An open letter to friends from all walks of life in the southern United States
On July 21, the US unilaterally provoked the incident and suddenly demanded that the Chinese side close the Consulate General in Houston. The US action seriously violated international law and basic norms of international relations, seriously violated the relevant provisions of the Sino-US consular treaty, and deliberately undermined Sino-US relations. China strongly condemns and firmly opposes this.
On July 24, a media worker read an open letter on his mobile phone in New York, USA. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Ying
The Chinese Consulate General in Houston is the first Chinese consulate opened in the United States after the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States. For more than 40 years, the Consulate General has been committed to promoting mutual understanding and exchanges and cooperation in various fields between China and the United States. Generations of diplomatic and consular staff have actively devoted themselves to the noble cause of enhancing Sino-US friendship. In 2018, the total trade volume between China and the consular area reached 125.1 billion U.S. dollars, and the total investment of Chinese companies in the consular area currently exceeds 20 billion U.S. dollars. The cooperation with China in the South of the United States is an indispensable part of China-US relations. Whether it’s the once-in-800-year Hurricane Harvey disaster or the unprecedented new crown pneumonia epidemic that is still raging in the southern United States today, the Consulate General firmly stands with the people of Houston, Texas, and even the southern United States. Work together to meet challenges together. Our work has won full recognition and wide acclaim from all sectors of society in Southern America.
I arrived in Houston in early August 2019 to take up my new post and have visited all 8 states in the consular district. The people in Southern America are warm, friendly, hardworking, simple, undaunted, pioneering and enterprising. These spiritual characteristics are closely related to the Chinese people. I remember that at the Flying Tigers Memorial in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, I and the descendants of the Flying Tigers gathered together, and I deeply felt the profound friendship formed by the Chinese and American people when they resisted aggression together; I remember that during the Spring Festival this year , I was invited to attend the Chinese Lunar New Year and "China Day" announcement ceremony in Georgia and delivered a speech at the State Senate, to extend New Year greetings to the vast number of Chinese, overseas Chinese, and personnel from Chinese-funded institutions in the consular area; I remember, at Herman Park in Houston , A little boy took the initiative to talk to me in Chinese and told me that he likes China and hopes to travel to China one day. These bit by bit memories make my heart very warm, and I will remember them forever. In the future, no matter where I am, I will continue to support the friendly exchanges and cooperation between China and the people in the southern United States.
Both China and the United States are great countries. The 41-year history of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States shows that cooperation between China and the United States will benefit both, while fighting will hurt both. The essence of Sino-US relations is mutual benefit and win-win results. Both sides should commit themselves to non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation, and jointly advance China-US relations based on coordination, cooperation, and stability. The bilateral exchanges between the Chinese government and the southern region of the United States will not stop, and services to overseas Chinese will not stop. The Chinese Embassy in the United States will make proper arrangements for friendly cooperation and consular services between China and the South.
Although the direction of history is sometimes disturbed by a few people and twists and turns, the friendship between the people of China and the United States will not be interrupted, and the bright prospect of friendly cooperation between China and the United States cannot be stopped by anyone.
Cai Wei
Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Houston
July 24, 2020