Translated by ChatGPT, edited by Sinocism.com.

Source: The Paper | Author: Yu Xiaoqing (于潇清), reporter at The Paper; Zhu Zhengyong (朱郑勇), reporter at The Paper | Poster design: Wang Luyao (王璐瑶), The Paper | October 28, 2026

2026 is a major year for China-US relations. The two countries’ heads of state completed historic reciprocal visits within six months, and the two sides agreed to build a “constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability based on respect, fairness, and reciprocity.” The upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting will also provide a new window for observing the interaction between the two leaders and the implementation of their consensus.

2026年是中美关系的“大年”。两国元首半年内完成历史性互访，双方同意构建“基于尊重、公平、对等的中美建设性战略稳定关系”。即将举行的亚太经合组织（APEC）领导人非正式会议，也将为观察两国元首互动和共识落实提供新的窗口。

During his visit to the United States, President Xi Jinping said that building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability is neither an expedient measure nor something that can be accomplished overnight. Departments, fields, and levels on both sides must all get moving: do not refrain from doing a good deed because it is small, and do not commit a bad deed because it is small (an allusion to Liu Bei’s admonition recorded in the Records of the Three Kingdoms). The two sides must implement their consensus with a “nail-driving” spirit.

习近平主席在访美期间指出，构建中美建设性战略稳定关系不是权宜之计，也不是朝夕之功。两国各部门、各领域、各层级都要动起来，不以善小而不为，不以恶小而为之，以钉钉子精神落实好双方达成的共识。

Against this backdrop, the “China-US Intergenerational Dialogue 2026,” jointly hosted by The Paper and the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, will be held in Shanghai on October 30. The event’s Chinese theme is “Searching for ‘Kissinger,’” and its English theme is “The Next Bridge Builders.”

在这一背景下，由澎湃新闻与上海国际问题研究院共同主办的“中美跨代际对话2026”，将于10月30日在上海举行。活动中文主题为“寻找‘基辛格’”，英文主题为“The Next Bridge Builders”。

The event will bring together senior figures with firsthand experience, established professionals, and young representatives from diplomacy, think tanks, technology, business, education, civil-society organizations, culture, and the arts in China and the United States. Zhao Qizheng, former director of the State Council Information Office, and Jing Qian, vice president of the Asia Society, will give special presentations. Chinese and American experts including Thomas Fingar, John Quelch, and Zhu Feng will hold the main dialogue on “China-US Relations in a Pivotal Year—Expectations and Outlook.” Participants will then discuss the frontiers of artificial intelligence, experiences of China-US engagement across different generations, and the diverse connections between the two countries. The public sessions will be livestreamed in full by The Paper.

活动将汇聚来自中美两国外交、智库、科技、商业、教育、社会组织及文化艺术等领域的资深亲历者、中坚力量和青年代表。国务院新闻办公室原主任赵启正、美国亚洲协会副会长钱镜将作特别分享，冯稼时、约翰·奎尔奇、朱锋等中美专家将围绕“关键之年的中美关系——期待与展望”展开主对话。此后，与会嘉宾还将就人工智能前沿、不同代际的中美交往经历，以及两国之间的多元联结等话题进行交流。活动公开环节将在澎湃新闻全程直播。

From the “Searching for ‘Kissinger’” series launched in 2024 to the “China-US Relations: Spoiler Warning” series launched in 2025, The Paper has continued to track important changes in China-US relations and to search, from historical, strategic, and practical perspectives, for ways to make the connections between the two countries more solid and resilient.

从2024年推出“寻找‘基辛格’”系列报道，到2025年推出“中美关系剧透警告”系列报道，澎湃新闻持续关注中美关系的重要变化，尝试从历史、战略和现实层面寻找使两国联结更加稳固、更具韧性的方法。

Alongside the in-person dialogue, The Paper will launch a special report titled “Reshaping the ‘Infrastructure’: China-US Intergenerational Dialogue 2026.” Through in-depth reporting, interviews, roundtable discussions, and on-site observations, it will explore the “foundations, bridges, and guardrails” of China-US relations.

与此次线下对话同步，澎湃新闻将推出“‘基础设施’重塑：中美跨代际对话2026特别报道”，通过深度报道、人物专访、圆桌采访和现场观察，围绕中美关系的“地基、桥梁与护栏”展开讨论。

After several years of intensifying competition, obstructed communication, and volatility in the relationship, China and the United States are exploring how to coexist in a new historical phase. The two sides have agreed to build a “constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability based on respect, fairness, and reciprocity.” How the consensus between the two heads of state can be translated into concrete policies and actions has become the “foundation” that the bilateral relationship must reinforce.

经历数年竞争加剧、沟通受阻与关系波动，中美正在探索新历史阶段的相处之道。双方同意构建“基于尊重、公平、对等的中美建设性战略稳定关系”，元首共识如何转化为具体政策和行动，成为两国关系需要夯实的“地基”。

The hope of China-US relations lies with the people, and the future lies with the young. The “50,000 in Five Years” initiative achieved its target ahead of schedule, and President Xi Jinping has announced that China will invite 100,000 young Americans to study and participate in exchange programs in China over the next five years. Whether people-to-people exchanges can progress from restoring numbers to enhancing understanding and deepening cooperation will determine whether the “bridge” between the two countries can grow ever wider.

中美关系的希望在人民、未来在青年。“5年5万”倡议提前实现预期目标，习近平主席又宣布，未来5年中方将邀请10万名美国青少年来华交流学习。人员往来如何从恢复数量进一步走向增进理解、深化合作，决定着两国交流的“桥梁”能否越架越宽。

At the same time, China and the United States still face competition and disagreements in economic and trade relations, artificial intelligence, geopolitics, and other fields. The two countries have agreed to establish an AI dialogue to exchange views on the technology’s risks and benefits and to create a channel for communicating about AI incidents. Keeping competition within bounds and disagreements under control, and preventing localized friction from causing the relationship to lose momentum, will require both sides to continually improve the “guardrails” for managing risks.