Sino-US ties | Li Haidong

The gap between China and the United States in terms of national strength and international influence has further narrowed this year. China's interactions with the US on the regional security and economic orders, combined with its political stability and relatively decent economic growth, speak volumes about Beijing's proposal at major events such as the G20 Leaders Summit in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, to build an inclusive global order. And given the increasing number of economies recognizing the importance of China's proposal and Beijing's enhanced leadership capability, Sino-US ties are moving toward a more balanced state.

On its part, the US has a long way to go to address the deep divisions at home exposed by Donald Trump's election as the next president. The US' attempts to contain the rise of China, epitomized by the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement that Trump has vowed to scrap on his first day in office, have been futile and discarded by most regional powers.