U.S., Chinese experts mark 40th anniversary of country ties

Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-16 19:42:56|Editor: Yurou
Video PlayerClose

ATLANTA, the United States, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Experts and scholars from China and the United States gathered here on Saturday to mark the 40th anniversary of the two governments' announcement to establish bilateral relations in 1979.

China and the United States said on Dec. 16, 1978 that they would officially establish a diplomatic relationship on Jan. 1, 1979. To mark the announcement, the meeting, co-held by Renmin University of China North America Alumni Association and the China Program of the Carter Center, a U.S. think tank, invited some 200 people from the two nations to discuss bilateral ties and their challenges, opportunities and global implications.

REFORM AND OPENING-UP IN PROGRESS

Scholars of the world's two largest economies said at the meeting that China's announcement to start its reform and opening-up and the two nations' declaration to establish ties took place at almost the same time.

They said that China's development and engagement with the United States have, since then, brought substantial benefits to the two peoples, and created many positive changes in both countries in terms of economic and social development, deserving an enormous amount of credit.

U.S. scholars, such as Benjamin Shobert, a member of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, and Liu Yawei, director of the Carter Center's China Program, told Xinhua on the sidelines of the meeting that looking back at the last 40 years, significant progress in China's reform and opening-up continues to bode well for sustainable relations with the United States.

They added that the United States should and would have positive expectations for China's future, considering the recent statements of the Chinese leadership that sticked to the reform and opening-up of the world's second-largest economy.

The scholars also said that the future of China's reform and opening-up will, as always, influence the country's ties with the United States.

IMPLICATIONS BEYOND TWO NATIONS

Speaking of bilateral relations, the experts of both countries said that thanks to the wisdom of the two nations' leadership, China-U.S. ties have remained stable in general, and their cooperation on all levels has been exceptionally fruitful, despite challenges.

China and the United States both have an enormous influence on world issues, they said, adding that the bilateral ties, due to some misunderstandings and misinterpretations on the part of U.S. politicians, are facing new challenges.

Against the current backdrop, the need for both nations to continue to display their wisdom and engage at all levels has become more urgent than ever.

"Much of the administration's attempt to characterize America's economic problems as being entirely a byproduct of the U.S.-China relationship is a mistake," Shobert said.

He said that more needs to be done in both countries to create new social stabilizers and to address the structural problems and the anxieties average people feel, in a bid to contribute more to global peace and prosperity.

Chinese Consul General in Houston Li Qiangmin, who also attended the meeting, said that the implications of the China-U.S. relations have gone far beyond the two nations.

"It is acknowledged that the sound and stable development of our bilateral relationship contributes not only to the benefit of our two peoples, but also to the whole world," Li said.

TOP STORIES
EDITOR’S CHOICE
MOST VIEWED
EXPLORE XINHUANET
010020070750000000000000011100001376784691