‘互信’ (hù xìn) literally means ‘mutual trust’ — combining 互 (hù), meaning ‘mutual’ or ‘reciprocal,’ and 信 (xìn), meaning ‘trust’ or ‘faith.’ Together, they describe a two-way, balanced confidence between people or groups, where each party believes in the other’s reliability, honesty, and goodwill. Unlike one-sided trust, 互信 emphasizes symmetry and shared commitment.

This term is commonly used in formal or serious contexts: diplomacy (e.g., building mutual trust between nations), business partnerships, team collaboration, and close personal relationships like marriage or long-term friendships. It often appears in policy documents, speeches, and academic writing about cooperation and social cohesion. While it can be used in everyday conversation, it carries a slightly elevated register — you wouldn’t typically say 互信 when chatting with friends about trusting a roommate; instead, you’d use simpler phrasing like ‘我们彼此信任.’