DOHA, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Senior officials and policy experts from Asia, the Middle East and Europe have called for enhanced strategic stability in China-U.S. relations, saying constructive engagement between the world's two largest economies is vital for global peace, development and shared prosperity.
The discussion took place at a Saturday session titled "U.S.-China Relations: Navigating the Risks and Opportunities of a Changing Global Order," jointly convened by the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) and the Doha Forum as part of the Doha Forum 2025.
Opening the session, Wang Huiyao, founder and president of CCG, said China-U.S. relations have become the world's most consequential bilateral relationship, with far-reaching global implications. He noted recent high-level exchanges between the two countries and said both sides bear great responsibility for global stability as major countries.
Wang stressed that dialogue and cooperation serve the fundamental interests of both countries and the international community.
He noted that China remains committed to supporting multilateralism, open cooperation and global development, warning that trade wars, unilateral sanctions and economic decoupling would undermine the world economy and global living standards.
Participants broadly agreed that the world is undergoing profound changes and that traditional power structures and governance mechanisms need to adapt to new realities.
Hina Rabbani Khar, chairperson of Pakistan's Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and former foreign minister, said the international system is experiencing a shift driven by changes in economic power, technology and social structures, calling for greater flexibility in global governance institutions. She stressed that unilateral approaches and selective application of international rules risk eroding global trust.
Damjan Jovic, state secretary at Serbia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said from the perspective of smaller and medium-sized countries, confrontation between major countries would be detrimental to global development.
"We do not need a new Cold War," he said, calling for peaceful coexistence between different civilizations and development models.
Saeed Khatibzadeh, deputy foreign minister of Iran and president of the Institute for Political and International Studies, said the era of hegemonic dominance is gradually fading and that multipolarity is becoming an irreversible trend in international relations. He noted that China-U.S. relations will remain a defining global factor, with their interactions shaping the broader international environment.
He also highlighted China's growing diplomatic role in the Middle East, including its facilitation of rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed Baharoon, director general of the Dubai Public Policy Research Center, said traditional Cold War-style competition is outdated in a highly interconnected world. He emphasized that China's relevance today is rooted not only in its economic scale but also in its deep integration into global supply chains.
He added that security today encompasses not only military concerns but also health, energy and environmental security, all of which require international cooperation rather than confrontation.
Despite intensifying geopolitical competition, panelists agreed that economic cooperation and globalization remain essential stabilizing forces. A stable and constructive China-U.S. relationship, they concluded, would bring greater certainty for other nations and contribute to a more balanced and sustainable global order. ■
