On June 7, 2023, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng delivered a keynote speech at the welcome event hosted by the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC). President Craig Allen of the USCBC and around 130 people, including U.S. government officials and members from the business and strategic communities participated in the event.

Ambassador Xie spoke warmly of the Council’s contribution to China-U.S. business cooperation and relationship during the past 50 years since its inception. He elaborated on China’s development and its internal and foreign policies. He underscored that China’s policy is open and transparent, and its pathway clear; that China’s economic recovery is robust with bright prospects. He stressed that China’s commitment to opening-up is firm, which will bring unprecedented opportunities; and that China keeps to a path of peaceful development and has played a key role in the world. “In this chaotic world, you will find China a source of rare stability and much-needed certainty.”said Xie.

Xie said, “we are finding ourselves in a world of turbulence, with serious challenges in China-U.S. relations. We are again at a crossroads. Which way should we take: to stabilize the relationship and find the right way to get along in the new era, or to let it spiral downward further into conflict and confrontation? This is a major choice we need to make.” Xie underscored that President Xi Jinping has proposed the three principles of mutual respect, peaceful co-existence and win-win cooperation. They represent the fundamental and right way for the two countries to get along in the new era. Mutual respect comes first; peaceful co-existence is the red line; win-win cooperation is the goal. Xie called for concerted efforts to follow the right direction, advance dialogue and cooperation, defuse flash points and take concrete actions to implement the common understandings reached between President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden in their Bali summit, so that China-U.S. relationship could return to the right track at an early date.

Xie noted the recent intentions expressed by the U.S. side to increase high-level contact, return to the Bali agenda and find a way to lower risk and stabilize and improve the relationship. The Chinese side takes these statements seriously, and has made positive response. The Chinese side is open to dialogue, but dialogue and cooperation must be based on mutual respect and results-oriented. It is not the right way to seek dialogue and cooperation while putting the other on the sanction list. Dialogue conducted only for its own sake, or saying one thing but doing another will not work but may bring unwanted results. Xie underlined the importance of whole-process management for high-level interactions: fostering good atmosphere in advance, accumulating outcomes in the process, and delivering on them afterwards.

Xie called upon the U.S. side to respect the Chinese people’s choice of development path and social system and their right to a better life, and China’s core interests and major concerns. These are essential for the China-U.S. relationship to advance in the right direction, with no conflict, no confrontation and no new Cold War. He pointed out that a pressing task is to bring the Taiwan question, the biggest risk, under control. “No one wants peaceful reunification more than China does. We are also the last that wants tensions or warfare across the Taiwan Strait. It is not the Chinese side who simulated the war game, changed the status quo or stoked crisis.” said Xie. The Taiwan authorities’ seeking of U.S. support for their independence agenda; and the proposal by some in the U.S. to use Taiwan to contain China are the biggest threats to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Xie stressed that the most fundamental thing is to fully and faithfully adhere to the one-China principle; the most important is to abide by the three joint communiqués with real actions; and the most pressing is to match words with deeds and oppose adventurism and provocation by the “Taiwan independence” forces.

Xie noted that the U.S. has expressed its non-intention to “de-couple” but has shifted to the word “de-risking”. He said that the two words sound little difference to many Chinese. “They liken this to putting the same wine in a different bottle. They ask, what and where are the risks? And how will such ‘de-risking’ be realized? They worry that ‘de-risking’ may be just another name for ‘decoupling’.” said Xie. Every country has national security to take care of. But national security is not an excuse for protectionism. If national security is used as a hammer, then everything will look like a nail. One country’s security cannot be built on the insecurity of others. Nor can a country keep its industrial chains stable if those of the world are not.

Xie pointed out that stabilizing China-U.S. relations is compatible with upholding national interests; trade and economic cooperation can reinforce the pursuit of common development; a sound China-U.S. relationship means a lot to the business community. China-U.S. relationship bears on not only the well-being of the 1.7 billion Chinese and American people, but also the world’s future. By forestalling conflict and confrontation and upholding a stable China-U.S. relationship, one is promoting the common interests for both countries and contributing to world peace and prosperity. “Upon arrival at D.C., I talked to Chinese and American media, and the video was posted on twitter. Many American netizens left their comments. One said this, ‘I hope you find some allies; there are a few hiding in the darkness afraid of being crushed.’ Indeed, I feel that many American friends want to speak up for China-U.S. cooperation, but hesitate to do so. They are afraid of being ‘politically incorrect’.” Xie said. He pointed out that a good overall environment makes doing business a lot easier. If the China-U.S. relationship gets worse, the business community can hardly stay unaffected. He called upon the business community to speak up for free trade and open market, as this serves everyone’s interests and the stability of global industrial and supply chains.

After the keynote speech, Ambassador Xie had an onstage conversation with President Allen, and took questions about his priorities as the Chinese ambassador, high-level exchange between the two countries, business community’s role in advancing cooperation in bilateral and multilateral spheres as well as China’s business environment for American companies.

President Allen expressed welcome on behalf of the USCBC to Ambassador Xie. He expressed that at the critical moment for U.S.-China relations, the USCBC is ready to make continued efforts for the relationship’s stability and development.