Video Message by Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng to The Eighth China-U.S. Sister Cities Conference——Guided by Leadership, United by Friendship: Sister Cities[...]

President Yang Wanming,
Mayor Daniel Lurie,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends,

It is my great pleasure to join you virtually in the Golden City for the Eighth China-U.S. Sister Cities Conference. I wish the conference every success!

San Francisco has long been a pioneer in China-U.S. sister-city exchanges, and a witness to the growth of China-U.S. relations. In 1980, San Francisco became the first U.S. sister city of Shanghai. In 1985, President Xi Jinping, then Party Secretary of Zhengding County in Hebei Province, made his first visit to the United States, entering through San Francisco and leaving behind a cherished photograph at the Golden Gate Bridge. 

In 2023, President Xi returned to San Francisco. At the welcoming dinner hosted by American friendship organizations, he pointed out that the hope of China-U.S. relations lies in the people, its foundation is rooted in our societies, its future depends on the youth, and its vitality comes from subnational exchanges. He also announced the initiative to invite 50,000 young Americans to China over the next five years. Together, those have opened up a future-oriented San Francisco vision and pointed the way forward for China-U.S. relations.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Friends,

Three weeks ago, President Xi Jinping and President Trump held a successful meeting in Beijing. The two Presidents had a candid, in-depth, constructive and strategic discussion on major issues concerning China-U.S. relations as well as world peace and development. They explored the right way for two major countries to get along, and reached a series of important common understandings.

With the theme of "Shared Efforts for High-quality City Development", this conference is a concrete step to implement, at the local and people-to-people levels, the common understandings between the two Presidents. It is also an important effort to advance the stable, sound and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations in the new era.

With that in mind, I would like to share with you three proposals:

First, we should be guided by the common understandings between our two Presidents to help China-U.S. relations make a fresh start.

Head-of-state diplomacy is the compass for China-U.S. relations. At their recent meeting, the two Presidents agreed on a new vision of building a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability. That provides strategic guidance for the next three years and beyond, and has been welcomed by the people of both countries and by the international community.

A constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability should not be a slogan. It should be a shared goal and a joint endeavor. More specifically, it means positive stability with cooperation as the mainstay, healthy stability with competition within proper limits, constant stability with manageable differences, and lasting stability with expectable peace. This is the answer of both sides to the three vital questions about whether China and the United States can overcome the Thucydides Trap, meet global challenges together and build a bright future for our two peoples and humanity as a whole.

Second, we should pursue win-win cooperation, and bring new momentum to practical cooperation at the local level.

Sub-national cooperation epitomizes the mutually beneficial nature of China-U.S. relations. China is now the largest trading partner of nine U.S. states, and among the top three export markets for more than 30 states. Many Chinese-invested companies have taken root in local communities, contributing tax revenue and creating many jobs. China-U.S. trade and economic exchanges have also supported the growth of Chinese provinces and cities, delivering tangible benefits to people in both countries.

It is natural that frictions may exist in the economic and trade field. What matters is that differences should be addressed through consultation on an equal footing. The two countries have agreed to establish a board of trade and a board of investment to discuss respective concerns. This will bring new opportunities for sub-national cooperation on economy and trade.

Between our two countries, more can be done and should be done together. I hope all of you will be pioneers, use sister cities as a platform, expand cooperation from conventional fields such as trade and agriculture to emerging ones such as AI, new energy and humanoid robotics. We can lift sister-city relations to a higher level and broaden their scope. Through sustained and deeper exchanges, we can strengthen the resilience of China-U.S. relations and open up greater prospects.

Third, we should build on people-to-people exchanges to renew the friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.

President Xi has noted that 55 years ago, "Ping-Pong diplomacy" was carried out between our two countries. The door that had remained frozen for over 20 years was opened. Since then, through openness and cooperation, our two peoples have continued to write new chapters of friendship.

From the establishment of "Boston-Hangzhou Day", to the ginkgo tree of goodwill and friendship at Shijiazhuang Foreign Language School; from reciprocal visits of Chinese and American youth pickleball delegations, to the major progress under the initiative to invite "50,000 in five years", these could not have been achieved without the joint efforts of our peoples. For China-U.S. relations to keep moving forward, we need not only handshakes between the leaders, but also all social sectors to come together, hand in hand.

Quite a number of recent surveys show a positive rebound in American public opinion toward China, especially among young people. More and more Americans are setting out on spontaneous journeys eastward - riding China's high-speed trains, exploring night markets, and gaining a more authentic understanding of China through their own firsthand experiences. "Becoming Chinese" or "Chinamaxxing" are becoming popular trends.

I hope that all of you will continue to sow the seeds of people-to-people friendship. Bring localities and our peoples closer. Create more opportunities for mutual understanding, increase people-to-people exchanges to move beyond echo chambers. When we strengthen the social foundation, the tree of friendship will grow even stronger.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Friends,

The China-U.S. relationship bears on the well-being of the more than 1.7 billion people of our two countries. It bears on the interests of over 8 billion people around the world. Finding the right way for China and the U.S. to get along meets the aspiration of our peoples and the expectation of the world.

The cables of the Golden Gate Bridge are woven from thousands of steel wires. China-U.S. relationship in the new era need more bridge-builders from both countries.

Let us follow the strategic guidance of our two Presidents, stay firmly committed to building a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability, and give sister-city ties a new historic mission. Let us take practical steps to bring our local communities and peoples closer together, so that cooperation across the Pacific becomes more active, more meaningful, and more lasting. Together, we can help keep China-U.S. relations on a steady course and open up a brighter future for both our countries.

Thank you.