Since the first China-Asean official dialogue in July 1991, when then foreign minister Qian Qichen attended the 24th Asean Post-Ministerial Conference as a consultative partner, the relationship between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has grown into a multilayered web of ties.

Beijing and Washington need to do is think of ways to translate the important agreements reached at the top level into reality. Beyond grand declarations, the “new model” needs to utilize a broad-based policy-making network that involves cyber and climate experts.

The U.S. Navy's top commander in the Pacific says it's up to policymakers in Washington whether his sailors patrol within 12 nautical miles of newly constructed islands claimed by China in the South China Sea. Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Scott Swift spoke during an interview Thursday amid tensions over Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea and reports the U.S. will sail near the disputed islands to challenge those claims.

Relations between the Chinese and U.S. navies are their "best in history" and exchanges between the two will become more systematic in the future, China's military on Friday cited the country's naval chief as telling visiting U.S. officers. The comments by navy chief Wu Shengli come as Washington considers conducting freedom-of-navigation operations within 12 nautical miles of artificial islands China has built in the disputed South China Sea, without saying when it would do so. Such a move would likely infuriate Beijing.

China hosted a visit this week to its sole aircraft carrier by senior U.S. Navy officers amid tensions over reported plans by Washington to challenge Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Given the rising hostility toward China in some American political circles, and the growing calls for a confrontational policy, the modest achievements made in the realms of cyber, the South China Sea, and North Korea are commendable.

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.

As Chinese President Xi Jinping begins his trip to the United States in Seattle, home to many of the world’s leading technology firms, most observers are looking ahead to his subsequent meeting with President Barack Obama. Can the summit reverse the downward spiral in US-China relations that began with Xi’s accession to power in 2013?

There is no lack of communication between Washington and Beijing on the South China Sea issue, which will likely be on the agenda of the Xi-Obama meeting in September. If China’s “dual-track” approach to the issue can be wed to the new model of major-country relationship between China and the United States, they can reach some accommodation and reduce the chance of a showdown.

Apart from meeting China’s own defense needs, the activity is also based on a 1987 request from the United Nations. By constructing civilian facilities on the islands and reefs in a transparent way, China is contributing to navigational safety and raising the level of maritime cooperation in the region.