YORBA LINDA, United States, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- The 40th anniversary of the establishment of U.S.-China diplomatic relations is very significant, "and we look forward to marking the 50th anniversary of President Nixon's trip to China in 2022," said Jim Byron, vice president of Richard Nixon Foundation.
Byron made the remarks in an interview with Xinhua after a commemorative concert held Sunday night at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, California, the birthplace and burial site of Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the United States.
The Richard Nixon Foundation, a privately supported and nonprofit nonpartisan institution, owns the 8.2-acre (33,184-square-meter) campus and buildings comprising the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, and jointly operates the Library and Museum site with the National Archives.
Byron said the U.S.-China relationship, which evolved since Nixon's farsighted trip to China in 1972, had become "the most important bilateral relationship in the world" in the past four decades.
"We have today more trade between the United States and China than almost any other nation, we have the most interconnected economies, so I think that to recognize 40 years is significant," Byron said.
"What President Nixon acknowledged was that even though we may face challenges, it's more important that we are talking today... because the world is a safer place as a result of that," he added.
Dedicated to informing and educating the public about the life, legacy, and times of President Nixon, Byron hailed the efforts of the two peoples in maintaining the good relationship between the United States and China, which laid a solid foundation for bilateral relations in the future.
"I think that our people will continue to be friends and that's what I think is most important," he said, adding that culture exchange is a key to enhancing understanding.
"There's tremendous cultural interaction between the United States and China as you can see this evening, we have the Pacific Symphony playing I love you China, followed by America the Beautiful. I think that speaks volumes," Byron smiled.
About 350 guests attended the concert of the Pacific Symphony, who made their debut performance in China in 2018.
