying: "If the two countries cooperate, they can solve bilateral issues and promote world peace.

"If they conflict, it will not only result in a lose-lose situation but also cause greater damage to the international order."

He noted that leaders from both sides have repeatedly acknowledged this point.

"In any era, major powers need to assume more international responsibilities to safeguard peace and development," he added.