Xinhua Commentary： Converging the Positive Energy of Sino-US Exchanges and Cooperation —— The fifth in a series of comments on promoting the return of Sino-US relations to the right track
Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, November 13th Title: Converging the positive energy of Sino-US exchanges and cooperation — — The fifth in a series of comments on promoting the return of Sino-US relations to the right track
Xinhua News Agency reporter Kasper
Not long ago, at the annual awards dinner of the National Committee on US-China Relations, the 100-year-old former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said in his acceptance speech, "I have spent half my life working for US-China relations", and peaceful cooperation between the United States and China is of vital importance and is in the interests of the two countries and the world. Although Sino-US relations have encountered serious difficulties in the past, there are quite a few people who persistently maintain and promote the healthy development of Sino-US relations like Kissinger, and the forces supporting Sino-US exchanges and cooperation have never been absent. As Orens, president of the National Committee on US-China Relations, said, US-China relations have improved recently, and the non-governmental ties between the two countries remain strong. When the US-China relationship is facing challenges, we should see the "bright side" of the relationship between the two countries.
Although China and the United States are separated by oceans, the exchanges and cooperation between the Chinese and American people go back to ancient times. "the turn of the country lies in the blind date between the people." Looking back on the past, the friendly exchanges between Chinese and American people have never been interrupted, and the two peoples have also formed a deep friendship in their exchanges, which has played an important role in the development of Sino-US relations. During World War II, China and the United States fought side by side against fascism, and the story of the Flying Tigers carried the profound friendship forged by the lives and blood of the two peoples. The "ping-pong diplomacy" more than 50 years ago has been talked about so far. The sincere and friendly interaction between Chinese and American athletes has conveyed the positive message of people’s friendship, and "small balls turn big balls" has opened a new chapter in Sino-US relations. In the more than 40 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between the two countries have become more frequent and close, covering culture, education, science and technology, media, tourism, health and other fields. Since the first sister-city relationship was concluded in 1979, China and the United States have established 284 sister-city relationships. Over the past 40 years, the sister provinces and cities of the two countries have cooperated closely and achieved fruitful results, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples. History has fully proved that the people of China and the United States can completely cross the differences in system, culture and language and establish a profound friendship. The win-win non-governmental exchanges between China and the United States are not only an independent choice made by the two peoples, but also an irresistible historical trend.
At a time when Sino-US relations are at a critical crossroads, continuous non-governmental exchanges and humanities exchanges and cooperation are particularly precious, injecting a steady stream of positive energy into the healthy development of bilateral relations. Many American executives have come to China to seek to expand cooperation; Direct flights between China and the United States have further increased; China resumed a team tour to the United States; China Jiangnan Treasure Exhibition was exhibited at Cleveland Museum of Art; The Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra held a performance commemorating the 50th anniversary of its visit to China; Mulan, an American dance drama, toured in the United States & HELIP; … The more flights, freighters, tourists, students and scholars across the Pacific, the stronger the public opinion base, the broader the space and the stronger the motivation for the development of Sino-US relations. Robert lawrance kuhn, chairman of the American Kuhn Foundation, said that strengthening people-to-people exchanges is a reliable way for China and the United States to turn opportunities and common needs into positive cooperation and constructive relations. There is "no better prescription than strengthening non-governmental exchanges" to promote the stability of bilateral relations and return to the track of healthy and stable development. Kara Dillikov canales, a senior adviser to the National Art Foundation of the United States, published an article entitled "US-China relations are warming up, starting with listening to each other" in The New York Times, pointing out that in such a challenging and complicated bilateral relationship as US-China relations, people-to-people exchanges like music can build a bridge of mutual understanding.
中美关系发展到今天，成果来之不易，值得倍加珍惜。中美都应该本着对两国人民负责任的态度，从两国人民的福祉出发，处理好、管控好、发展好两国关系，为两国人民继承和弘扬珍贵友谊遗产创造有利氛围和条件，筑牢两国友谊与合作的民意基础。中国一直鼓励中美两国各界人士以及民众之间多往来，支持地方层面在经贸、科技、教育、文化以及青年交流等广泛领域的合作。今年以来，国家主席习近平多次强调加强民间友好和人文交流对发展两国关系的重要意义，指出中美关系基础在民间，希望在人民，未来在青年，活力在地方。从在京会见美国各界人士，到向“鼓岭缘”中美民间友好论坛等活动致贺信，再到复信美国华盛顿州“美中青少年学生交流协会”、史迪威将军后人、飞虎队老兵等友好人士，习近平主席与美国各界人士多次真挚互动，推动中美民间友好续写新的篇章，为两国人民加强交流、增进理解、扩大合作注入强劲动力。
On October 29th, Flying Tigers veteran Moyer and his party took a group photo at Badaling Great Wall in Beijing. On the same day, members of the US-China Aviation Heritage Foundation delegation arrived in Beijing one after another. Xinhua News Agency reporter Ren Chaoshe
It is hoped that the US will comply with public opinion, move in line with China and remove obstacles with actions. Recently, the "general climate" of Sino-US relations has picked up, and more and more people from all walks of life in China and the United States have encouraged and called for the expansion of exchanges and cooperation between the two countries, running around for the people of the two countries to know each other and send a positive message of Sino-US non-governmental friendship. Dan stine, chairman of the China Friendship Committee in Muscatine, Iowa, said: "When the relationship between the two countries is facing challenges, we should come to China more often to strengthen people-to-people exchanges, enhance understanding and interaction, and develop the friendship between the two peoples."
Facing the future, the friendship between China and the United States will be passed on by the younger generation. Strengthening exchanges and mutual understanding between the younger generation of China and the United States will help them establish a more objective and rational understanding of each other, spread new hopes for Sino-US friendship, and continuously inject momentum into the development of Sino-US relations.
Sino-US relations still face many difficulties and challenges, and there is a long way to go to stabilize and improve them. Fortunately, these fundamental folk ties from history are still there, and the positive energy to promote the development of Sino-US relations is constantly gathering. Kissinger said, "As I believed 50 years ago, we can find a way to overcome difficulties.". It is reasonable to believe that with the concerted efforts of Qi Xin from all walks of life in China and the United States, the development of bilateral relations will continue to advance in a direction that conforms to the common well-being of the two peoples.