Distinguished Guest,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good Evening,
It is my great pleasure to join you and have an exchange with you on China-US relations. As a Chinese Consul General, one of the most joyful work for me is to communicate with our business friends. First of all, please allow me to express my heartfelt thanks to you for your long-term efforts in deepening China-US relations.
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I'd also like to express my sincere appreciation to the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce for providing this historic place, and thanks to all the staff for your hard work for the venue layout.
I should say, I like the Chamber logo very much. It looks like a handshake, and this reminds me of oriental Taiji. A handshake can lead to cooperation and generate strength. Since the Chamber was founded in 1888, it has been working with all parties and has made Los Angeles one of the most attractive cities in the world. While Taiji means everything begins from zero and one need to follow the trend of nature to make history.
43 years ago, President Nixon, who comes from Orange County, visited China and his "handshake across the Pacific" has latter brought our two countries establish diplomatic relationship in 1979. This has become the most influential historical event in the latter half of 20th century. One year ago, President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama met at Annenberg, California and reached the consensus on building a new model of major-country relationship based on mutual respect and win-win cooperation. For decades, China-US relations have achieved historic growth in spite of some ups and downs, which not only benefits our two countries, but also produce a positive and profound impact on the Asia-Pacific and, indeed, the evolution of the international landscape. During this process, California is not only a witness but rather a participant and an active contributor.
Today, China and U.S. has become great partners not only in commerce but also in culture, education, and all other fields. The list of the great achievements of Sino-U.S. cooperation is so long. But just take a look at the billboards flashing at the top of the skyscrapers in downtown Los Angeles. Big firms, like Citibank, AON, Westin Hotel, Lewis Bribois Bisgaard and Smith, LLP, KPMG, whatever you can see, all have set up their branches in China or have developed a large Chinese client base. Trade, investment and cultural exchanges between China and US, are like bridges linking the prosperity across the Pacific.
I have been working in Los Angeles for more than a year. I am very pleased to see that, with our joint efforts, China and our consular area have made great progress in economy, trade, culture, the environment, education, science, technology, and people-to-people exchanges, among which Southern California has taken a lead. The LAEDC report, China and Los Angeles County, Growing Together, shows us a clear picture: Los Angeles has the largest overseas Chinese population, the largest number of Chinese invested companies and Chinese tourists in the U.S. One third of the trade between China and US is conducted through Los Angeles Customs district. Over 300 Chinese companies have established their business presence here. There are more than 40 flights commuting between LAX and Chinese cities every week, with number of passengers equivalent to that of a full year when our two countries just established the diplomatic relationship. I am glad to see Mr. Nando, author of that report, is here with us. Thank you for your hard work. In my view, Los Angeles also has the greatest potential for economic and trade cooperation with China in the next five to ten years.
Ladies and gentlemen, looking back, we have every reason to be proud of the achievements in Sino-US cooperation. Now, our bilateral relations are entering into an important transitional period, facing both opportunities and challenges.
To further develop Sino-US relationship, requires us to seize the opportunities and expand our common interests. The third Plenary Session of 18th CPC Central Committee of China convened last year outlined the grand blueprint for China's future reform and opening up. China will open wider to foreign investment and encourage more Chinese enterprises to go global. Chinese economy will continue to maintain sustainable and healthy development for a long time. At present, China is making efforts to foster a more open and transparent legal and regulatory environment for both domestic and foreign-invested companies in China. As you may note, China-U.S. negotiations on Bilateral Investment Treaty is pressing ahead, Shanghai Free Trade Zone is further improving its negative list management system. All these progress will offer more chances to the outside of the world, including the United States. Meanwhile, I believe the U.S. economic restructuring and industrial transformation will also help to facilitate cooperation between Chinese and American businesses.
When President Xi Jinping visited Los Angeles in 2012, he encouraged enterprises of our two countries to enhance cooperation in such areas as clean energy, information technology, electric vehicles, new materials, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, remanufacturing, high-speed rail, highways, and smart grid. These all are promising areas for our future cooperation. As an old saying goes: "Time and tide, wait for no man". In the spirit of these words, I hope you could seize the time. There are great opportunities for you if you swim the tide of China-US cooperation.
To further develop Sino-US relationship, requires long-term planning and effective control of our differences. Today, China and U.S. are the two largest economies in the world, taking one third of the world economy, one fourth of population and one fifth of the global trade. The interests of our two countries are deeply intertwined. A review of our diplomatic relations over the past 35 years shows that China-US cooperation and the rejuvenation of the Asia-Pacific region are complementary to each other, while confrontation hurts both. With our different social systems, development levels and historical and cultural backgrounds, it is normal that we have disagreement over some issues. However, as long as we respect each other's core interests and major concerns and build mutual trust through communication and consultation, all these issues and disagreements could be appropriately managed so as to maintain the sustained, sound and steady development of China-US relations. Trade and economic relationship is the most important, most dynamic and most enduring part in Sino-US relationship. It is the "ballast" and "propeller" in the new model of major-country relationship between China and the US.
Ladies and Gentlemen, all of you here have made long-term efforts in promoting China-US economic and trade cooperation. I hope we could continue to enjoy your strong support. Like in any bilateral relationship, China-US exchanges will reveal disagreements between the two sides, and different areas of cooperation may proceed at different pace, just as a person's ten fingers are different in length. When the bilateral relationship goes well, we need to think about the long-term and be prepared for potential difficulties. When the relationship is strained, we need to bear in mind the larger picture and not allow any individual issue to disrupt our overall cooperation.
To further develop Sino-US relationship, also requires us to explore the potential and promote a wider range of cooperation. Local and non-governmental exchanges and cooperation are important driving forces and foundation for Sino-US relationship. Our two countries have now established more than 90 dialogue mechanisms, such as the Strategic and Economic Dialogue and cultural exchanges at high levels. We also have formed 41 pairs of sister provinces/states and 201 pairs of sister cities. According to the States Exports to China 2004-2013 Report by US-China Business Council, California has the largest export volume to China, which was $15.7 billion and one tenth of California total export in 2013. Though California has been far from the fastest exporter to China in the past decade, as Texas, Illinois and New York are all being very aggressive in promoting trade and investment ties with China, I still believe that, California, as the gateway to China and the Pacific, with its size of economy, sizable population of overseas Chinese, unrivaled location and a solid foundation for economic cooperation with China, is in a favorable position that to compete.
In order to translate these advantages into results, Hou. Governor Brown led a trade delegation with nearly a hundred business executives to China in April 2013 and achieved fruitful results, including the establishment of the California Trade Office in Shanghai, and the establishment of the California and Chinese Provinces Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment Cooperation,which is initiated by Governor Brown and endorsed by President Xi of China. Over the past year, the Working Group played an important role in facilitating high level trade missions to and from China, and in expanding two-way trade and investment, strengthening communication, enhancing mutual trust, promoting growth and creating jobs. It has become a flagship in Sino-US economic and trade cooperation. I am glad that California and Chinese business communities are working more and more closely with governments of the two sides in this regards.
I believe, by joining hands of both businesses and governments, we could take better advantage of our resources available and better tap the potential of California and China provinces' economic and trade cooperation. On behalf of the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles, I can assure you that we will always be available whenever you have an idea to further promote the cooperation between California and China.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
When President Nixon visited China in 1972, he quoted Chairman Mao Zedong's poem as saying that "ten thousand years are too long, seize the time, seize the day" to describe the urgency to develop Sino-US relationship. I think these words still apply today. Let's work together in the spirit of "seizing the day", by making concrete steps, to promote economic and trade cooperation between our two countries, and further the new model of major-country relationship, and make a better tomorrow for China-US relationship!
