The common problems that China and the United States confront together are larger and more dangerous than the divisive issues that threaten relations between the world's two largest economies. Consider global warming, transnational epidemics, energy resources and inefficiencies, environmental degradation, urbanization, healthcare, terrorism, organized crime - these are real problems that require focus and sophistication.

The global benefits of China and the US working together were reinforced recently at the second annual IT 2020 Big Data and Cloud Computing Summit, co-hosted by the Chinese Academy of Engineering and US-based National Academy of Engineering, and supported by EMC and VMware from the US, and Inspur and Lenovo from China. Founded by CAE and EMC, IT 2020 gathers American and Chinese experts to discuss how emerging information technologies, particularly big data, can shape economic and social development everywhere.

Over 500 professionals from academia, industry and government interacted with world-class experts from the CAE and the NAE to examine state-of-the-art structures and applications in cloud computing and big data. Target industries support China's reforms and national needs as they affect people's lives according to the policy directives of the Third Plenum of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

CAE President Zhou Ji opened IT 2020 by stressing the centrality of science and technology for China's transformation and expressing appreciation for China-US collaboration. He highlighted the need for academic-industry partnerships, innovation and data security.

The NAE was represented by Foreign Secretary Venkatesh (Venky) Narayanamurti who noted long-term cooperation between the NAE and the CAE at the nexus of science, technology and society, citing numerous "global challenges" from new forms of energy to reverse engineering the brain. These are exciting times, he said, because "knowledge knows no boundaries" and science and technology is the best "bridge" to transcend politics and elevate humanity. Venky encouraged more NAE-CAE activities, noting that CAE President Zhou was elected as a foreign member of NAE.