The two-day China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue, taking place in Washington D. C. on Wednesday and Thursday, is a test of the world's two largest economies' sincerity about collaboration and their capability to handle their differences. While distracting topics such as cybersecurity may continue to make the headlines, trade and economic relations remain the business to attend to.

Given the two countries' role in the world's economic landscape, any positive signal they send about strengthening bilateral trade and economic cooperation would not only bring more benefits to themselves, it would also help boost confidence in a global economic recovery.

As the title of a signed article in The Wall Street Journal by Vice-Premier Wang Yang suggests, China views the fifth S&ED as "an opportunity to strengthen US-China ties". The article, which reviews the dynamics of trade cooperation between China and the United States, as well as its importance, may at the same time be construed as an invitation to jointly exploit the opportunity to both countries' advantage.