Actions speak louder than words

Collaboration between US and China is indispensable but more needs to be done to overcome mutual misperceptions

Revolution and transformation in the Middle East and West Africa; the catastrophic earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis in Japan; the paralysis of the leadership of the European Union confronting the debt crisis in the eurozone; and the sudden death of Kim Jong-il, were just a few of the tumultuous events that caused global economic and political instability last year.

In contrast, bilateral relations between China and the United States were relatively stable and increasingly positive.

Three factors contributed to the improvement in China-US relations in 2011: mutual commitment, multi-function mechanisms, and increasing interdependence.

After a year of rocky bilateral relations in 2010, Beijing and Washington both stressed their commitment to building a cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and mutual benefit and that the two sides should stand together in the face of common difficulties.

An increasing number of bilateral mechanisms with policy communication, coordination, and implementation functions, bolstered this commitment to building a cooperative partnership. A number of new initiatives were set up, including high-level consultation on people-to-people exchanges, the China-US Governors Forum, and the strategic security dialogue and Asia-Pacific affairs consultation under the framework of the annual Strategic and Economic Dialogue. The 60-plus bilateral mechanisms, in addition to frequent informal exchange visits and workshops by senior officials, have built an impressive level of institutionalization in China-US bilateral relations, which has enhanced the predictability of relations between the two countries and helped consolidate the foundation of their relations. The substance of the bilateral relationship, in essence, is not to follow the two presidents' agreements in words, but to follow the roadmap in action, and those bilateral mechanisms have built significant capacity to do this.