Chinese Consul General in Los Angeles Zhang Ping (3rd R) attends a commemorative concert to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, the United States, Jan. 13, 2019. The consul general of China in Los Angeles on Sunday praised those in China and the United States who contributed to development of the bilateral relations, and called for more support to ensure the relationship remains on track. (Xinhua/Li Ying)
YORBA LINDA, the United States, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- The consul general of China in Los Angeles on Sunday praised those in China and the United States who contributed to development of the bilateral relations, and called for more support to ensure the relationship remains on track.
Consul General Zhang Ping made the remarks at a commemorative concert to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, Nixon's hometown.
"There are a thousand reasons to make the China-U.S. relationship work, and no reason to break it," Zhang cited Chinese President Xi Jinping's words while meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump for the first time in the U.S. state of Florida in 2017.
"History tells us that our two countries stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation," Zhang said. "Cooperation is the only right choice."
Zhang called for implementing the important consensus reached between Xi and Trump during their recent meeting in Argentina and subsequent dialogues.
Zhang said the two countries should respect each other and seek common ground while shelving differences and adhere to the three China-U.S. Joint Communiques, the first of which, the Shanghai Communique, was signed in 1972 after then president Nixon's stunning trip to China.
"We should expand common interests, and deepen and promote pragmatic cooperation to bring the two peoples a greater sense of gain," Zhang said. "We should conform to the two peoples' desire to enhance exchange and cooperation and encourage more interactions."
About 350 guests attended Sunday night's concert by the Pacific Symphony, who made their debut tour to China in 2018, and community art school OC Music and Dance.
Tara Campbell, mayor of Yorba Linda, told Xinhua that the friendship between the two peoples has been built up for decades.
"It's only been two weeks into 2019 and I've already had four different celebrations on this 40th anniversary and I know that there's gonna be plenty more to come this year," Campbell said. "That's just a testament to the great relationship that we've had between the two nations and how important it has been."
