China and the United States need to work together to maintain peace and stability in the world, says an article in the Washington Times. Excerpts: The reality is that China holds an important place in the US' economic future. If it stumbles, the United States stumbles too.

China has an impressive manufacturing sector. It is focused on increasing innovation, and it is forming partnerships to gain access to cutting-edge technology.

It's not just geopolitics that binds our two nations. Today, China is the largest trading partner of the US after Canada and is on its way to becoming our largest.

American exports to China have grown fivefold in the past decade. Not only is the US trading physical goods, but the US' relationship with China extends to exchanging students as well. In 2011, the US embassy in China issued more than 160,000 student visas for Chinese students to study at American schools. Because of this, more Americans and Chinese are doing business together and engaging in study and tourism programs.

The Communist Party of China will hold its 18th National Congress for its once-a-decade change in leadership. Those leaders, first of a new generation, may have very different views than their predecessors on China's appropriate place in the world.

China's economy ranks second only to that of the US, and incomes are increasing for many of its people. While these are great statistics, China's growth has slowed this year as competition has increased. Other problems for the new leaders will be growing inequalities.

Both the US and China are trying to find their way around the new world order. While Chinese diplomats have less experience than Americans in dealing with rapidly changing situations, they are gaining influence through their huge investments in countries in Africa and elsewhere in the world.