SINGAPORE -- Trade could provide an opportunity for China and the United States to rebuild trust and communication, and to collaborate towards a multilateral system that embodies their common interests, a commentary published by Singapore's Asian news network CNA said Tuesday.

"Ending the tariff war is the first step," said the commentary written by Yan Liang, professor and chair of International Studies at Willamette University.

Noting that keeping the tariffs imposed by former US President Donald Trump is a mistake, the article said that the US tariff war against China fails to address trade imbalances and undermines the domestic priorities of the US government, hindering a US return to multilateralism.

While China and the United States have differences in ideology and geopolitical interest, trade is a fertile ground for partnership, it said, adding that multilateral rules-based trade would allow both countries to enjoy the benefits of extensive global supply chains and improve production efficiency derived from specialization and economies of scale.