Meeting commemorating 50th Anniversary of Shanghai Communique held in Shanghai

Liu Wei

F rom Feb 21 to 28， 1972， US President Richard Nixon visited China at the invitation of Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai. China and the United States made the historic handshake across the Pacific Ocean and ended the prolonged estrangement between the two countries. At the end， in Shanghai’s Jinjiang Hotel， China and the US jointly issued what is known as the Shanghai Communique.

This year， on Feb 28， another meeting was held in the same hotel to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the communique. The gathering was jointly organized by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries， the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs， the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government and the China-US People’s Friendship Association.

Li Qiang， a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee， attended and addressed the opening ceremony. Wang Yi， state councilor and foreign minister of China， delivered a keynote speech via video entitled “Drawing Wisdom from History to Light Up the Road Ahead”. Also speaking on site or online were Lin Songtian， president of the CPAFFC； Wang Chao， president of the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs； Qin Gang， Chinese ambassador to the US； Henry Kissinger， former US secretary of state； and Jacob Lew， chairman of National Committee on US-China relations and former US treasury secretary. David Meale， charge d’affaires of the US embassy in China； James Heller， head of the US consulate in Shanghai； and Lisa K. Heller， head of the US consulate in Guangzhou， also attended the opening ceremony.

In his speech， Li Qiang said：“Since last year， President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden have met by phone or via video and reached consensus on many aspects of China-US relations. They charted the way forward for the development of bilateral relations. Shanghai is a participant and witness to the growth of China-US relations and an important bridge for deepening exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in various fields.

“Many vivid stories in Shanghai show that it is the best choice for both sides and the common aspiration of the two peoples to promote sound and steady development of China-US relations.

“Looking into the future， Shanghai will actively implement the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee， uphold the principles of mutual respect， peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation， promote friendly exchanges and practical cooperation with the US in various fields， and play a more active role in promoting the development of China-US relations.”

In his speech via video， Wang Yi noted that China and the US， guided by the spirit of the Shanghai Communique， have achieved a series of major progress in their relations. He gave a comprehensive review of the communique， especially on the Taiwan question and the one-China principle， explaining why the ice had thawed and barriers had been removed in ChinaUS relations and how the relationship can forge ahead in the future.

He said that three lessons could be drawn from the development of ChinaUS relations over the past 50 years， noting that “by following the trend of the times we can make the right strategic choice. By seeking common ground while reserving differences， we can attain peaceful co-existence between countries with different social systems. And by following the basic norms of international relations， we can build real guardrails for China-US relations.”

H e p u t f o r w a r d a f o u rpoint proposal on developing and maintaining China-US relations. First， he said， we must uphold the one-China principle and consolidate the political foundation of China-US relations. Second， we must respect each other and stick to the right direction for advancing China-US relations. Third， we must pursue win-win cooperation and promote the development and prosperity of both countries. Fourth， we must shoulder our responsibilities as major countries and provide the world with more public goods.

He urged the US to reinstate a reasonable and pragmatic China policy， and work with China to put into real action the common understandings between the presidents to get ChinaUS relations back on the right track at an early date.

The CPAFFC’s Lin said： “The historical value of the Shanghai Communique is that it has set an example of ‘seeking common ground while reserving differences and pursuing win-win cooperation’ for the development of China-US relations. It has also provided a useful reference for handling bilateral ties today. History and reality over the past 50 years tell us that as long as both sides abide by the spirit of the Shanghai Communique， uphold the principles of mutual respect， peaceful co-existence and win-win cooperation， value not only one’s own culture but also the culture of others， China and the US can undoubtedly achieve win-win cooperation for common development and bring more benefits to the people of both countries and the world.”

Wang Chao noted that the Shanghai Communique is a milestone in the history of China-US relations. The commemorative meeting aimed to review history， learn from the past，create the future and draw wisdom from history to light up the road ahead.

“We will put into real action the common understandings between the two countries’ heads of state， so as to put the China-US relations back on the right track at an early date. The three China-US joint communiques， including the Shanghai Communique， have established the guiding principles for the growth of China-US relations and constitute an important political foundation. They should never be forgotten or shaken.”

Qin Gang said the Chinese embassy in the US will continue to serve as a bridge and bond between the two countries and will work with people from all walks of life in the US to inherit and carry forward the spirit of the Shanghai Communique. The embassy will put into practice the common understandings between the presidents， firmly grasp common interests， stick to the right way of coexistence， safeguard the one-China principle and promote friendship between people to put China-US relations back on track for sound and stable development at an early date.

Kissinger recalled wonderful stories from the normalization of USChina diplomatic relations. He noted that the US and China are big countries with different histories and will not agree on all issues. Looking forward， he said， both sides should do their best to maintain communication and tell each other candidly about their major concerns.

At present， Kissinger said， the economic interests of the two countries are highly intertwined， and both sides are facing the challenge of COVID-19.

“We should jointly promote world progress and development while safeguarding the interests of our own people，” he said. “I’m confident that the US and China can find ways to talk and work together in the years ahead.”

Jacob Lew said the way the US and China fulfill their responsibilities to ensure sustainable development of the global economy and maintain stability will shape the future of the two countries and the whole world. The US and China have common interests in climate change and global public health that require cooperation. They should properly guide bilateral exchanges to avoid catastrophic misunderstandings.

After the opening ceremony， some of the Chinese and American dignitaries were interviewed live by Ji Xiaojun， host of the China Global Television Network. They included Cui Tiankai， former Chinese ambassador to the US； Tang Wensheng， adviser of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese； Chas W. Freeman Jr.， former US assistant secretary of defense； J. Stapleton Roy， former US ambassador to China； Bill Ford， executive chairman of Ford Motor Company； Tong Jisheng， chairman of Oriental International Group； Wu Yun， deputy general manager of Nantong Zhenhua Heavy Equipment Co， Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industry Group； Jay Marshall Strabala， chief architectural designer of Shanghai Tower； Jeffrey S. Lehman， executive vice-president of New York University Shanghai； and Chen Dongxiao， president of the Shanghai Institute for International Studies.

Focusing on the themes of “taking history as a mirror for the future” and“pursuing win-win cooperation and common development”， they vividly recounted stories of participating in China-US exchanges and cooperation and expressed their expectations for the recovery and further development of bilateral relations.

Participants all agreed that by working together， China and the US can accomplish many big things that will benefit both countries and the world. Both stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. At present， certain conflicts and problems seem unavoidable. But as long as the two seek common ground while reserving differences in the spirit of the Shanghai Communique， a mutually acceptable solution can be found. History cannot step backward. The two sides should draw wisdom and strength from history， build bridges， strengthen exchanges， enhance understanding and consensus， bring bilateral relations back on track and steadily move forward.

More than 700 people from all walks of life in China and the US attended the meeting on site or online. More than 20 Chinese and foreign media outlets， including People’s Daily， Xinhua News Agency， China Media Group， Bloomberg News， The Associated Press， ITAR-TASS， Nihon Keizai Shimbun， Lianhe Zaobao， South China Morning Post and Phoenix TV， covered the event.