On April 20, 2024, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng attended the opening ceremony of the Harvard Kennedy School China Conference 2024 and delivered a speech entitled “Chinese Modernization, A Community with a Shared Future for Mankind, and China-U.S. Relations”, emphasizing that in a turbulent world, China’s choice is to pursue Chinese modernization at home, and forge a community with a shared future for mankind internationally. It is hoped that the U.S. side will work with China in the same direction and find a right way to get along in the new era, based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.

Ambassador Xie pointed out that a lot has changed in the world around us, and we are now living in a turbulent time. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is again wreaking havoc, while the crisis in Ukraine stays unabated. It seems that everywhere we look, we see powder kegs that can explode anytime. The global economic recovery remains sluggish. Energy, food and debt crises keep emerging. More than 100 million people are displaced, and 700 million are grappling with hunger. Non-traditional security challenges such as artificial intelligence, climate change and biosecurity are on the rise. Worries grow that we may find ourselves in another “Oppenheimer moment”, and the very survival of human civilization is at stake.

Ambassador Xie said that the world is again at a crossroads. All countries are in the same boat. Amidst the raging torrents, we need to pull together, not pull apart. China’s choice is clear and firm: At home, we will focus on achieving Chinese modernization; internationally, we will forge a community with a shared future for mankind. 

A developing China will keep making contribution to building a world of lasting peace. A China where everyone benefits from development will keep creating opportunities for building a world of common prosperity. A China making constant progress will keep serving as a bridge for building an open and inclusive world. A green China will keep injecting momentum into building a clean and beautiful world. And a peaceful China will keep fulfilling its responsibilities for building a world of universal security. 

Ambassador Xie stressed that for both pursuing Chinese modernization and building a community with a shared future for mankind, a peaceful international environment is necessary, and a stable China-U.S. relationship is vital. At present, we are facing grave challenges in China-U.S. relations. Whether the younger generation can continue to enjoy the eight-decade-long peace and development as their parents did largely depends on whether China and the United States can find a right way to get along in the new era. China is ready to make joint efforts with the U.S. side, live up to our mission, show good faith and sincerity, and take concrete actions to implement the important consensus reached between our Presidents, so as to turn the “San Francisco vision” into reality, and steer the relationship forward along the track of sound, stable and sustainable development.

Ambassador Xie said that the two sides need to first jointly develop a right perception toward each other. China never bets against the United States, and never interferes in its internal affairs, including elections. We are willing to be partners and friends with the United States. Is the U.S. side also ready to do the same? 

Second, we need to jointly manage disagreements effectively. If the U.S. side keeps interfering with China’s internal affairs and damaging China’s interests on issues related to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Xizang and the South China Sea, how could the two sides ever put a floor under the relationship, no matter how many guardrails there may be? 

Third, we need to jointly advance mutually beneficial cooperation. If the two sides had focused solely on differences and competition half a century ago, how could we have reopened our doors to each other? And how could this relationship have brought huge peace and development dividends to both countries and the world over the past 45 years? Some people, though, stress the importance of a free market when they get the upper hand, but resort to protectionism when they are outperformed. Is this fair? 

Fourth, we need to jointly shoulder responsibilities as major countries. Global public goods offered by China are open to all sides. We are willing to coordinate with the United States, and jointly explore third-party market cooperation. Will the U.S. side also welcome China to be part of its multilateral initiatives? 

Fifth, we need to jointly promote people-to-people exchanges. Now that our leaders have agreed to increase people-to-people exchanges, why should all the barriers in travel, visa and border policies still be there? During the era of mutual estrangement and antagonism from 1949 to 1971, trade between China and the United States was almost zero, and our citizens had to get stapled visas to visit each other’s country. In a globalized world today, why should we backpedal and return to the past? 

Ambassador Xie noted that China-U.S. relations have never been smooth sailing. But whenever challenges abound, there are always some who would come forward and speak up for the relationship. Harvard is a pioneer in people-to-people exchanges between our two countries. It is one of the first American universities to admit Chinese students, offer Chinese courses, and carry out in-depth study on China. 

The China-U.S. relationship cannot go back to the old days, but we can jointly usher in a brighter future for it. The hope lies in the youth, who are known for vitality, creativity, and the will to act. Ambassador Xie encouraged them to travel the expanse of China with their own feet, and see a true, dynamic and panoramic China; to put their heads together, and contribute wisdom to how our two countries can get along well on this planet; and to spring into action, promote exchanges and cooperation between China and the United States, so as to create a future of lasting peace and prosperity for all.

Ambassador Xie’s speech was warmly welcomed by the guests, Harvard faculty members and students present, and received rounds of applause.

The theme of the conference this year is “Rebuilding Trust in Turbulent Times”. More than 300 people attended the conference, including Founding Dean of Harvard Kennedy School Prof. Graham Allison, former Acting Assistant Secretary of State Susan Thornton, Founder of the Peterson Institute for International Economics C. Fred Bergsten, Vice President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Danny Alexander, Consul-General of China in New York Huang Ping, Dean of Schwarzman College of Tsinghua University Xue Lan, other representatives of the political, business and academic communities from both countries, faculty members and students of Harvard University and Chinese students in the United States.