China US Photo:VCG

China and the US must enhance risk management, particularly in effectively managing risks related to China's core interests. Only by doing so can the two countries move forward along the correct path of coexistence, lieutenant General He Lei, former vice president of the Academy of Military Sciences of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), said during his speech at the 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum (BXF) on Friday.

The opening ceremony of the BXF took place on Friday. Speaking at the special session "The Right Way for China and the US to Get Along," Lt. Gen. He stressed that China and the US are crucial major powers in today's world, and their relationship will determine the future of mankind and the development of the Earth. In November last year, the China-US summit in San Francisco marked the beginning of a stabilization period in bilateral relations. However, ensuring that China-US relations continue to stabilize and improve will be a challenging process.

Lt. Gen. He emphasized that the first issue to address in China-US relations is strategic understanding. China hopes to be partners and friends with the US in a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship, rather than one in which both sides view each other as primary strategic rivals or adversaries. He elaborated this view by saying, "Even if the US considers the relationship as competitive, it should be a fair and just competition, like a race where each runs on their own track to see who runs faster, instead of setting traps, sabotaging, or engaging in a boxing match where one aims to knock the other down."

Lt. Gen. He said that in today's deeply globalized era, China and the US have become interdependent. However, differences in social systems, historical cultures, development paths, and national strategies have led to many disagreements and disputes between the two countries. If these are not effectively managed, they could easily lead to risks, conflicts, or even war.

He further noted that risk management involves multiple aspects, with the most crucial being the effective management of risks related to China's core interests, such as the Taiwan question and affairs related to the South China Sea and the East China Sea. Particularly, when it comes to the core of China's core interests, they must not be violated - this is the political foundation of China-US relations. Only in this way can the two countries advance along the path of coexistence.