Chinese initiatives like “One Belt, One Road” are intentionally open and flexible; no uniform rules or norms are set from the beginning. One of the major challenges for the EU and European countries in the cooperation with China stems from this openness or vagueness, and from doubts about rules that might be applied differently in global and regional contexts.

Despite the president’s focus on the American future, his calls to reform the political, economic and social system domestically and to build a strong network of allies and partners to address potential threats internationally could easily be thwarted by partisan politics.

— “Doubling Down? China and International Order(s)” (By Fu Ying, Munich Security Conference 2016, 13 February 2016) As the Chinese year of Monkey has just a

As the new year dawns, the U.S. still struggles with the effort to shape the world with itself as the center. Resisting the opportunity to build a more positive relationship with China, underpinned by stronger and closer cooperation, keeps Washington trapped in the past, while many of its allies, including Britain, Europe, Canada and Australia, have embraced a multipolar world that is no threat to the U.S., except to its national ego.

In a world of troubles, the ongoing re-shaping of the world order and global governance will require a meeting of minds and concerted actions from big powers.

Competing visions, one with the UN as its spiritual center and the US counterview with itself at the heart of a unipolar world, are vying to shape the world’s future. The US remains the sole superpower in the world, but its attempt to remain the driving force in global governance is doomed to fail in a changing, multipolar world.

If Washington embraces cooperation instead of pursuing rivalry, all partners can harvest good results, and the US can still be a powerful partner. Why not do so?

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.

Many China watchers believe that the ties between Beijing and Washington are at their lowest level since Tian’anment. President Xi can nevertheless reassure the American political establishment that he is leading China in the right direction, and not trying to turn it into another version of the former Soviet Union.

Chinese and Americans should not be surprised by our divergent approaches to both bilateral and global issues. The key to success is to seek common ground while tolerating differences in a partnership committed to peace and a new world order. Sometimes we ought to stand in the other’s shoes and take a more balanced view of the issues we both face.