China-US exchanges in various fields got off to a good start in 2024. On the first day of the New Year, leaders of the two countries exchanged congratulatory letters on the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Then the 17th China-US Defense Policy Coordination Talks were held in Washington from January 8 to 9. On Tuesday, Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, visited the US and was invited to deliver a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations and engaged in communication with the US side. Meanwhile, the Peking University Table Tennis Team's visit to the US and the University of Virginia Table Tennis Team's visit to China replayed the classic scene in the history of China-US relations, where the small ball pushes the big ball.

The simultaneous exchanges at the military, diplomatic and civilian fields are remarkable in this period as China-US relations are stabilizing and rebounding. The resumption and closeness of exchanges is what the Chinese and US societies as well as the international community anticipate. If China-US relations are stable, the world situation will not be in chaos; if China-US relations are unstable, the rest of the world will become concerned.

The perceptions, policies and actions of the US toward China in recent years have once brought China-US relations to a low ebb and created huge risks and potential dangers for the world. The serious consequences of the US' short-sighted policies have forced it to engage in rational reflection, and the concerns and expectations of the international community have formed a synergy that has prompted the US to make certain adjustments in its relations with China. After the San Francisco meeting, the US has shown more enthusiasm than before in implementing the important consensus of the two heads of state, and we hope that this is the result of the US drawing the lessons from the twists and turns in China-US relations in the past year, and that it will not make the same mistakes again.

Signs of relaxation in China-US relations also emerged at the beginning of 2023, but were quickly disrupted by the US sensationalizing the "balloon incident." Many actual actions by the US on issues concerning Taiwan Straits, the South China Sea, and high-tech exports to China not only failed to implement the consensus reached by the leaders and the commitments of US President Joe Biden but some instead went in the completely opposite direction, creating one vortex after another in bilateral relations. This year, China-US relations need to break free from these whirlpools.

Regarding China-US relations, China has consistently emphasized mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation. The US should genuinely meet China halfway. As long as the US continues to categorize China as a "competitor" or even a "threat," all of its policies toward China will ultimately push China in that direction, and the US' gestures of easing tensions, as well as communication and exchanges, may be seen by China as mere tactical maneuvers or expedient measures without sincerity, or even with malicious intent. The US needs to work together with China to rebuild the basic political mutual trust; otherwise, it will be impossible to achieve a healthy, stable and sustained development of bilateral relations.

The US, on the one hand, is pushing for what it calls intense competition with China, while on the other hand, it is concerned that this competition might spiral out of control into conflict and confrontation. This in itself is contradictory. If the US seeks communication and exchanges solely for the purpose of competing with China "safely" without concerns, the effectiveness of such communication and exchanges will be limited. It is even less likely to guarantee that the competition initiated by the US will always stay within the "guardrails" envisioned by the US. The US should abandon this unrealistic idea as soon as possible.

In this round of communication, China has expressed its sincere desire for strengthened cooperation with the US and goodwill for peaceful coexistence. However, China has also reiterated its unwavering determination not to compromise or concede on the Taiwan question. The US must acknowledge and respect China's major concerns. On issues related to China's core interests, especially the Taiwan question, which is at the very core of China's core interests, the US must exercise caution and not cross red lines. This is a prerequisite for the correct handling of China-US relations. Without this foundation, meaningful discussions become impossible.

Witnessed by 150 scientists from eight countries, the International PlateauPlus Association (PlateauPlus) was established Thursday in Beijing, during the PlateauPlus Workshop held by the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research (ITP) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

PlateauPlus is a platform proposed by Chinese scientists that aims to unite top research institutions and scientists from more than 20 countries across the globe where giant plateaus are located. It is designated to serve as an international platform for mega plateau research and to develop a new model of interdisciplinary and cross-regional global cooperation in Earth system science, read a statement the ITPCAS sent to the Global Times.

The association will focus on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Iranian Plateau in Asia, the Colorado Plateau and Columbia Plateau in North America, the Altiplano Plateau in South America, the East African Plateau in Africa and the Alps in Europe. It will conduct research on the formation and evolution of plateaus, environmental effects, biodiversity changes and human adaptation. It will also decipher the coupling mechanism between plateau uplift and surface environmental changes, and reveal the changes in plateau habitability and human social evolution, according to the ITPCAS.

Mega plateaus have significant impacts on the environment, biodiversity, and human survival. Previously, the ITPCAS mainly focused on studying the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which has also attracted many foreign scientists. However, besides the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, other mega plateaus around the world also have a tremendous impact on these aspects. So it's a good idea to unite scientists all around the world to jointly examine all these mega plateaus and find out what factors have played a vital role or how these plateaus affect each other in shaping the current environmental landscape, rivers as well as human migration and adaptation, Ding Lin, an ITP researcher and Academician of the CAS and one of the initiators of PlateauPlus, told the Global Times.

"Although aspects of the orographic development of the Tibetan region are still actively debated, collaboration across disciplines and testing ideas within the rigor of mathematical models are honing our understanding of the highly complex natural processes inherent to the Tibetan geo/ecosystem. If humans are ever going to manage our planet in a responsible and informed way, then the lessons we have learned from Tibetan Plateau research must be applied more widely to other orographically complex systems. These lessons are not just those relating to the science itself, but how we do the research, how we improve our methodologies, how we nurture international collaboration and integrate local knowledge with broader global perspectives," said Robert Spicer, emeritus professor of Earth Sciences at The Open University in the UK.

"We now have a magnificent toolbox of methodologies and ideas that can be used to investigate other plateaus worldwide, so it is time to explore and integrate plateau system research globally," Spicer said. He noted that as a world leader in science, China is very attractive for foreign scientists.

During the two-day PlateauPlus Workshop, global scientists discussed the formation and evolution of plateaus, environmental effects, biodiversity changes, and human adaptation.

Ding said that in the future the ITPCAS will host workshops in different countries, fostering a truly global perspective.

Field excursions in various global mega plateaus will be a crucial part of the journey, offering hands-on experience and deeper insights. A key focus will be engaging more and more local institutions, especially from regions like East Africa and South America, which are currently underrepresented, according to Ding.

Strengthening these connections is essential for a more comprehensive understanding and inclusive approach to the research, he noted.