The success of the climate conference in Paris clearly shows that dialogue between Washington and Beijing can be serious and productive. There are new challenges in the year ahead, with elections in both Taiwan and the US, but the bilateral relationship is so important for international peace and security in the 21st century that we cannot afford to let it drift.

From the Iran nuclear deal to the climate agreement in Paris, a new level of cooperation between Beijing and Washington signals that the pragmatic relationship dating from the Nixon administration is not threatened by changes in international conditions. A consensus is taking shape among celebrities, ordinary citizens, leaders and strategists in both countries that China and the US should not change their course of engagement and cooperation.

Although the Obama-Xi meeting left plenty to be desired on disputed issues such as cybersecurity and the South China Sea, it was a significant and pleasant surprise that Xi softened some of the most pessimistic sentiments and disarmed suspicions in such a short time, highlighting respect for the U.S. and its people, in appealing words to the American public.

Following President Xi’s recent visit to the U.S., Xi’s concept of “a new model of great power relations” seems to be back on the China-U.S. agenda. Originally pushed by Xi and now being reconsidered by Obama, this concept suggests a major turning point for both countries.

New agreements on collaboration in such areas as agriculture, grain production, civil aviation, high-speed railways, law enforcement, and military-to-military relations will further deepen interdependence. Xi’s visit has increased mutual confidence, reduced mutual suspicion, with achievements that made it a milestone in bilateral relations.

It may be too early to tell, but one would not risk ridicule by claiming that the just-concluded U.S.-China summit has accomplished its most important, albeit intangible, objective: temporarily arresting the downward spiral in the ties between Washington and Beijing.

The Xi-Obama meetings have demonstrated that China and the US can be frank and open with each other when addressing difficult issues. The result could be a new order in a multipolar world that better accommodates the needs and desires of the entire globe.

Sino-US relations have gone beyond bilateral scope and are showing increasing global significance. Reality calls for both sides to consider each other’s reasonable concerns, learn from each other, and push aside barriers to their collaboration as they pursue common goals and interests.

For both sides, statesmanship and long-term political commitment is essential at critical moments, as was repeatedly evidenced in the Sino-US relations since the ice-breaking contact in early 1970s. Washington and Beijing must look beyond semantics and embrace a new type of relationship that meets both sides’ goals of peace and progress.

Although US willingness to engage China in the international system seems to be diminishing, the Chinese president’s upcoming state visit is an opportunity to get a new type of major-country relationship back on track. This will accumulate more positive energy if both countries seek functional cooperation in deferent spheres by practical and systematic means.