Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, August 7th. Title: Respect history and face the future. Unswervingly maintain and stabilize Sino-US relations

　　Yang Jiechi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission

　　China-US relations are one of the most important bilateral relations in the world. Maintaining and stabilizing China-US relations bears on the well-being of the people of the two countries and the people of all countries in the world, and it also bears on world peace, stability and development. President Xi Jinping pointed out in 2014 that both history and reality have shown that China and the United States will benefit both from cooperation, and both will hurt while fighting. Sino-U.S. cooperation can accomplish major events that benefit the two countries and the world. Sino-U.S. confrontation is certainly a disaster for the two countries and the world. The two sides should take a long-term view, strengthen cooperation, persist in cooperation, and avoid confrontation, so as to not only benefit the two countries, but also benefit the world. When the two heads of state exchanged congratulatory letters to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, President Xi Jinping pointed out that in the 40 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, the relations between the two countries have experienced ups and downs and achieved historic development, which has brought tremendous benefits to the two peoples and contributed to world peace and development. Stability and prosperity have made important contributions. History has fully proved that cooperation is the best choice for both parties. The United States also stated that Sino-US relations have achieved tremendous development over the years.

　　The world is undergoing major changes unseen in a century, and peace and development are still the themes of the times. Maintaining world peace and promoting common development are the common responsibilities and missions of China and the United States. Both sides need to look at and properly handle their relations and form a harmonious but different way of getting along. Based on this, China and the United States agreed to jointly build a new type of major-country relationship that is non-conflict, non-confrontational, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation. After the current U.S. government came to power, China and the United States agreed to jointly promote a China-based relationship based on coordination, cooperation, and stability. American relations.

　　However, in the recent past, some American politicians have repeatedly thrown out various fallacies, viciously attacked the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese political system, deliberately distorted and completely denied the history of Sino-US relations in the past 50 years. They tried to deceive the American people with lies and deceive international public opinion. It is obvious to the international community that it was the US ruling authorities that unilaterally provoked the incident and adopted a series of wrong words and deeds that interfered in China's internal affairs, harmed China's interests, and severely undermined Sino-US relations, resulting in an extremely complicated and severe situation in bilateral relations since the establishment of diplomatic relations. In this regard, the Chinese government has fully clarified China’s position and responded resolutely, unswervingly safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, and unswervingly safeguarding and stabilizing China-US relations.

　　The healthy and stable development of Sino-U.S. relations bears on the present and future of China and the United States and the world, and conforms to the common aspirations of the peoples of China and the United States and the people of all countries in the world. The small group of American politicians must not be allowed to push Sino-U.S. relations into a very dangerous situation out of their own interests.

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　　The Chinese and American peoples have a history of friendly exchanges and once fought side by side in the world's anti-fascist war. In 1949, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people were liberated and the People's Republic of China was established. Chairman Mao Zedong solemnly declared that the Chinese people have since stood up.

　　After the founding of New China, China established diplomatic relations with a group of countries on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. However, due to the wrong policy adopted by the United States to reject the recognition of the People’s Republic of China, China and the United States have fallen into a state of long-term isolation and mutual hostility. History always advances, and times always advance. This is an unstoppable historical trend. The peoples of China and the United States have always had friendly feelings towards each other, and the efforts of the two sides to seek friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation have never ceased. In 1970, Chairman Mao Zedong said in a meeting with American reporter Snow: "China and the United States will always establish diplomatic relations. Will China and the United States not establish diplomatic relations for a hundred years?" President Nixon also pointed out in 1970: "We will improve our relationship with Beijing. The actual relationship between the two countries is certainly beneficial to us, and it is also conducive to peace and stability in Asia and the world." Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai took a long-term view, personally made decisions and promoted the implementation of China-US "ping pong diplomacy". Dr. Kissinger secretly visited China in July 1971, and the normalization of Sino-US relations has gradually become a general trend.

　　In February 1972, at the invitation of Premier Zhou Enlai, President Nixon conducted an "ice-breaking trip" to China and realized the "handshake across the Pacific." President Nixon said at the welcome banquet in the Great Hall of the People that I am here for the benefit of the American people. You believe in your system, and we also believe in our system. We meet here not because we have common beliefs, but because we have common interests and common hopes. We have no reason to be enemies. Now is the time for the people of our two countries to climb the peak of the great realm and create a new and better world. The Chinese leader emphasized that China and the United States should clarify their differences and work hard to find common ground so that the relationship between our two countries can have a new beginning.

　　During President Nixon’s visit to China, China and the United States issued the "Shanghai Communiqué". While affirming the common ground between the two countries, they truthfully set out the differences between the two sides, and clearly pointed out that the social systems and foreign policies of China and the United States are essentially different. Regardless of the social system, all countries should deal with their relations in accordance with the principles of respect for their sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-infringement of other countries, non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence. The two sides also declared that the normalization of Sino-US relations is in the interests of all countries. This historic document contains an important consensus that China and the United States are willing to uphold the principles of mutual respect, equal treatment, and seeking common ground while reserving differences in handling bilateral relations. The "Shanghai Communiqué" fully embodies the spirit of the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and conforms to the basic norms of international relations.

　　From Kissinger's secret visit to China to President Nixon's official visit to China, Sino-US relations have taken an important step towards normalization. The Carter administration accepted the three principles of "severing diplomatic relations, withdrawing troops, and abolishing the treaty" proposed by the Chinese side, and on this basis reached an agreement with the Chinese side on the proper handling of the Taiwan issue. The "Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations" issued by China and the United States on December 16, 1978 stated that the United States recognizes that the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government of China and that the American people maintain cultural, commercial and other unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan within this scope. On January 1, 1979, China and the United States established diplomatic relations.

　　In the process of "breaking the ice", normalization and establishing diplomatic relations between China and the United States, Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping, Nixon, Carter, Kissinger and other older generations of leaders and politicians from China and the United States proceeded from the fundamental interests of the two peoples and acted as extraordinary. His strategic vision and outstanding political courage have transcended differences in ideology and social systems, and made historic political decisions. The "Shanghai Communique", the "Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations" and the "August 17" Communiqué in 1982 that focused on solving the historical issue of US arms sales to Taiwan established the one-China principle and confirmed the handling of mutual respect, equality, and seeking common ground while reserving differences. The norms governing relations between the two countries constitute the political foundation of Sino-US relations.

　　The historical fact is that China has always adhered to the leadership of the Communist Party of China and has unswervingly followed the path of socialism. Since the normalization of Sino-US relations, the relationship between the two countries is based on the consensus that the two sides recognize and respect each other's different social systems. At present, some US politicians claim that the US initially contacted and established diplomatic relations with China to change China. The US policy of engagement with China has completely failed. They slandered China and deceived the US for many years, exaggerated ideological opposition, and vigorously advocated the Cold War mentality. This is a great blasphemy for the tremendous efforts and contributions made by people from all walks of life in China and the United States to promote the development of Sino-US relations over the past few decades. However, facts are facts, and history cannot be tampered with. We must take a responsible attitude towards history and the people, irritate the turbulence, and return to the true colors of history, and jointly maintain the foundation of Sino-US relations and the friendly feelings between the people of China and the United States, otherwise history and the people will never agree. .

two

　　After the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, with the joint efforts of both sides, bilateral relations have experienced ups and downs and achieved historic development, which not only brought tremendous benefits to the two peoples, but also effectively promoted world peace, stability and development. Sino-US cooperation has always been mutually beneficial and win-win. For 41 years, the two countries and countries in the world have been beneficiaries of the development of Sino-US relations.

　　Since the reform and opening up, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people have achieved tremendous development achievements with their diligence and wisdom. In this process, China’s rapid development benefited from exchanges and cooperation with other countries in the world, and it also provided sustained growth momentum and important opportunities for countries around the world, including the United States. The volume of Sino-US trade has increased by more than 200 times since the establishment of diplomatic relations, and the two-way investment has gone from almost zero to nearly 240 billion U.S. dollars. China's high-quality and low-cost products have brought benefits to American consumers, and China's vast market and good business environment have provided American companies with huge profits.

　　Personnel exchanges between China and the United States have increased from a few thousand to more than 5 million each year, and the total number of Chinese students studying in the United States exceeds 400,000. The two countries have established 50 pairs of sister province-state relations and 227 pairs of sister cities. From the disaster of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 to the major earthquake disaster in Wenchuan in 2008, the people of China and the United States have empathized with each other and have helped each other. After the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia, all walks of life in China and the United States rushed to help each other. Relevant Chinese provinces, cities, enterprises, and institutions have donated medical equipment such as masks, protective clothing and other medical equipment to cities, communities, and people affected by the epidemic in the United States, and supplied a large number of anti-epidemic materials to the United States.

　　China and the United States work together with other countries in the world to maintain world peace, security and development. The two sides have maintained close communication and coordination on regional hotspot issues such as the Korean Peninsula, Afghanistan, and the Middle East, and worked with relevant countries to promote the political settlement of relevant issues. China and the United States have carried out fruitful cooperation in areas such as counter-terrorism, non-proliferation, anti-drug, disease prevention and control, poverty reduction, peacekeeping, and combating fentanyl abuse and smuggling. After the United States suffered the "9.11" terrorist attack in 2001, the Chinese government and people immediately expressed their condolences to the American government and people. China and the United States have strengthened coordination and cooperation in the field of counter-terrorism and non-proliferation. At the same time, China has always emphasized that double or multiple standards cannot be adopted on counter-terrorism issues. In the face of the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the 2008 international financial crisis, China and the United States and other countries have worked together to respond and made important contributions to maintaining international financial stability and promoting world economic recovery. Under the joint promotion of China and the United States and other countries, the Paris Agreement on climate change was signed, providing an important impetus for promoting global climate change cooperation. China and the United States are also conducting tripartite cooperation on food security in East Timor, jointly training Afghan diplomats, and jointly fighting the Ebola epidemic in Africa, which have become examples of the two countries assisting third countries in strengthening capacity building.

　　Of course, the development of Sino-US relations has not been smooth sailing in the past 41 years. China and the United States have also experienced ups and downs and major ups and downs. However, both countries have been able to proceed from history and the overall situation, manage contradictions and differences, properly handle sensitive issues, and safeguard China. The overall momentum of stable development of US relations. Facts have proved that there is no obstacle between China and the United States. The key lies in the sincerity of mutual respect, equal treatment, and seeking common ground while reserving differences, and the responsibility to history and the people.

　　Looking back on the 41-year history of Sino-U.S. relations, we can derive many valuable historical enlightenments: First, we must always consider and handle the relations between the two countries in the light of the common interests of the peoples of China and the United States and the people of all countries in the world, and the future and destiny of mankind. A good country is also good for all countries in the world. Second, we must always adhere to the correct direction of Sino-US relations and firmly grasp that the common interests of the two countries far outweigh their differences. Third, we must always constructively manage differences, abide by the principles and spirit of the three Sino-US joint communiqués, and respect each other's core interests and major concerns. Fourth, we must always strive to expand China-US cooperation, follow the principle of win-win cooperation, and bring more benefits to the two countries and the world. These useful experiences worked in the past, they work now, and they will work in the future.

three

　　Sino-US relations are facing a new international and domestic environment. In this context, the correct attitude to maintain and stabilize the relationship between the two countries should be to respect history, advance with the times, and carry forward the past, and should not distort, deny, or reverse history.

　　At present, the world's major changes unseen in a century are accelerating, and instability and uncertainty in the international situation have increased significantly. The new crown pneumonia epidemic has brought new challenges to the security and development of all countries. At the same time, the economies of all countries are interconnected, science and technology are advancing with each passing day, and the destiny of mankind is shared. The world has become a global village with me in you and you in me. No country can be alone. As President Xi Jinping pointed out in his important speech at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva in 2017, there is only one earth in the universe, and mankind has one home; cherishing and caring for the earth is the only choice for mankind. All countries should jointly promote the construction of a new type of international relations and jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind.

　　The world is colorful. The history, culture, political system, and development model of various countries in the world are different, and they are all following development paths that suit their own national conditions. We respect the development path chosen by all countries and hope that all countries will develop well. China unswervingly follows the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The leadership of the Communist Party of China is the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics. China has made great achievements by sticking to this path, and has also made important contributions to maintaining world peace and stability and promoting the common development of all countries. Some US politicians are arrogant and ignorant, violate the UN Charter and the basic norms of international relations, and violently interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. The US attempt to slander China's political system and divide the relationship between the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people is doomed to fail. They should understand that the leadership of the Communist Party of China is the choice of history and the people, and has the heartfelt support and support of 1.4 billion Chinese people. The Communist Party of China always regards the people's yearning for a better life as its goal. This is the fundamental reason why the Communist Party of China is able to win the sincere support of the broad masses of the people. The more American politicians instigate the flesh-and-blood ties between the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese people, the more they will arouse the indignation of the Chinese people, and the Chinese people will move forward under the strong leadership of the Chinese Communist Party. It must also be pointed out that in today's information society, the Chinese people have a clear understanding and deep understanding of the world and the United States, and they are able to make correct judgments on things. Some people in the United States cannot be fooled. We are not interested in interfering in the internal affairs of the United States, and the United States should respect China's choice of its own development path. The legitimate right of the Chinese people to pursue national development and a better life should be respected. Any attempt to deprive the Chinese people of their right to development is a pipe dream. The Chinese people have a high degree of self-confidence, and the international community sees it clearly.

　　Today, the Chinese people are closely uniting around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, making unremitting efforts to achieve the "two centenary" goals. China unswervingly follows the path of peaceful development, and hopes that other countries will jointly follow the path of peaceful development; China is unswervingly committed to building a new type of international relations, promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, building lasting peace, universal security, common prosperity, openness, inclusiveness, and cleanliness A beautiful world; China will unswervingly deepen reforms and expand opening up, and the door of opening will open wider and wider; China will unswervingly strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries, work together to promote the high-quality development of the "Belt and Road" construction, and actively advocate the joint construction of "healthy silk" Road" to build a human health community. In the first half of this year, China's economy has exceeded expectations under the severe global epidemic, fully demonstrating the resilience and potential of China's economy. As President Xi Jinping pointed out, the Chinese economy is an ocean, not a small pond. Strong wind and rain can overturn a small pond, but not the sea. We welcome companies from various countries, including American companies, to continue to invest in China and continue to create a better business environment for them.

　　China's policy stance on the development of Sino-US relations has always been consistent, maintaining a high degree of stability and continuity. We are committed to developing Sino-US relations that are non-conflict, non-confrontational, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation. At the same time, we will firmly safeguard our national sovereignty, security, and development interests. The fundamental goal of China's development is to enable the Chinese people to live a better life and make greater contributions to regional and world peace, stability, development and prosperity. China-US dialogue and cooperation are not a one-way street, not a unilateral favor, but equality and mutual benefit. China is a country that stresses principles, reason, and credibility. It is also a country that emphasizes mutual respect and win-win cooperation. The international community has fully stated that it hopes that China-US relations can develop in a healthy and stable manner, and that it does not want China and the US to move toward confrontation and conflict. Some U.S. politicians have used various methods to coerce and suppress other countries from choosing sides for their own interests. The international community abhors this. The schemes of these American politicians will never succeed.

four

　　Both China and the United States should persist in proceeding from a strategic and long-term perspective, in the spirit of being responsible to history and the people, grasp the direction of the development of the relationship between the two countries, and take the fundamental interests of the two peoples and the people of the world in mind, and strengthen contact, dialogue and communication. The U.S. should work with China to promote Sino-U.S. relations based on coordination, cooperation, and stability, so that relations between the two countries can return to the right track.

　　The international community must continue to strengthen cooperation in response to the new crown pneumonia epidemic. Epidemic diseases know no borders or races, and are the common enemy of mankind. Solidarity and cooperation are the most powerful weapons, and countries can only overcome them if they respond together. China supports the international community to strengthen anti-epidemic cooperation under the leadership of the World Health Organization and strive to overcome the epidemic at an early date. The Chinese people sincerely hope that the United States will control the spread of the epidemic at an early date and reduce the losses caused by the epidemic to the American people. Some U.S. politicians should immediately stop politicizing the epidemic and stigmatizing the virus, stop "flipping the pot" and pushing responsibility to China, shoulder international responsibilities to their nationals and as a major country, and work with the international community to promote global resistance. Cooperate in the epidemic to jointly save human lives.

　　We must respect each other's core interests and major concerns. Issues concerning Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet, and Xinjiang involve China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as China's core interests. China solemnly requires the US to handle relevant issues prudently and properly and immediately stop interfering in China's internal affairs. We have taken and will continue to take firm and necessary countermeasures against the words and deeds of the United States that harm our country’s core major interests. China's determination to defend national sovereignty, security and development interests is unwavering.

　　To avoid strategic misjudgments and manage differences. For China and the United States, win-win cooperation is the only correct choice. The United States must abandon the cold war mentality and the wrong practices of the zero-sum game. China and the United States should conduct dialogue and communication in various fields, and the door for dialogue and communication between China and the United States is always open. Both sides should promote cooperation through communication and properly resolve differences through dialogue.

　　To expand mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields. It is hoped that the U.S. will strengthen cooperation with China to create favorable conditions for the implementation of the first phase of the China-U.S. economic and trade agreement. The US should stop suppressing the bullying behavior of Chinese companies and provide a fair, open, and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese companies to operate and invest. The two sides should expand exchanges and cooperation in the fields of energy, law enforcement, drug control, local and humanities. The Chinese and American militaries should strengthen contacts and exchanges and make good use of the mutual trust mechanism to make the relationship between the two militaries a stabilizing factor in the relations between the two countries. The two sides should also continue to coordinate and cooperate on international and regional issues such as the Korean Peninsula, Afghanistan, the Middle East, cyber security, climate change, and public health, so that the people of the two countries and the people of the world can benefit more from the cooperation between China, the United States and other countries.

　　The public opinion foundation of Sino-US relations must be maintained. The friendship between the peoples of China and the United States contains countless hard work of the people of the two countries over the past few decades and deserves our care. Some anti-China forces in the United States have abused the concept of "national security", deliberately obstructing normal Sino-US exchanges, deliberately misleading the American people, and attempting to cause irreversible damage to the relations between the two countries. People of insight from all walks of life in the United States are well aware of the importance of maintaining Sino-US relations and the friendship between the two peoples, and have stepped up to express their opposition to the perverse actions of anti-China forces. The friendly exchanges between the people of China and the United States cannot be interrupted by the political manipulation of some American politicians. China welcomes more people from all walks of life in the United States to come to China to experience the real China, and will continue to encourage and support the two peoples to carry out exchanges and cooperation in education, science and technology, culture, sports, youth, and media.

　　Maintaining and stabilizing Sino-U.S. relations is a popular and general trend. We urge U.S. policymakers to respect historical facts, recognize the trend of the times, face up to the voices of people of insight from all walks of life in the U.S., listen to the appeals of all countries in the world, correct mistakes, change course, meet China, and manage differences on the basis of mutual respect. Expand cooperation on the basis of mutual benefit and jointly push China-US relations back to the track of healthy and stable development.