Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to the United States has positive impact on the New Washington Consensus in the US, which is the reflection of the mainstream opinion towards China among the American community.

The comments are made by Professor Sun Zhe from Fudan University and published on the overseas edition of People's Daily Friday. He believes that Hu's tour will promote the contacts between China and the United States at various levels, which in turn will politically consolidate the prospect of the Sino-US relations shifting to further positive cooperation from "crisis coping" under passive stability.

In his ongoing visit to the US, President Hu Jintao displays the great efforts China has made to balance trade with the US and expresses his perception on forging a new type of relations between big nations. With special attention to the youths and a forward-looking perspective, President Hu calls for more cultural exchanges between the two nations.

The New Washington Consensus has three implications. Firstly, it means a normal mentality in the US to embrace the rise of China, recognizing that the two sides are inter-dependent in terms of interests and that the best way to serve the US national interest is to cooperate rather than confront with China.

That has led to six fruitful Sino-US summits since 2001 and close, high-ranking contacts via meetings, calls and correspondences. Substantial proposals have been put forward on strengthening dialogues and collaboration.

Secondly, the US, on the basis of cooperation, intends to play overlord and seek to maximize its national interest. Through the government and the public, the US has put a lot of pressure on China for a stronger stance on the nuclear issues in Iran and the Korean peninsula, balance of trade deficit, opening the market and protection of the US intellectual property rights.

Thirdly, doubt is still there in the US on joining hands with China. It is widely agreed among American officials and scholars that China's economy is on a fast track now and China is rising rapidly to become a big nation. But they also agree that there are considerable "uncertainties" in the development within China. They are not sure what China's growth may mean to the US interest, to the existing world system, and to the US interest in East Asia and the world. Out of the fear for a prospect of threat on the US from "Chinese Monroe Doctrine", they insist that the US must get prepared for any possible crisis in the future.

The New Washington Consensus proves that the basic contradictions still remain between China and the US although the foundation of their cooperation is broader and deeper than ever. Given this, twists and turns lie ahead of the China-US relations.

It is quite difficult to erase negative elements in the New Washington Consensus. But President Hu's visit has conveyed China's sincere desire for peace, development and further cooperation with America to the US government leaders, political circle and the public.

The economic diplomacy during his visit has presented a promising vision of the Sino-US trade exchanges. Those efforts are complemented by his communication and exchanges with various groups which influence the US decision-making process in different ways, including the Congress, government, press and public opinion.

Sino-US relations are so complicated that it needs the leaders of the two sides to have a vision on the overall situation and a forward-looking mindset in order to build a bright future for the bilateral relations.

By People's Daily Online