BEIJING -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivered a keynote speech at the 14th Lanting Forum in Beijing on Wednesday, focusing on the upcoming state visit of President Xi Jinping to the United States and his attendance at the summits celebrating the 70th anniversary of founding of the United Nations.
Following is the full text of the speech.
For China-US Friendly Cooperation, For Global Peace and Development
By Foreign Minister Wang Yi At the Lanting Forum
Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Dear Friends,
Good Afternoon, and welcome to the Lanting Forum.
In a week's time, President Xi Jinping will visit the United States upon invitation and attend a series of summits commemorating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. This will be President Xi's first state visit to the United States and his first visit to the UN headquarters. The visit will attract great attention from people in China, the United States and the wider international community. Taking place at this special year of the 70th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations, it thus takes on greater historical significance. President Xi's visit is aimed to enhance friendly cooperation between China and the United States and contribute to global peace and development. It will surely be a major milestone for China-US relations and world peace and development.
Distinguished Guests,
Dear Friends,
China and the United States face each other across the Pacific Ocean. The history of exchanges between the two countries may not be long, but it has many important moments and memorable events.
About 150 years ago, tens of thousands of Chinese crossed the vast ocean and arrived in the United States. They became builders of the railway across North America, and many of them even gave their lives. What they did helped build America in the early years, and their contribution will be long lasting.
Over 70 years ago, facing the scourge of fascism, China and the United States joined each other in the just cause for peace and, standing alongside other peace loving countries in the world, won the victory in the war that determined the future of mankind.
More than 40 years ago, leaders of China and the United States, with extraordinary courage and vision, made the handshake across the vast Pacific Ocean. It put an end to years of no contact between the two countries and opened the door to normalization of relations and establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Two years ago, President Xi Jinping and President Obama had their historic meeting in Sunnylands, California. They agreed to build a new model of major country relations. A new chapter was opened in the history of China-US relations.
History sheds light on the future, and the future depends on what direction we shall take. President Xi's state visit will be a historic opportunity for China and the United States to review the past, examine the present and chart the course for the future.
As we endeavor to grow China-US relations, we may draw inspiration from the countless stories of Chinese and Americans working together hand-in-hand, from the journey that China-US relations have traveled and more generally, from the overall trend of history. Our goal is to ensure sound and steady growth of China-US relations and deliver more tangible results in the building of a new model of major country relations.
Since President Obama extended the invitation to President Xi for a state visit, the two sides have been making careful preparations for this historic visit. I wish to use today's opportunity to brief you on the priorities and highlights of the visit. I have the following four thoughts to share with you.
First, President Xi's visit will help enhance trust and reduce misgivings between China and the United States. China is the biggest developing country and the United States the biggest developed one. Relations between the two countries go far beyond the bilateral context and take on a global strategic implication. China and the US working together benefits both countries and the world at large. Frictions in relations undermine both countries' interests and affect the wider world.
China and the US are both aware of the important responsibilities on their shoulders. The two countries have in recent years maintained high-level exchanges, and opened more channels of communication. Over 90 intergovernmental dialogue and cooperation mechanisms have been set up. President Xi's visit this year will be the third visit exchanged between the two presidents in the past three years. It shows just how much both sides value this relationship and how much willing both sides are to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation. At the same time, we must recognize that the different history, culture, social system and development stage make it just natural for China and the United States to have differences and disagreements. As the relations continue to grow, there may be more questions and challenges for the two countries to handle. What is important is for both sides to maintain strategic communication, increase strategic trust, dispel strategic misgiving and avoid strategic miscalculation. That is why I believe that to build trust and reduce misgiving will be one focus of President Xi's visit to the United States.
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