WASHINGTON, May 17, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- The following article was published today by
China Daily:
China and the United States
have only the responsibility to jointly uphold peace, and no single
reason to incite confrontation, Beijing's top envoy in Washington said on Thursday.
"China is willing to be a friend and partner of the United States," said Ambassador
Xie Feng. "In the era of war, we
fought side by side; in the era of peace, we should also be each
other's partner."
The ambassador made the remarks at the "My China Album: Sharing
Our Stories About China" event at the embassy, attended by more
than 200 guests, including Harry
Moyer, a Flying Tigers veteran, now age 103.
During World War II, Captain Moyer fought shoulder to shoulder
with Chinese soldiers to defend against invading Japanese
forces.
Xie said that the foundation of the China-US relationship was
laid by the two peoples, and its future will be created by
them.
"Currently, China-US relations are still facing serious
challenges. We need to forge a closer bond between our peoples and
open our hearts to each other, so as to inject more warmth and
impetus into this relationship," he said.
Since its start in 2019, the "My China Album" video series has
rolled out five editions, with the fifth featuring stories of
Moyer; Ambassador Winston Lord, a
member of the US delegation on the historic trip to China in 1972,
and other Americans in 12 video episodes, collectively themed
around "My Impressions of China-100 Stories of China-US
Friendship".
They capture the heartwarming moments and memories of
people-to-people friendship, showcasing the historic interactions
and profound bonds between the peoples of the two nations.
Xie noted that such stories have shown once and again that the
two peoples can forge a profound friendship despite all the
differences in system, culture and language.
He said that it is important to develop a right perception
toward each other, and be friends rather than rivals.
"Seeing the other as a primary strategic competitor, the most
consequential geopolitical challenge and a pacing threat, in
disregard of our peoples' will for exchanges and cooperation and
the world's expectation for a stable China-US relationship, would
only push our two countries toward antagonism, plunge the world
into division and turmoil, and ultimately lead to 'self-fulfilling
prophesies,'" he said.
The envoy also said it is important to stay undistracted by
domestic politics and avoid creating new hurdles for China-US
relations.
He said that while China will not interfere in US domestic
affairs, including its presidential election, it also firmly
opposes any attempt to manipulate China-related issues, exploit
China-US relations, and damage China's interests during the
election.
The launch of the "My China Album" event serves to amplify the
crucial role that people-to-people exchanges have been playing in
enhancing China-US relations, said Qu Yingpu, publisher and
editor-in-chief of China Daily.
Over the past five years, China
Daily has been a partner of "My China Album", focusing on
stories of China-US friendship, of endearment and goodwill, and
reciprocal kindness between the two peoples, Qu said in a video
speech.
For example, the 2019 edition focused on the 40th anniversary of
the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and
the United States, and in the
following year, it featured the Chinese and American peoples
helping each other combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, the "album" captured the beauty of sports featuring
the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, and the 50th
anniversary of giant pandas in America became the most popular
theme in 2022.
"We believe stories of this kind are monumental and worthy of
being recorded and retold," said Qu.
"The more we have explored the domain of China-US
people-to-people exchanges, the more deeply we feel obligated and
duty bound as China's national English-language news media. We are
more committed now," he said.
Steve Blake, chief representative
for environmental group WildAid China, said the "China Album"
project offers a "really great" opportunity for people like him to
tell a story about China.
"There's so much you hear in the news about challenges between
the US and China, but there's millions of people just like me that
have a personal story to tell, that our lives have been changed by
our experience, whether we're Chinese people in America or
Americans like myself in China,"
he said.
Blake said he had a lot of fond memories of China that he likes
to share.
"So I'm really happy to be here today to be a part of something
that connects our two countries more," he said.
The fifth edition of "My China Album" was jointly produced by
the Chinese embassy in the US, the Chinese consulates general in
New York, San Francisco, Los
Angeles and Chicago, and
China Daily.
By ZHAO HUANXIN in Washington
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SOURCE China Daily