BOAO, China - "The United States and China have to be together. Humanity doesn't improve if we are on different sides," said former US commerce secretary Carlos Gutierrez.

In an interview with Xinhua on Monday at this year's Boao Forum for Asia, Gutierrez stressed the urgency of stabilizing ties between the world's two largest economies.

Gutierrez, who served under former US president George W. Bush from 2005 to 2009, shared his insights on the basis of decades of corporate and government engagement with China.

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He started his career at Kellogg's, where he spent 30 years with the cereal giant. In the early 1990s, he oversaw the construction of a plant in China. "Ever since I came the first time, I was hooked on China," he recalled, saying he was captivated by China's history and rapid transformation.

Since then, he has been visiting China annually, and his China trips have kept him updated about the country's "remarkable" development.

Noting China's "incredible economic and technological progress", Gutierrez said China is “always surprising the world with new things". He cited breakthroughs in electric vehicles and AI advancements exemplified by startups such as DeepSeek.

China has achieved in half a century what other countries have taken centuries to accomplish, he said.

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Gutierrez said China's strong policy support for innovation – coupled with its vast talent pool – continues to attract multinational research and development centers. "There's a culture of innovation," he added.

Addressing US misconceptions, Gutierrez dismissed the notion that China seeks to "undermine US interests".

"Chinese wisdom understands conflict doesn't lead to good outcomes," he said. "We have to find a way to coexist in a manner that benefits both countries and the world."

He urged US policymakers to adopt a pragmatic approach. "The Chinese stature is a reality. The question is how to turn this into a positive outcome," he said.

"Let's start with dialogue," he suggested.

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As a former commerce secretary and business leader, Gutierrez said he looks forward to a bilateral relationship where "both nations are able to achieve our interests without undermining each other". He stressed that disagreements are inevitable but a shared commitment to the partnership should drive solutions.

Gutierrez said his Chinese friends have strengthened this perspective. "I have some very dear friends in China. That's why I believe in the relationship," he added.

He also called for deeper people-to-people exchanges. "I think both sides need to understand each other more. I really do," he said.