People attend the annual Gala Dinner of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR) in New York, the United States, on Oct. 14, 2025. Speakers at the annual gala of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations on Tuesday called for continued dialogue, practical engagement and increased collaboration between Washington and Beijing to stabilize the world’s most important bilateral relationship. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo)
by Xinhua writers Yang Shilong, Shi Chun
NEW YORK, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) — Speakers at the annual gala of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations on Tuesday called for continued dialogue, practical engagement and increased collaboration between Washington and Beijing to stabilize the world’s most important bilateral relationship.
PROGRESS AMID CHALLENGES
Committee President Stephen A. Orlins opened the event with a note of guarded optimism.
Both sides should “unite all forces that can be united,” said Orlins. Even amid global turmoil, “we at the National Committee know that at times of great challenge, we can make progress,” he said.
Orlins highlighted the committee’s ongoing track-two dialogues on healthcare, the digital economy and artificial intelligence (AI) governance, emphasizing that “progress on these issues will benefit Americans and Chinese alike.”
COMMUNICATION OVER CONFLICT
Committee Board Chair Charlene Barshefsky, a former U.S. trade representative, acknowledged that 2025 has been a “tumultuous time.”
Still, she noted several positive signs — a bipartisan Congressional visit to China, a presidential call and the announcement of a TikTok deal — as evidence that channels remain open.
“There’s no question we won’t find common ground on every issue,” she said. “But I take great encouragement in the notion that leaders of great countries recognize the value of communication over conflict.”
Barshefsky said the world “depends on stable U.S.-China relations.”
INTERDEPENDENCE IS A FACT
“Neither country can credibly seal itself off from the impacts of the other… We will remain bound together through our economies and ultimately our shared existence on this planet,” said Evan G. Greenberg, executive vice chair of the committee and chairman of Chubb Insurance.
He called for renewed strategic thinking and risk-reduction efforts, warning of a “deficit” in both.
Greenberg also underscored the stabilizing role of business ties, saying, “Business and private-sector leadership have an important and strategic role to play.”
He said that two-way trade and investment remain in the interest of both countries, acting as a “stabilizing force.”
COOPERATION PREVAILS OVER CONFRONTATION
Pfizer Chairman and CEO Dr. Albert Bourla, honored at the gala, described the health sector as a model for bilateral cooperation.
“Trade tensions continue to simmer,” he said, “but we must continue to place our confidence in dialogue and connection to provide the productive path forward.”
Bourla praised China’s rapid advances in biopharma, calling them “remarkable,” and pointed to Pfizer’s nearly 40-year presence in China and partnerships with local firms as examples of how collaboration benefits both sides.
“In health, the enemy is only one — the disease,” he said. “Cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s — they don’t recognize borders.”
“The cures of tomorrow will come from collaboration, from science, and from the belief that global problems demand global solutions,” said Bourla.
MUSIC AS A BRIDGE
During the event, Abigail Washburn, an American banjo player, and Wu Fei, a Beijing-born guzheng artist, performed a duet that fused Appalachian banjo with the ancient Chinese zither, showcasing how art transcends borders.
The performance and friendship, rooted in two decades of musical and personal exchanges, conveyed a simple truth: In song and emotion alike, we are all the same.
Orlins said at the end of their show that he hoped the two countries could one day get along as harmoniously as the two musicians had played together. ■
Stephen A. Orlins, president of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR), speaks at the annual Gala Dinner of the NCUSCR in New York, the United States, on Oct. 14, 2025. Speakers at the annual gala of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations on Tuesday called for continued dialogue, practical engagement and increased collaboration between Washington and Beijing to stabilize the world’s most important bilateral relationship. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo)
Evan G. Greenberg, executive vice chair of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR), speaks at the annual Gala Dinner of the NCUSCR in New York, the United States, on Oct. 14, 2025. Speakers at the annual gala of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations on Tuesday called for continued dialogue, practical engagement and increased collaboration between Washington and Beijing to stabilize the world’s most important bilateral relationship. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo)
Stephen A. Orlins, president of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR), speaks at the annual Gala Dinner of the NCUSCR in New York, the United States, on Oct. 14, 2025. Speakers at the annual gala of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations on Tuesday called for continued dialogue, practical engagement and increased collaboration between Washington and Beijing to stabilize the world’s most important bilateral relationship. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo)
Charlene Barshefsky, former U.S. trade representative and board chair of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR), speaks at the annual Gala Dinner of the NCUSCR in New York, the United States, on Oct. 14, 2025. Speakers at the annual gala of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations on Tuesday called for continued dialogue, practical engagement and increased collaboration between Washington and Beijing to stabilize the world’s most important bilateral relationship. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo)
Evan G. Greenberg, executive vice chair of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR), speaks at the annual Gala Dinner of the NCUSCR in New York, the United States, on Oct. 14, 2025. Speakers at the annual gala of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations on Tuesday called for continued dialogue, practical engagement and increased collaboration between Washington and Beijing to stabilize the world’s most important bilateral relationship. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo)
Charlene Barshefsky, former U.S. trade representative and board chair of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR), speaks at the annual Gala Dinner of the NCUSCR in New York, the United States, on Oct. 14, 2025. Speakers at the annual gala of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations on Tuesday called for continued dialogue, practical engagement and increased collaboration between Washington and Beijing to stabilize the world’s most important bilateral relationship. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo)
World Insights: U.S. experts urge dialogue, cooperation in U.S.-China ties
