Friends,

各位朋友，

How to bring China-U.S. relations back to the right track?

如何推动中美关系重回正轨？

Fifty years ago, Dr. Henry Kissinger made the ice-breaking visit to China, and with extraordinary political resolve, leaders of China and the United States jointly reopened the door of interaction which had been closed for decades. Fifty years later today, we must, with the sense of responsibility for the two countries and the world, make once again the sensible and right decision. Here are some key points of China’s position.

50年前，基辛格博士破冰访华，中美领导人以非凡政治魄力共同打开关闭几十年的交往大门。50年后的今天，我们应本着对两国和世界负责任的态度，再次作出明智和正确的抉择。中方认为：

First, it is important to respect each other and not to interfere in each other’s internal affairs. This is a basic norm governing international relations. A good-mannered gentleman never thrusts his knife and fork into the food on someone else’s plate. Similarly, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”, a teaching by Confucius, is widely accepted around the world. For major countries like China and the United States, there is a greater need to respect each other, rather than being fixated on remodeling, suppressing or even defeating the other. Such attempts have not succeeded, and never will. They will only cause problems and even conflicts unnecessarily.

首先要相互尊重，不干涉彼此内政。这是国际交往的基本准则。一个有礼貌的绅士，绝不会把自己的刀叉伸到别人的盘子里。孔子所说的己所不欲勿施于人，也早已在世界上被广为接受。对于中美这样的大国而言，更应相互尊重，不能总想着改变对方，压制对方，甚至打倒对方。这样的企图从来没能得逞，今后也不可能，只会无谓地制造矛盾甚至冲突。

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, China has all along respected the choices made by the American people, welcomed the strong growth momentum of the United States, and never interfered in its internal affairs. We have no intention to challenge or replace the United States. We are ready to have peaceful coexistence and seek common development with the United States. Likewise, we hope the United States will respect China’s core interests, national dignity, and rights to development. We urge the United States to stop smearing the CPC and China’s political system, stop conniving at or even supporting the erroneous words and actions of separatist forces for “Taiwan independence”, and stop undermining China’s sovereignty and security on internal affairs concerning Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet. Only with true mutual respect can China-U.S. relations achieve steady improvement and growth in the long run.

建交以来，中方一贯尊重美国人民的自主选择，乐见美国保持良好发展势头，从不干涉美国的内政。我们无意挑战或取代美国，愿与美国和平共处，共同发展。同样，我们希望美方也能够尊重中国的核心利益、民族尊严和发展权利，停止对中国共产党和中国政治制度的抹黑诋毁，停止纵容甚至支持“台独”分裂势力的错误言行，停止在香港、新疆、西藏等中国内部事务上损害中国主权和安全。做到了真正的相互尊重，中美关系改善和发展才能行稳致远。

Second, it is important to step up dialogue and properly manage the differences. Given the differences between our two countries in social system, development stage, history and culture, it is natural for us to have disagreements. What is crucial is to enhance mutual understanding through dialogue and not allow our relations to be defined by disagreements. Over the past few years, the United States basically cut off bilateral dialogue at all levels. And this was one of the main reasons for the deterioration of China-U.S. relations.

二要加强对话，妥善管控矛盾分歧。中美社会制度不同、发展阶段有别、历史文化各异，双方存在矛盾和分歧很自然，关键是要通过对话增进相互了解，不能任由分歧定义两国的关系。过去几年美方几乎中断了两国各层级的对话，成为中美关系不断恶化的重要原因之一。

At present, both sides should follow up on the phone call between the two Presidents on the eve of the Chinese New Year, act in the fundamental interests of the two peoples, take a forward-looking, open-minded and inclusive attitude, and reactivate or establish dialogue mechanisms in various areas and at various levels. The two sides should engage in candid dialogues on a broad range of issues in bilateral relations and on major regional and international issues, so as to get a clear understanding of each other’s policy intentions, sort out the critical issues in China-U.S. relations, and explore effective ways to manage sensitive issues, ward off risks and remove obstacles. China is, as always, open to dialogue. We stand ready to have candid communication with the U.S. side, and engage in dialogues aimed at solving problems.

当前，双方应按照两国元首除夕通话精神，切实从两国人民的根本福祉出发，以发展的眼光、开放的胸襟和包容的精神，激活或建立各领域、各层面的对话机制，就双边关系中的广泛问题以及重大国际和地区问题坦诚对话，准确把握彼此的政策意图，厘清中美关系的主要症结，探寻管控敏感问题、化解风险障碍的有效途径。中方进行对话的大门始终是敞开的，我们愿随时与美方进行开诚布公的沟通，开展解决问题的对话。

Third, it is important to move in the same direction to restart mutually beneficial cooperation. Both countries gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. This has been proved time and again by history and by practices since the diplomatic relationship was established. With regional hotspot issues and global challenges emerging one after another, areas for China-U.S. cooperation are expanding rather than shrinking, and the prospects for interaction are broadening rather than narrowing. More than ever China and the United States are more capable of getting big things done to the benefit of the two countries and the world at large.

三要相向而行，重启两国互利合作。合则两利，斗则俱伤，这是中美建交以来被历史和实践反复证明的真理。面对此起彼伏的地区热点和层出不穷的全球性挑战，中美需要合作的领域不是变少了，而是更多了。可以合作空间不是变窄了，而是更宽了。双方比以往更有能力办成有利于两国和世界的大事。

Under the current circumstances, the two sides may start from easier things, interact actively, and build up goodwill. Economic cooperation and trade is an important part of China-U.S. relations. Despite COVID-19, two-way trade expanded last year against headwinds, reflecting the win-win nature and intrinsic vitality of bilateral trade ties. China welcomes greater success of U.S. businesses in China, and will continue to take effective measures to improve our business environment. At the same time, we hope that the U.S. side will adjust its policies as soon as possible, among others, remove unreasonable tariffs on Chinese goods, lift its unilateral sanctions on Chinese companies and research and educational institutes, and abandon irrational suppression of China’s technological progress, so as to create necessary conditions for China-U.S. cooperation. COVID-19, climate change and world economic recovery are the three most pressing tasks for the international community. As a major responsible country, China is ready to coordinate policies and work with the United States in these three areas for the good of the whole world.

当前形势下，双方可由易到难，积极互动，积累善意。经贸合作是中美关系重要组成部分。尽管遭遇疫情影响，去年中美贸易额仍然逆势增长，体现出两国经贸关系的互利本质和内生动力。中国乐见美在华企业获得更大成功，将继续采取有力措施改善中国营商环境，同时希望美方尽快调整政策，放弃对中国产品加征不合理关税，放弃对中国企业和科研教育机构实施各种单边制裁，放弃对中国科技进步进行无理打压，为两国合作提供必要条件。抗击新冠疫情、应对气候变化、推动世界经济复苏是眼下国际社会最紧迫的三大任务，作为负责任大国，中方愿意在这三个领域同美国协调政策，加强合作，携手为世界作出积极贡献。

Fourth, it is important to clear the path for the resumption of bilateral exchanges in all areas. Over the past 40-odd years of diplomatic relations, various sectors of the two countries have forged deep bonds. There are 50 pairs of sister provinces/states and 232 pairs of sister cities. China had been the biggest source of international students in the United States for ten years in a row. However, these normal exchanges were seriously disrupted in the past few years. The number of Chinese visitors to the United States, either for exchange programs or study, had plummeted. The social foundation of bilateral relations was “poisoned”, which should not be allowed to happen in the first place.

四要扫除障碍，恢复中美各领域交流。中美建交40多年来，两国各界建立了深厚联系，双方迄今已建立50对友好省州和232对友好城市，中国已连续10年成为美国最大外国留学生来源国。但过去几年这些正常交往受到严重破坏，中国赴美交流、留学人数急剧减少，两国交往的社会和民意基础遭到不应有的“毒化”。

People-to-people friendship holds the key to state-to-state relations. The Chinese and American peoples enjoy a long-standing friendship, which should stay immune to the ups and downs in the political dimension of the relations. The late Professor Ezra Vogel, a prominent China scholar, called for a rational China policy till the last days of his life. He co-authored the open letter, entitled “China is not an enemy”, and it was co-signed by many well-known people. We hope that the U.S. side will act as early as possible to lift its restrictions on Chinese educational and cultural groups, media outlets and institutions for overseas Chinese affairs in the United States, remove its obstructions for U.S. subnational governments and social sectors to engage with China, and encourage and support the resumption of normal exchange programs between universities, research institutes and of students. China is ready to work with the United States with an open mind to build a good environment for people-to-people exchanges.

国之交在于民相亲。中美两国人民有着友好交往传统，两国民间交流不应受到政治关系起伏的左右。已经离开我们的著名中国学者傅高义先生，直到生命的最后时刻仍呼吁要采取理性对华政策，参与起草《中国不是敌人》公开信，得到众多知名人士联署支持。我们希望美方尽快解除对中方教育、文化、新闻、侨务等团体在美活动的各种限制，解除对美国地方政府及各界对华交往的阻吓，鼓励和支持两国恢复高校、研究机构、留学生等正常的人文交流项目。中方愿意相向而行，以开放态度共同为两国人民的相互往来营造良好环境。

Friends,

各位朋友，

In the final analysis, the future of China-U.S. relationship is in the hands of the two peoples. Its improvement always requires support of the two societies. I sincerely hope that today’s Lanting Forum will be a platform for candid discussions and consensus building as well as a source of vision, insight and wisdom for a better China-U.S. relationship. I hope that the two sides will work together to steer the giant ship of China-U.S. relations back to the course of sound development toward a bright future with boundless prospects.

中美关系的未来归根到底掌握在两国人民手中，中美关系的改善也始终离不开两国各界的支持推动。我衷心希望此次蓝厅论坛能够成为坦诚交流、凝聚共识的平台，为两国关系的改善发展建言献策，贡献智慧。双方共同努力，推动中美关系这艘巨轮尽快回归健康发展的航道，驶入海阔天空的美好明天！谢谢大家！