Vice Chairman Peng Qinghua,

Fujian Provincial Party Secretary Zhou Zuyi,

Governor Zhao Long,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Friends,

It gives me great pleasure to join you virtually at the opening ceremony of “Bond with Kuliang” 2026 China-U.S. Youth Baseball Exhibition Games and Sports Festival. I wish this event a full success!

The Kuliang story is a cherished chapter of China-U.S. friendship personally championed by President Xi Jinping. It reflects the genuine affection between the Chinese and American peoples that has endured for more than a century.

In recent years, Fuzhou has hosted a rich variety of Kuliang-themed events, bringing old friends together to share memories and keep their stories of friendship alive, while giving young people a platform to connect through music and celebrate the spirit of youth. This year’s Sports Festival, themed “Pitch Across Oceans, Catch the Future”, brings young baseball teams from China and the United States onto the same field to compete, connect and make friends through the game. I believe it will inject fresh vitality into the friendship between our peoples with the vibrant energy of youth.

Friends,

Not long ago, President Xi Jinping and President Trump had a successful meeting in Beijing, where they agreed on a new vision of building a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability. This provides strategic guidance for China-U.S. relations over the next three years and beyond. At this new starting point, China-U.S. relations have gone far beyond the bilateral scope, bearing on the world and the future of humanity. President Xi Jinping has pointed out that young people are full of vitality and dreams. They represent the future and hope of China-U.S. relations as well as that of the world.

This event is the first large-scale youth exchange between our two countries after the Beijing summit meeting between the two Presidents. Today, I would like to share three hopes for you — three words that all begin with the letter R:

First, show RESPECT. Respect is fundamental to sports. Teams may differ in skill level, but they greet one another before the game and line up to shake hands afterward. Respect is also the basic principle for China and the United States in dealing with each other. Both are major countries. We differ in social systems, stages of development, history and culture. Neither side can change the other, but we can change the way we get along. That means treating each other with mutual respect, upholding the bottom line of peaceful coexistence, and striving for the prospect of win-win cooperation.

The Kuliang story, passed down for more than a century, tells us that the Chinese and American peoples can rise above differences and build trust and friendship. Over the past two and a half years, more than 50,000 young Americans have come to China under the “50,000 in Five Years” initiative for exchange and study. They have traveled across China, seen its natural beauty, experienced its latest innovations, and felt the warmth of daily life. Through their own experiences, they have come to see that China and the United States can become partners and friends. I hope you will carry forward the spirit of mutual respect, both on and off the field, and make this your first step toward building China-U.S. friendship on the right foundation.

Second, play by the RULES. Rules are what make sports fair. However high the jump or however fast the run, cheating is never a real win. Break the rules, and the game will call it out. It is only natural that China and the United States have competition. But it should be healthy competition that brings out the best in each other, positive competition in which both sides strive to improve, and fair competition that follows the rules. No one should disregard international rules or cross the line, just for the sake of “winning.”

China and the United States will inevitably have differences on some issues. The key is to manage them properly and not let them define the whole relationship. The two sides should build trust through dialogue, consult more when issues arise, and solve practical problems through communication. I hope young people from both countries will follow the direction set by the Beijing meeting between the two Presidents and work toward a relationship with cooperation as the mainstay, competition within proper limits, manageable differences and expectable peace. I hope your youthful energy and spirit will help show that China and the United States can meet on the same field, play by the same rules, and compete with skill, character, and sportsmanship.

Third, cheer for RUNS. In baseball, a point scored is called a run. The beauty of sports lies not only in scoring runs yourself, but also in applauding the other side’s great plays, and in learning from one another so that all can improve. Today, China and the United States share broad common interests and vast space for cooperation in addressing global challenges. This calls for young people from both countries to step up and contribute.

In recent years, Chinese and American youth have set out together on voyages to discover the mysteries of the ocean, made breakthroughs in early cancer detection, and explored, through maker competitions, how technology can connect with a shared vision for society. Through real action, they have shown that China-U.S. cooperation can enable both sides to succeed and prosper together. The summit meeting in Beijing has opened broad horizons for practical cooperation in various fields. I hope you will keep your feet on the ground and your eyes on the future, and use your knowledge, creativity, and energy to help China and the United States work together on shared challenges — from climate change to AI to public health. In doing so, you will add new dimensions to a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability, and contribute to both countries and beyond.

Friends,

The ancient Chinese cedars of Kuliang stand tall with deep roots, sturdy trunks and fresh shoots. They have witnessed the friendship between the Chinese and American peoples being passed on from generation to generation, growing ever stronger and more vibrant. The future of China-U.S. relations lies with the youth. It will be shaped by the friendships you build and the steps you take together.

I hope young people from China and the United States will move forward, hand in hand, in this new era, embrace the future and write new Kuliang stories of our time. I hope you will help China and the United States find the right way to get along in the new era, and inject fresh youthful energy into the stable, sound and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations.

May “Bond with Kuliang” 2026 China-U.S. Youth Baseball Exhibition Games hit a splendid home run for China-U.S. relations.

Thank you.