January 16, 2024

Director Rahul Gupta,

Under Secretary Marisa Lago,

Assistant Secretary Daniel Kritenbrink,

Senior Director Sarah Beran,

President Craig Allen,

President Stephen Orlins,

Chairman Timothy Shriver,

Secretary General Luis Almagro,

Deputy Managing Director Li Bo,

Managing Director Yang Shaolin,

Distinguished Diplomatic Envoys,

Fellow Compatriots,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good evening, and a warm welcome to all of you! It is a great pleasure to get together to mark the 45th anniversary of the establishment of China-U.S. diplomatic relations, look back at the extraordinary journey we have travelled, and pre-celebrate the 2024 Chinese New Year.

Just now, we took a stroll down the past, and revisited many historical moments in the China-U.S. relationship. The ice-breaking trip and ping-pong diplomacy have gone down in history, and all those handshakes across the Pacific and stories of peoples’ goodwill continue to inspire us till this very day.

I am fortunate to have personally participated in many of these moments. When I was first posted to the United States in 2000, I witnessed how our two countries worked together to combat terrorism. During my second posting here from 2008 to 2010, our two countries stepped up to the plate and jointly tackled the global financial crisis. And since my arrival in the United States in May last year, the two sides have managed to return to Bali and move toward San Francisco. Over all these years, I have made friends old and new and benefited from your support.

On the very first day of this year, President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden exchanged congratulatory letters on the 45th anniversary of the establishment of our bilateral relations. The two heads of state attached great importance to the historic significance of the event, spoke highly of the achievements in China-U.S. relations over the past 45 years, and expressed readiness to continue to stabilize and develop the relationship. President Xi noted that despite the ups and downs, the China-U.S. relationship has on the whole moved forward, which has not only enhanced the well-being of the two peoples, but also promoted world peace, stability and prosperity. President Biden said he looks forward to continuing to advance the U.S.-China relationship based on the progress made by the predecessors as well as the progress he and President Xi have made at their meetings and discussions on multiple occasions.

The mansion of the China-U.S. relationship has been built up brick by brick by generations of people in both countries. I would like to propose that we first pay tribute to successive leaders of both countries, and express our heartfelt thanks to all those who have long cared for and supported the development of this relationship!

We are very glad that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has sent us a congratulatory message today on the 45th anniversary of China-U.S. diplomatic relations. Also, former U.S. Ambassadors to China, J. Stapleton Roy, Joseph Prueher, Clark T. Randt, Jon Huntsman, Gary Locke, Max Baucus and Terry Branstad, have graciously sent us messages on this special occasion. Let's salute them with a warm round of applause!

Dear friends,

Over the past 45 years, the China-U.S. relationship has kept forging ahead amid twists and turns, to the benefit of both countries and the world. We believe there are several important inspirations:

First, for China and the United States, turning our back on each other is not an option. Dialogue and win-win cooperation should be our common goal. The China-U.S. relationship has grown into THE most important bilateral relationship in the world. We are cooperating in more areas than ever, with unprecedentedly intertwined interests and far-reaching influence. Exports to China alone support more than 1 million jobs in the United States. Over 70,000 American companies are doing business in China, earning a profit of 50 billion US dollars annually. Under the China-U.S. agreement on cooperation in science and technology, one of the earliest agreements signed between the two governments, we have conducted high-standard, multi-tiered cooperation in dozens of areas including basic research, public health, energy, environmental protection and agricultural science. Such cooperation has benefited not only both countries but also the entire humanity.

China is the largest developing country, and the United States the largest developed country. Decoupling between us will not work, and will produce no winner. Both our peoples want cooperation, and our cooperation is driven by win-win outcomes.

Second, it is unrealistic for one side to try to remodel the other. Respecting each other and seeking common ground while reserving differences is the prerequisite. The fundamental reason why China and the United States managed to break the ice and come together was because the two sides shelved ideological differences, showed mutual respect and found common ground. Over 2,000 years ago, Confucius said, “A noble man seeks harmony without uniformity”. American friends also frequently talk about “agreeing to disagree”. China will not become another United States. We have no intention to challenge the United States or to unseat it, still less will we interfere with U.S. internal affairs. China is ready to be a partner and friend of the United States. Likewise, we hope the United States will also respect China’s development path and core interests, and respect the right of the Chinese people to pursue a better life.

Third, conflict and confrontation has unbearable consequences for both sides. Coexisting in peace and managing differences is the basic principle. It took another seven years after Dr. Henry Kissinger’s visit to China for our two countries to establish diplomatic relations. The crux was the Taiwan question, and the key was whether the United States would pledge to sever so-called “diplomatic relations” with Taiwan, withdraw U.S. forces from the island, and abrogate their so-called “mutual defense treaty”. It is stated in black and white in the Communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations that “The United States of America recognizes the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China. Within this context, the people of the United States will maintain cultural, commercial, and other unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan.” “The Government of the United States of America acknowledges the Chinese position that there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China.”

Today, The Taiwan question remains the most important, sensitive and explosive question in China-U.S. relations. Without stability across the Taiwan Strait, the China-U.S. relationship would be on shaky ground.

The Taiwan region held elections a few days ago. No matter how the situation on the island may unfold, it will not change the fact that there is but one China in the world and that Taiwan is part of China; it will not change the prevailing consensus among the international community on the one-China principle; nor will it change the historical trend that China WILL realize reunification and Taiwan WILL return to its motherland.

Maintaining peace and stability across the Strait serves the best interests of both China and the United States. To achieve this, the most important guardrails are the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques, and the most pressing task is to curb the “Taiwan independence” forces, which pose the fundamental menace to peace and stability in the Strait.

Dear friends,

The China-U.S. relationship over the past 45 years has left an indelible chapter in international relations, and the hope of its future lies in our two peoples. Two months ago, President Xi and President Biden held a historic summit meeting in San Francisco, which fostered a future-oriented San Francisco vision, and charted the course for exploring the right way to get along in the new era. President Xi pointed out that China and the United States should jointly develop a right perception toward each other, jointly manage disagreements effectively, jointly advance mutually beneficial cooperation, jointly shoulder responsibilities as major countries, and jointly promote people-to-people exchanges. These are the five pillars for the stable development of China-U.S. relations.

The China-U.S. relationship is again at a new historical starting point. We are facing both rare opportunities and complex challenges. We need to stay committed to our original aspirations, follow the trend of history, use the past as a guide, and bear in mind the future of humanity and the well-being of the people, so as to usher in a brighter future together.

It is important to act with a sense of responsibility for history, and keep to the right direction of China-U.S. relations. Over the past 45 years, this relationship has brought tremendous benefits of peace, stability and development to both countries and the world. Today, the relationship has greater strategic significance and global influence than ever. The two sides need to draw inspiration from history, view the relationship from a strategic and long-term perspective, and make right decisions to ensure sustained growth of the relationship in the next 45 years.

The top priority now is to follow up on the important common understandings reached between the two heads of state, turn the San Francisco vision into reality, and promote the sound, stable and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations with concrete actions.

The two sides also need to learn lessons from history, stay vigilant against a new “Cold War”, the resurgence of McCarthyism and the repetition of the Oppenheimer-era tragedy. We need to oppose attempts to overstretch the concept of national security, politicize economic and scientific issues, demonize people-to-people exchanges, or weaponize our interdependence.

It is important to act with a sense of responsibility for the people, and do more things that will bring them tangible benefits. The two sides need to start with concrete steps, solve the most pressing problems for the people, and focus more on expanding and deepening cooperation, so that our peoples can have a strong sense of fulfillment and happiness. China feels for the American people who have suffered from the scourge of fentanyl. After the U.S. side lifted sanctions on relevant Chinese authorities, we have been conducting campaigns against fentanyl and its precursor chemicals, and discussing with the U.S. side the establishment of a working group on counternarcotics cooperation.

We have been actively implementing President Xi’s initiative to invite 50,000 young Americans to China on exchange and study programs in the next five years, and we encourage more young Americans to visit China, seize the opportunities and embrace the future. It is our sincere hope that the younger generation of our two countries will learn each other’s language, and become friends and partners.

The two sides need to enhance cooperation in law enforcement, economy and trade, agriculture, public health and other areas, and jointly combat diseases that have long plagued humanity such as cancer and Alzheimer’s. We need to open up new arenas of cooperation and foster new growth drivers in digital economy and low-carbon development, level the playing field for each other’s enterprises, and make the pie of mutually beneficial cooperation bigger. We also need to further remove obstacles to people-to-people exchanges in flights, visa policy and border entry, so as to build more bridges of mutual understanding and friendship between our peoples.

It is also important to act with a sense of responsibility for the world, and provide more stability and certainty. The world today is far from tranquil. But the overall direction of human development and progress will not change, the overall dynamics of world history moving forward amid twists and turns will not change, and the overall trend toward a shared future for the international community will not change. The Earth is big enough for China and the United States to develop respectively and prosper together, and the world could not achieve peace, stability and development without our two countries working together.

We need to envision our relationship with the future of humanity and the Earth in mind, rise above the zero-sum mentality, and move in the same direction to make the world a better place. We need to strengthen communication and coordination on hotspots like the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the Ukraine crisis as well as global challenges such as climate change and artificial intelligence, and provide more public goods conducive to world peace and development. Let’s have a race to the top, and compete to do a better job in running our country, contribute more to the world, and deliver more benefits to peoples around the globe.

Dear friends,

We will soon bid farewell to the lunar Year of Rabbit. Over the past year, the world saw a China brimming with vigor. We achieved a smooth transition in our Covid-19 response efforts. The Chinese economy has sustained the momentum of recovery, with the total output estimated to have exceeded 126 trillion yuan (about 18 trillion US dollars). Tourist destinations teemed with visitors on holidays, and life is getting better and better.

The world saw a China embracing the world. China International Import Expo, China International Consumer Products Expo and China International Supply Chain Expo all attracted enthusiastic participation. The Chengdu FISU World University Games and the Hangzhou Asian Games presented spectacular sports scenes. New progress has also been made in expanding high-standard opening-up.

The world saw a China pursuing green development. More people are embracing low-carbon lifestyles. China now has close to half of the world’s installed photovoltaic capacity, and over half of the world’s new energy vehicles are running on roads in China.

The world also saw a China living up to its responsibilities. We facilitated the reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran, promoted talks for peace in the Ukraine crisis, and called for ending the fighting on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. We also successfully held the China-Central Asia Summit and the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

Last month, I traveled back to Beijing to attend the Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs. President Xi presented a systematic review of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and made comprehensive plans for China’s external work going forward. In the new year, we will continue to advance Chinese modernization through high-quality development, and promote common development for all through high-standard opening-up. We will commit to self-confidence and self-reliance, openness and inclusiveness, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation, and focus on the theme of building a community with a shared future for mankind. We will firmly safeguard our sovereignty, security and development interests, consolidate and expand our global network of partnerships, bring countries together to meet challenges and achieve prosperity for all, and usher in a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress for our world.

The upcoming lunar year will be the Year of Dragon. Dragon symbolizes good luck, prosperity and strength, and carries wishes for a smooth year with good weather and a bumper harvest. As a Chinese proverb goes, “Spring comes early if people work hard enough.” We hope the world will see less rivalry but more goodwill, less “fuming dragon, roaring tiger”, but more “soaring dragon, leaping tiger”. More importantly, we need to act with the vitality of dragon and earnestly foster China-U.S. friendship. Let’s keep the steering wheel steady, hoist the sail of dialogue and cooperation, navigate the giant ship of China-U.S. relations without getting disoriented, losing speed or even having a collision, and continue to break waves and forge ahead along the right course.

Now, I would like to propose a toast,

To the 45th anniversary of the establishment of China-U.S. diplomatic relations,

To the friendship between the peoples of China and the United States,

To the upcoming Spring Festival,

And to the health and happiness of all friends here and your loved ones,

Cheers!