CPAFFC President Lin makes keynote speech via video at US friendship body’s convention

Wang Yang

O n Nov 5， the 28th National Convention of the US-China People’s Friendship Association was successfully held online. The theme of the convention was “The roots of friendship： Finding common ground”. Lin Songtian， president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries， was invited to make a keynote speech via video.

Lin saluted the convention， saying that since its inception in 1974， the USCPFA has been dedicated to promoting the development of friendly bilateral relations. It is a pioneer， a forerunner， a witness and a defender of bilateral relations， as well as the CPAFFC’s most trusted friend and partner， he said.

“At this difficult time when China-US relations are facing severe challenges， the USCPFA holds this national convention to send out the voice of rationality and justice about China. We highly appreciate this，” he said.

Lin called it natural that China and the United States have diverse interests and concerns， even disputes， given the differences in social systems， ideology， history， culture and values. What is important， he said， is to adapt to the new era； adhere to the new concept of win-win cooperation for common development； get rid of the old mentality of “I win and you lose in a zero-sum game”； focus on the common interests of the Chinese and American people， as well as the people of the whole world； and properly handle differences and sensitive issues in a constructive rather than confrontational manner.

Lin cited facts over the past 42 years after the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations to illustrate that both the Chinese and American people aspire to a better life of peace， stability and happiness. He said it is highly feasible that the two cultures learn from each other and prosper together， that bilateral trade and economic cooperation bring mutual benefit and common development and that the two governments seek common ground while shelving differences， respect each other and jointly tackle global challenges. These moves， he said， will not only benefit the two peoples， but also safeguard world peace， stability， development and prosperity， and bring development opportunities and bliss to the people of China， the United States and the world at large.

Lin said the Chinese people have always been friendly toward the American people. Regretfully， however， since 2018， the US administration has stuck to a Cold War mentality， adopted erroneous containment policies against China based on incorrect understandings and strategic judgments， incited ideological and geopolitical conflicts and tried to spread political viruses.

The US has also maliciously lashed out at the people-to-people exchanges between the two countries and set up obstacles for exchanges and cooperation， seriously poisoning public opinion and the basis for cooperation and leaving the bilateral relations in serious difficulty. In fact， Lin said， a sound development of China-US relations would benefit the two peoples， while the deterioration of relations harms both the interests of the people of the two countries and the whole world.

Lin noted that some positive signs have emerged recently in ChinaUS relations. President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden had another phone conversation， during which they had candid， in-depth and extensive strategic communication and exchanges on bilateral relations. Lin said the phone call had charted the course for the improvement of China-US relations and sent a positive signal to the international community.

High-level Chinese and American officials in the fields of diplomacy， finance and commerce have also had frequent exchanges and interactions， Lin said. “We hope that the China-US relationship will get back on track.”

He went on to say that friendship between the people serves as an important foundation and source of strength for bilateral relations. The China-US relationship， he said， bears on the fundamental interests of the two peoples. As the most direct stakeholders in the relationship， the two peoples should have the most say.

It is not up to a few politicians to decide on China-US relations， Lin said， adding that the USCPFA has played a historic role in promoting friendship， understanding and mutual trust between the two peoples， as well as in the normalization of China-US relations. Lin praised the organization for remaining committed to promoting friendship between the two countries.

“Our association is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the USCPFA to fully mobilize all sectors of society and people from all walks of life， promote mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples and light up and warm up bilateral relations，” he said.“With the light of the friendship， we will illuminate the future of win-win cooperation for common development between China and the US.”

Founded in 1974， the USCPFA is one of the oldest people-to-people organizations in the US aimed at friendship with China. It strives to promote understanding and friendship between the American and Chinese people through exchanges in culture， education and other fields. It is headquartered in Minnesota. Diana Greer is its president.