Remarks by Ambassador Zhou WenzhongAt the Reception Marking the 30th Anniversary of China-US Diplomatic Relations

16 December 2008

Honorable Vice Chairman Tung Chee-hwa,

Honorable Secretary Henry Paulson,

Secretary Elaine Chao,

Ambassador Susan Schwab,

Deputy Secretary John Negroponte,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Friends,

Today, we are gathered here to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States. On behalf of the Chinese Government and people, I want to extend warm welcome to all of you, and express sincere appreciation to you, and to the friends who are not able to join us here, for your care and support over the years for the development of China-U.S. relations. I also want to pay my highest respect to the forefathers of our diplomatic relations – the leaders with vision and insight who will go down in history for their tremendous and painstaking efforts in bringing about the normalization of the relations between our two great countries.

On this very day three decades ago, the Governments of China and the United States issued the Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations, and a few days later, formally established diplomatic relations on January 1st, 1979. A new era in China-US relations thus began. Tremendous changes have taken place in the world since then, amidst which China-US relationship took a remarkable and breathtaking journey to what it is right now.

After three decades and enormous progress, we are having a completely different relationship from the old days – one of the most important and dynamic bilateral relationships in the world. Back then, our presidents hardly saw each other once in a few years. Now, they may meet several times a year and talk over the phone and exchange letters frequently.

Back then, our two countries were not engaged in dialogues on strategic issues. Now, there are over 60 dialogue, consultation and cooperation mechanisms between us, the most prominent being the Strategic Economic Dialogue and the Strategic Dialogue which set important stages for intensified discussion and cooperation on strategic issues involving our shared interests.

Back then, our trade was a mere 2.4 billion US dollars. Now, our two countries are each other’s second largest trading partner, with trade total growing 120 times and standing at over 300 billion in 2007.

Our cooperation is expanding into more and more fields and growing in greater depth. People-to-people exchanges are flourishing. Over 5,000 people travel from coast to coast over the Pacific every day. On major international and regional issues such as counterterrorism and non-proliferation, our coordination and cooperation have been fruitful, giving our bilateral relations an increasing strategic influence and global significance.

As if in a blink of an eye, China-US relationship has moved from estrangement and antagonism to responsible stakeholders and constructive partners. This is what the times entail and what our peoples desire. But it hasn’t been easy for our two countries to come so far. Generations of our leaders and numerous people from all walks of life have worked together and fought hard for this. It is now upon us to take really good care of this relationship.

History is a mirror. As we look back at what China-US relations have gone through, there are profound lessons and rich experience. First of all, China and the United States are both big countries with significant influence in the world. Developing a constructive and cooperative relationship serves the interests of our peoples and works for world peace, stability and prosperity. Second, China and the United States have extensive common interests despite the different social systems and cultural heritages. We are partners, not rivals, still less enemies. In the final analysis, it is up to our two sides to steer our relationship clearly and firmly in the direction of constructive cooperation, stay committed to closer dialogues, cooperation and exchanges, respect and accommodate each other’s core interests and major concerns in real action and handle the differences and sensitive issues appropriately. This will help ensure that China-US relations will continue to make progress to the greater benefit of our peoples and the people throughout the world.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This year is also the 30th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up, which has moved along in step with the development and maturing of China-US relations and helped drive China-US relationship forward and provide it with continuous dynamism. In these three decades, the people of China emancipated the mind and adopted a down-to-earth attitude. We firmly followed and carried out the reform and opening-up policy, which greatly unleashed the productive forces, made tremendous economic and social development possible and led to profound changes in the outlook of China.

The countries of the world are more interdependent than ever. China sees its future as increasingly and closely associated with that of the world. We are committed to promoting common regional and global development by way of developing our own country. We call this peaceful development. It is a strategic choice based on our national condition. It serves the fundamental interests of not only China but also the international community including the United States. China has been and will continue to be a staunch force safeguarding world peace and promoting common development.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are in an important transition for China-US relations. It is crucial to always bear in mind that development is a constant in China-US relations, and that sound and steady development of China-US relations in the coming years and beyond is the shared aspiration of the peoples of our two countries and where their fundamental interests lie. We are ready to work together with the US side to approach our bilateral relationship from the strategic and long-term perspective, abide by the principles of the three Joint Communiqués, maintain and intensify contacts at the high and various other levels, strengthen the consultation and dialogue mechanisms, enhance mutual strategic trust, further expand and continue to explore new areas of cooperation, and solidify the structure of our interwoven interests.

There is reason to believe that as long as we both keep our minds abreast with the times and keep to the overall interests of constructive cooperation, we will be able to build a new type of state-to-state relationship featuring harmonious coexistence and win-win cooperation between the biggest developed country and the biggest developing country in the world. The next 30 years will be even more splendid for Chian-US relationship.

Now, may I propose a toast,

To the 30th anniversary of China-US diplomatic relations,

To the friendship and cooperation between China and the U.S., and between our two peoples, and

To the health of each and everyone present here!