Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Dear friends,

Good evening! Today is the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, a day when Chinese people traditionally offer sacrifices to the Kitchen God. It is also known in northern China as the Preliminary Eve, so we are now officially in Chinese New Year mode. On this auspicious occasion, I would like to express festive greetings to friends from various sectors who have long cared for China’s development and supported China-U.S. relations. Happy Chinese New Year in advance!

In the past year, the Chinese economy grew against all the odds, making new progress in innovation-led and high-quality development. Despite sluggish global economic growth, China’s economic output crossed the threshold of 140 trillion yuan in 2025, with GDP growing 5% year-on-year.

We have energized development through innovation. A stream of new innovations and major projects were accomplished, including the Tianwen-2 spacecraft, and the Yarlung Zangbo hydropower project. Frontier technologies such as large AI models and humanoid robots have been competing in a race to the top. We have the world’s largest number of lighthouse factories, and have entered the top 10 of the Global Innovation Index for the first time.

We have powered global development through openness. Last year, we held events including the China International Consumer Products Expo, the Canton Fair, the China International Fair for Trade in Services, and the China International Import Expo. We launched island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan Free Trade Port, expanded our visa-free policy to more countries and regions, and granted zero-tariff treatment to all least developed countries having diplomatic relations with us. China is now a major trading partner of more than 150 countries and regions. We are sharing opportunities with the world with open arms, and will continue to be one of the most stable and reliable engines of global growth.

In the past year, China-U.S. relations witnessed ups and downs, and forged ahead through the waves. From the smooth transition at the start of the year, to rising tensions amid the tariff and trade war, and to stabilization after the Busan Summit, China-U.S. relations realized overall and dynamic stability under the strategic guidance of our two Presidents. This did not come easily, and could not have been achieved without the joint efforts of multiple departments and people from various sectors in both our countries. For instance, Senator Steve Daines and Congressman Adam Smith respectively led a delegation to visit China last year on two ice-breaking trips, which involved senators and congressmen from both parties.

What happened in the past year has again proven that, dialogue is better than confrontation, cooperation is better than zero sum, and stability is better than volatility. It is an established truth that our two countries gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. Be it a tariff, trade or tech war, or an industrial, resource or geopolitical war, all would only hit a dead end and serve no one’s interest. A steady, sound and sustainable China-U.S. relationship serves the fundamental interests of both our peoples, and meets the shared expectation of the international community. It is therefore the right path our two sides should pursue together.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Dear friends,

As a Chinese proverb goes, “A year’s plan starts with spring.” Now is the opportune moment for China and the United States to build consensus and embark on a new journey. Last week, President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump had another phone call, recalibrating again and charting the course of bilateral relations for the year ahead. We should resolutely implement the important common understandings reached by our leaders, work in the same direction, and strive to make 2026 an important year where our two major countries explore a right way to get along based on mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation.

We should adhere to our Presidents’ strategic guidance without wavering. Heads-of-state diplomacy is the compass and anchor of China-U.S. relations. During the phone call last week, President Xi Jinping said he hopes to work with President Trump to steer the giant ship of China-U.S. relations steadily forward through winds and storms, and accomplish more big things and good things. President Trump said he wants to see China succeed, and that the U.S. would like to work with China and make more progress in bilateral ties.

Our two sides should cherish and implement the two Presidents’ important common understandings, steadfastly follow the course charted by our leaders, and faithfully translate their strategic guidance into concrete policies, actions and practices, so as to ensure the giant ship of China-U.S. relations will sail forward without losing direction or speed.

We should establish a right strategic perception and avoid misjudgment. Strategic perception is of fundamental and overarching importance. If we view each other through a zero-sum lens, competition and conflict would be inevitable. But if we see our two countries as a community with a shared future, mutually beneficial cooperation would be our ultimate choice. Why should the success of China and the U.S. come at the expense of the other? And how can a peaceful, stable and prosperous China, which should be a contribution to the world, pose challenges instead?  

During the tariff war, many American friends found upon further reflection that China-U.S. cooperation not only is indispensable for both our countries, but also brings precious stability and certainty to a turbulent world. A poll by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs late last year showed that 53% of Americans favor friendly cooperation and engagement with China. U.S. public opinion surveys on China have demonstrated a positive rebound for the first time in five years, with the younger generation being more supportive of China-U.S. cooperation. We hope strategic vision and a sense of historical responsibility will be adopted, the Cold War mentality and the so-called “political correctness” will be rejected, and a decision will be made to be partners and friends with China.

We should manage differences and avoid crossing the line. There have been and will continue to be differences between China and the U.S. The key is to respect each other’s core interests and major concerns, so as to install a “safety valve” for bilateral relations.

The Taiwan question is the first red line that must not be crossed, which bears on China’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, and is close to the hearts of the 1.4 billion Chinese people. Taiwan has been part of China’s territory since ancient times. As early as in the mid-12th century, China set up administrative bodies to exercise jurisdiction over Penghu and Taiwan. The fact was further reaffirmed by a series of instruments with legal effect under international lawduring World War II and after its victory, including the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, and United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 adopted in 1971.

The one-China principle is not only a broad consensus of the international community, but also the political foundation for China and the U.S. to reopen doors to each other and gradually normalize bilateral relations in the 20th century. The three Sino-U.S. Joint Communiqués are binding intergovernmental agreements reached by both sides, which are fundamentally centered on the one-China principle.

Currently, the biggest threat toward peace across the Taiwan Strait comes from the separatist activities and dangerous provocations by the “Taiwan independence” forces. We hope the U.S. side will earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the three Sino-U.S. Joint Communiqués.

We should also keep up the effort to expand practical cooperation. This year, China will kick off its 15th Five-Year Plan, and the U.S. will celebrate the 250th anniversary of its independence. We will also respectively host the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and the G20 Summit. All these will provide new opportunities for deepening our cooperation. Not only should we enhance cooperation in traditional areas such as economy and trade, agriculture and energy, but we should also foster new growth points in sectors like counternarcotics, law enforcement, biomedicine, artificial intelligence, and combating transnational crime.

This year also marks the 55th anniversary of ping-pong diplomacy. A new chapter is unfolding in our people’s friendship. From the “50,000 in five years” initiative that has yielded fruitful outcomes, to pickleball diplomacy building new bridges for exchange, and to the popular trend of “Becoming Chinese” among Americans, our people are eager to reach out to each other and come closer together. After China rolled out the 240-hour visa-free transit policy, many American friends have seized the opportunity to experience China. Young people, in particular, have been excitedly sharing their fascinating China adventure on social media. From the majestic Great Wall to the bustling Bund, from Sichuan-style hotpot to Cantonese dim sum, people marvel that the 240-hour journey turns out to be a feast of enchanting culture, modern development and delicious cuisine. After coming back from China, many Americans have sent emails to our Embassy to “complain”, saying that while 240 hours is already great, they hope it could be extended to 2,400 hours, so they could have more time knowing, exploring and enjoying China. China’s doors will always be open to friends from all around the world. We hope the U.S. side will act in the same spirit, and remove bottlenecks in visa application, border entry and direct flights, so as to provide greater convenience for people-to-people exchanges.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Dear friends,

In just one week, we will ring in the Year of the Horse. In Chinese culture, the horse is a symbol of perseverance, innovation, and bold resolve to forge ahead. It is our expectation that under our Presidents’ strategic guidance, China-U.S. relations will overcome challenges and achieve steady and sustained development in the year ahead.

Now, I would like to propose a toast,

To the peace and prosperity of both China and the U.S.,

To the stability and improvement of China-U.S. relations,

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

Cheers!