Leading to a better future for China-U.S. Relations

By Li Zhongfa, Xiong Zhengyan and Hou Lijun, Xinhua News Agency

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Leading to a better future for China-U.S. Relations

By Li Zhongfa, Xiong Zhengyan and Hou Lijun, Xinhua News Agency

--Highlights of the meeting between President Xi Jinping and President Trump in Beijing

From November 8th to 9th, President Xi Jinping met with U.S. President Trump in Beijing. In the two days time, they had a friendly interactions and frank exchanges for more than 10 hours. The two heads of state shared strategic communications around the bilateral relations and major international and regional issues, and reached a series of important consensus, having planned new blueprint for development of the Sino-U.S. relations, and opened a new chapter in the relations between the two major countries.

Playing the most friendly host possible and showing the charm of the East

The meeting between the two heads of state, China and the United States, attracts world-wide attention. On the afternoon of 8, the Museum of Imperial Palace with more than 600 years of history seems more majestic and magnificent in the sunshine. President Xi Jinping and Mrs. Peng Liyuan chose to meet the visiting President Trump and Mrs. Melenia here.

Before Bao Yun Building, the western architectural style inside the Forbidden City, President Xi Jinping and President Trump shook hands and exchanged greetings. With the help of media photographers, the first handshake of the two heads of state was immediately spread all over the world.

This is a historic meeting. Forty-five years ago, U.S. President Nixon made a historic visit to China. The two countries were shaking hands across the Pacific and melting the ice, changing the pattern of the world. Forty-five years later, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, the relations between the two countries are writing a new chapter in the era.

"President Trump's visit to China is of great significance, having not only drawn attention from China and the United States, but also from all countries of the world." President Xi Jinping welcomes Trump's state visit to China on the occasion of his 1st Anniversary of the U.S. presidency. President Trump congratulated the successful conclusion of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and Xi Jinping's re-election to the general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, and praised the achievements of China's economic development.

Bao Yun Building is filled with tea fragrance, a moving scene adding a lot of warmth to the high-level meeting. President Trump used the tablet computer to display the video of his granddaughter Arabella singing Chinese song, the Three Character Classic and poetry in Chinese. Xi Jinping and his wife praised the progress of Arabella's Chinese level and called her a little ambassador for China –U.S relations. Last April, President Xi Jinping was invited to the summit with President Trump in the United States. President Trump had specially designed his granddaughter to perform for President Xi Jinping and wife Peng Liyuan.

Overnight, this "little star" video has become a hot topic in China.

Considerate and meticulous program showing the host hospitality.

The Imperial Palace, which bears the historical changes of the Chinese nation for several hundred years, is an indispensable window to understand the history and culture of China. Inside this huge compound, the two heads of state exchange views on the world in the past, present and future.

Visiting the first three Halls, watching the restoration of cultural relics and enjoying the performance of Beijing Opera, President Xi Jinping and wife escorted President Trump and wife all the time. In the sunshine, the Hall of Supreme Harmony seems grand solemn .

The Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony and the Hall of Preserving Harmony contain “harmony” of China’s cultural tradition. President Xi Jinping introduced the architecture of the Imperial Palace together with the history of China to President Trump on the way.

Foreign media reported that President Xi Jinping had a considerate program arranged for President Trump's visit to China, reflecting the Chinese reciprocity, and facilitating the U.S. leaders to know China’s history and culture closely.

This is a meeting to deepen friendship. It has been proved by practice that the forward moving Sino-U.S. relations requires the leadership by the heads of state diplomacy.

Through meetings, calls, and communication for a year to maintain close communications, President Xi Jinping and President Trump have frank exchanges, enhance mutual trust, and achieve a smooth transition and overall stable development of the Sino-U.S. relations after the U.S. new administration took office, having played a key role in the stable development of bilateral relations. The friendship between the two heads of state is crucial to the relations between two countries.

President Trump changed his social media's personal account background to the photo of the couple with the Peking Opera actors. He said to President Xi Jinping, it's a great honor to work with you, and we must work together to do great things for the United States and China.

Reach greatest consensus and guide the future

A grand welcome ceremony shows hospitality and respect. On the morning of 9, President Xi Jinping held a ceremony outside of the Great Hall of the People to welcome President Trump on the state visit to China. At the welcome ceremony, the two details arranged by the Chinese side were notable: the military band played the famous American Star Spangled March, and especially some American children who are studying and living in China participated in the welcome crowds. On the way to the meeting hall, artists dressed in traditional clothing played "folk music" for President Trump with a group of copper bells, China traditional instruments; a group of Children chorus a children song “Joining Hands", adding more easy atmosphere to the meeting.

In both the small circle talks and large scale talks, the two heads of state are open and frank to each other and share in-depth exchanges, and made a top-level design for development of the Sino-U.S. relations into the future. "The Sino-U.S. relations is at a new historical starting point. China is willing to work with the U.S. side to respect each other, achieve mutual benefit, focus on cooperation, and manage and control differences, bring more tangible benefits to the two peoples, to peoples in various regions and the world at large. President Xi Jinping starts from a broad perspective.

For decades, the Sino-U.S. relations as vast river tides, although through twists and turns, yet has never changed the surging trend of rolling forward. Currently, the top leaders of the two countries are promoting greater development of this important bilateral relationship in the world. It is the historical responsibility shouldered by the leaders of the two countries to promote the healthy and stable development of the Sino-U.S. relations with constructive attitude.

Mutual trust is further enhanced - the top leaders of China and the United States agree with each other to continuously give play to the strategic leadership role of the heads of state diplomacy in the bilateral relations and promote the greater development of the Sino-U.S. relations.

The consensus is further condensed – the two top leaders achieve a number of important results in strengthening bilateral, regional and global cooperation.

The mechanisms are further improved - the 4 high-level dialogue mechanisms will be built into an accelerator to enhance mutual trust, incubators to foster cooperation, and management and control lubricants for differences between China and the United States, and play a positive role in pushing new and greater development of the Sino-U.S. relations.

Guidance leads to consensus and the results are inspiring. After the talks, President Xi Jinping and President Trump witnessed the signing of cooperation documents on energy, manufacturing, agriculture, aviation, electricity and automobiles, etc. During President Trump's visit to China, the two countries signed the commercial and two-way investment agreements worth more than UAS$250 billion.

"China’s economic long-term prospects for growth are bright"; "The prospects for China to adhere to the reform and opening up are clear-cut"; "The prospects for China and the United States to expand economic and trade cooperation are broad”, facing about 50 Chinese and the U.S. business representatives, President Xi Jinping made these three points on China economic situation and the Sino-U.S. economic and trade relations, passing the confidence in expanding cooperation.

As trade is between two sides, which benefits both sides. It is believed that with joint efforts of entrepreneurs and business circles of the two countries, the Sino-U.S. economic and trade cooperation will continue to write more successful stories on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, President Xi Jinping said.

The consensus is rooted in a profound understanding of cooperation between the two countries. President Xi Jinping said that the development of China and the United States is complementary, and does not run mutually exclusive, the success of each country is in the common interests of both sides. President Trump said that the United States and China now have better opportunities than ever to strengthen bilateral relations, improve the lives of the two peoples and enhance bilateral cooperation.

Draw a blueprint for the future and pioneer a new journey

The summit of the two heads of state has made a clear direction and a blueprint for development of the Sino-U.S. relations into the future, President Xi Jinping said with a strong tone at the joint press conference attended by both President Xi Jinping and President Trump in the Great Hall of People. Every journey begins with the first step. During the meeting of the two heads of state, the path of developing the Sino-U.S. relations is clearer.

-- The area of diplomatic security concerns overall development of the Sino-U.S. relations and the level of strategic mutual trust between the two countries. The two sides should follow the direction set by the two heads of state to determine the roadmap for development of the Sino-U.S. relations, and dispel doubts on major and sensitive issues;

--Economic and trade cooperation is the stabilizer and ballast of the Sino-U.S. relations. The two sides should formulate and start the next phase of the economic and trade cooperation plan as soon as possible, and promote the Sino-U.S. economic and trade cooperation to move towards larger scale, higher level and wider fields.

-- Cultural exchange is a long-term undertaking like an older generation planting trees while an younger generation enjoying the shade, and the foundation concerning the long-term development of the Sino-U.S. relations. It is hoped that the two sides should implement well the Sino-U.S. two-way students, and cultural exchanges and cooperation projects, deepen mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples, and continuously inject vitality into the sustainable development of the Sino-U.S. relations.

-- law enforcement and cyber security concern the sense of security and happiness of peoples of the two countries, and are an important area of cooperation between China and the United States. It is hoped the two sides to carry out more cooperation around hunting those fugitives having fled abroad and their stolen gains, drug control and illegal immigration, the fight against cyber crime, and cyber terror, and protection of cyber network security.

At the moment, the Sino-U.S. relations are at a new historical starting point.

Looking at the world and facing the complicated and changing international situation, China and the United States share more common interests, shoulder more responsibilities and enjoy more cooperation space in maintaining world peace and stability and promoting global development and prosperity.

Both located in the Asia-Pacific, both China and the United States are the countries of important influence in the Asia-Pacific region. The Pacific is large enough to accommodate both China and the United States. The two sides should strengthen communication and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Affairs, cultivate a common circle of friends, shape a constructive interaction situation, and jointly safeguard and promote the regional peace and prosperity.

Looking at China and the United States, the common interests of the two countries is far greater than their differences; respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and respect each other's choice of development path and their differences. As long as we always take a constructive attitude, the two sides can seek common ground while reserving differences, pool commonalities and dispel differences, and promote cooperation.

The 19th Party Congress report points out that China would actively develop global partnerships, expand interests convergences, promote major- country coordinate cooperation, build major-countriy relations framework of overall stability and balanced development, deepen relations with neighboring countries in accordance with the ideas of amity, sincerity, benefits, and inclusiveness as well as diplomatic principles of neighborly friendship and neighborly partnership, uphold the correct view of righteousness and interests, and really strengthen solidarity and cooperation with developing countries.

On the evening of 9, in the Great Hall of the People, at the state dinner hosted by President Xi Jinping and Mrs. Peng Liyuan in honor of President and Mrs. Trump, President Xi emphasized that as long as we stick to the spirit of persistence and perseverance, we will be able to compose a new historical chapter for the Sino-U.S. relations; China and the United States will make new contributions to the better future of mankind.

New era, new blueprint for a new voyage. We expect China-U.S. relations to lead to a better future.

(Excerpts of the article in People's Daily, November 11, 2017, P.3)