Continue Dialogue and Cooperation to Jointly Promote a Healthy and Steady China-U.S.
坚持对话与合作，共同促进中美关系健康稳定发展
Consul General Wang Donghua Publishes a Signed Article on San Francisco Examiner
驻旧金山总领事王东华在《旧金山观察家报》发表署名文章
October 1 2020
2020年10月3日
October 1, 2020, is China’s National Day, the 71st birthday of our great motherland. Over the past 71 years, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people have created an unprecedented development miracle in human history and completely changed the fate and future of the Chinese nation. Despite the severe impact of COVID-19, we will achieve our goals, within the set time frame by the end of this year, of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and lifting out of poverty all rural residents living below the current poverty line, and meet the poverty eradication target set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ten years ahead of schedule. These are not only great achievements for China, but also great progress for human society, and a great contribution to world peace and development.
10月1日是中国的国庆节，是我们伟大祖国71岁的生日。71年来，在中国共产党领导下，中国人民创造了人类历史上前所未有的发展奇迹，彻底改变了中华民族的前途命运。尽管受到新冠疫情严重影响，中国仍将在今年年内如期全面建成小康社会，实现现行标准下农村贫困人口全部脱贫的目标，提前10年实现《联合国2030年可持续发展议程》减贫目标。这不仅是中国的巨大成就，也是人类社会的巨大进步，更是对世界和平与发展的巨大贡献。
The world is undergoing profound changes never seen in a century, and China’s development has entered a new era. Human society is full of opportunities and hopes, as well as variables and challenges. Where would China go? Where would the world go? How does a growing China get along with the world? How should China and the United States, the top two economies in the world, get along with each other, and where do we want the bilateral relationship to go? These questions are the common concerns of the international community, including our US friends. I would like to take this opportunity to share my views with you. The world is changing, so are China and the US, we must remain calm and sober amidst all the changes, see and read what remains unchanged, and work together to advance the healthy and steady development of China-U.S. relations and promote peace and prosperity of the world.
当今世界正处于百年未有之大变局，中国发展进入了新时代。人类社会既充满机遇和希望，也存在变数和挑战。中国往哪里走？世界往哪里走？发展起来的中国如何与世界相处？中美两个世界上最大的经济体如何相处，中美关系何去何从？这些问题是包括美国朋友在内的国际社会所关注和思考的问题。我愿借此机会与大家分享我的看法。世界在变化，中国和美国在变化。我们要在变局中保持定力和清醒，认识和把握好其中的不变，共同致力于推进中美关系稳定健康发展，促进世界和平与繁荣。
The fundamental goal of China’s development remains unchanged. The original aspiration and the mission of the Communist Party of China are to seek happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. We have a grand yet simple goal, which is to enable all our people live a better life. What we now face is the contradiction between unbalanced and inadequate development and the people’s ever-growing needs for a better life. All policies and measures adopted by China, including promoting high-quality economic development, pushing ahead with modernization of the country’s governing system and capabilities, fighting against poverty, enhancing ecological progress, deepening reform and opening-up across the board, and deepening the self-reform of the Communist Party of China, are all designed to respond to the main challenges China faces and meet Chinese people’s need for a better life.
中国发展的根本目标没有改变。中国共产党的初心和使命始终是为中国人民谋幸福，为中华民族谋复兴。我们的目标是宏伟的，却又很朴素，就是让全体中国人都过上更好的日子。当前中国社会的主要矛盾是人民日益增长的美好生活需要和不平衡不充分的发展之间的矛盾。中国采取的所有政策和措施，包括推动经济高质量发展、推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化、脱贫攻坚、加强生态文明建设、全面深化改革和扩大开放、深入推进党的自我革命等，都是为了应对中国面临的主要挑战，实现让人民过上更好生活的发展目标。
China’s strategy of peaceful development remains unchanged. The Chinese nation loves peace. Pursuing peaceful development is a natural choice the Chinese people have made after having suffered so much in modern times, and it is a strategic choice China has made in keeping with the development trend of the times and its fundamental interests. China will never follow the beaten track of big powers in seeking hegemony. China is firmly committed to peaceful development and hopes that all countries in the world will do likewise, so as to build a community with a shared future for mankind. As President Xi Jinping pointed out at the General Debate of the 75th Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on September 22, 2020, China is the largest developing country in the world, a country that is committed to peaceful, open, cooperative and common development. We will never seek hegemony, expansion, or sphere of influence. We have no intention to fight either a Cold War or a hot war with any country. We will continue to narrow differences and resolve disputes with others through dialogue and negotiation. We do not seek to develop only ourselves or engage in a zero-sum game. We will not pursue development behind closed doors. Rather, we aim to foster, over time, a new development paradigm with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other. This will create more space for China’s economic development and add impetus to global economic recovery and growth.
中国和平发展战略没有改变。中华民族是爱好和平的民族，走和平发展道路是中国人民从近代以来苦难遭遇中得出的必然结论，是根据时代发展潮流和本国根本利益作出的战略选择。中国不会重复国强必霸的老路，始终不渝走和平发展道路，也希望各国共同走和平发展道路，推动构建人类命运共同体。正如习近平主席9月22日在第七十五届联合国大会一般性辩论上指出的，中国是世界上最大的发展中国家，走的是和平发展、开放发展、合作发展、共同发展的道路。我们永远不称霸，不扩张，不谋求势力范围，无意跟任何国家打冷战热战，坚持以对话弥合分歧，以谈判化解争端。我们不追求一枝独秀，不搞你输我赢，也不会关起门来封闭运行，将逐步形成以国内大循环为主体、国内国际双循环相互促进的新发展格局，为中国经济发展开辟空间，为世界经济复苏和增长增添动力。
The trend of the times, towards peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit remains unchanged. We are living in an interconnected global village with a common stake. Countries are becoming a close-knit community of shared interests and future. The world will never return to isolation, and no one can sever the ties between countries. The world is battling the COVID-19 pandemic as it goes through momentous changes of a scale unseen in a century. All countries are facing severe challenges. Yet, people everywhere crave even more strongly for peace, development, and win-win cooperation. We should not dodge the challenges of economic globalization. Instead, we must face up to and address major issues such as the wealth gap and the development divide so as to ensure full and balanced development that delivers benefit to people from all countries, sectors, and backgrounds in an equitable way. COVID-19 reminds us that no country can gain from others’ difficulties or maintain security by taking advantage of others’ troubles. To pursue a beggar-thy-neighbor policy or just watch from a safe distance when others are in danger will eventually land one in the same trouble as others are in. Cold War mentality, ideological lines or zero-sum game are no solution to a country’s own problem, still less an answer to mankind’s common challenges. COVID-19 will not be the last crisis to confront humanity, so we must join hands in response to even more global challenges.
和平、发展、合作、共赢的时代潮流没有变。我们生活在一个互联互通的地球村里，各国利益紧密相连，人类命运成为一个共同体。世界退不回彼此封闭孤立的状态，更不可能被人为割裂。新冠肺炎疫情全球大流行和世界百年未有之大变局相互影响，给世界各国都带来了巨大的挑战，也使各国人民对和平发展合作共赢的期待更加强烈。我们不能回避经济全球化带来的挑战，必须直面贫富差距、发展鸿沟等重大问题，使发展既平衡又充分，发展成果公平惠及不同国家不同阶层不同人群。新冠肺炎疫情启示我们，任何国家都不可能从别国的困难中谋取利益，不可能从他国的动荡中收获安全。如果以邻为壑、隔岸观火，别国的威胁迟早会变成自己的挑战。固守冷战思维，以意识形态划线，搞零和游戏，既解决不了本国的紧迫问题，更应对不了人类面临的共同挑战。新冠肺炎疫情不会是人类面临的最后一次危机，我们必须做好携手迎接更多全球性挑战的准备。
China’s policy towards the US and its strategic orientation remain unchanged. China is the world’s biggest developing country while the US is the biggest developed one. The relations between China and the US are among the most important bilateral relationships in the world. We are partners and friends, not rivals or enemies. China never intends to challenge or replace the US, nor will it achieve its own development at the expense of American interests. The economies of the two countries are highly complementary. The combination of US capital and technology with China’s market and labor has created huge wealth, which benefits both sides. Last year, the trade volume between China and the US reached US$540 billion, with 5.2 million personnel exchanges. There are about 420,000 Chinese students studying in the US, and 20,000 US students studying in China. Two-way investment between the two countries has exceeded US$240 billion in accumulative terms. There are more than 70,000 US companies operating in China, making sales revenue of over US$700 billion each year. We also have more than 270 sister-states or sister-cities. If China and the US were enemies or rivals, how could these basic facts be explained? How could enemies have such a close relationship? It is true that as China’s strength grows, its ability to defend its sovereignty, security, and development interests is further enhanced. But this does not mean that China will use its increased strength to invade and expand abroad or change the existing international order. Both China and the US are great countries with great people. However, if the two countries miscalculate each other’s strategic intentions, they may deepen their misunderstandings, which will lead to spiraling escalation of tensions, leaving both countries unconsciously in a security dilemma. That would be disastrous for both sides. Therefore, we must find ways to deepen our mutual understanding, increase mutual trust, and try to be friends rather than rivals.
中国对美政策和战略定位没有变。中国与美国分别是世界上最大的发展中国家和最大的发达国家，中美关系是全球最重要的双边关系之一。中美是伙伴、朋友而不是对手、敌人，中国从来无意挑战或取代美国，也不会以牺牲美国利益来实现自身的发展。两国经济互补性强，美方的资本和技术与中国的市场和劳动力的结合创造了巨大财富，双方都因此受益。去年中美双边贸易额达5400亿美元，人员往来520万人次，中国在美留学生42万人，美在华留学生2万人。双向投资累计超过2400亿美元，在华美资企业超过7万家，每年销售额超过7000亿美元。两国建立了270多对友好省州和姐妹城市。如果中美是敌人或对手，如何解释上述这些基本事实？敌人之间如何会有如此紧密的关系？诚然，随着中国自身实力增长，捍卫主权、安全、发展利益的能力也进一步增强，但这绝不意味着中国会凭借增长的实力对外侵略扩张或改变现有国际秩序。中美都是伟大的国家，两国人民都是伟大的人民。但如果双方误判彼此战略意图，就可能不断加深彼此误解，导致局势轮番恶化升级，让双方在不知不觉中陷入安全困境。这对双方都是灾难性的。因此，我们要想方设法加深双方相互了解，增进彼此互信，坚持做朋友，防止成对手。
The mutually beneficial and win-win nature of China-U.S. cooperation remains unchanged. The history of the 41-years diplomatic relations between China and the US has repeatedly proved that cooperation between the two countries can accomplish many great things. In 2008, China, the US and other countries joined hands in responding to the international financial crisis. In 2014, China and the US worked together in fighting the Ebola epidemic in Africa. In 2016, China and the US made joint contribution to the conclusion of the Paris Agreement on climate change. The two sides have maintained close coordination and cooperation on regional hotspot issues such as the Korean Peninsula, Afghanistan, and the Middle East, and assisted other countries in strengthening capacity building, including the tripartite cooperation on food security in East Timor. We always support direct and candid exchanges at all levels and in all fields between our two sides, and actively promote mutual interests through cooperation. Take the fentanyl issue as an example. China has implemented the consensus reached by the two presidents and formally regulated the entire category of fentanyl substances in May last year. According to the report from the US side, since October last year, the US has not seized any fentanyl substances from China. Another example is the economic and trade issue. After 13 rounds of negotiations, the two sides signed the Phase One trade agreement in January this year. This agreement benefits both China and the United States as well as the world. China has completed all 50 items including protection of intellectual property, which should be implemented within 4 months after the agreement became effective. During the first half of this year, the total value of Chinese imports from the US reached US$56.4 billion, of which the amount of imported agricultural products increased by 56% year-on-year, grain import increased by 22 times, meat import increased by 6 times, and soybeans import increased by 58%, much higher than China’s imports increase from the world during the same period. These facts have fully demonstrated China’s goodwill. Although international trade is facing huge challenges as a result of the pandemic, China is willing to continue to import more products from the US, including the agricultural products from our consular district.
中美关系互利共赢的本质没有改变。中美建交41年来的历史反复证明，两国合作可以办成大事。2008年，中美和各国携手应对国际金融危机。2014年，中美在非洲联手抗击埃博拉疫情。2016年，中美共同推动国际社会达成气候变化《巴黎协定》。双方在朝鲜半岛、阿富汗、中东等地区热点问题上保持了密切协调合作，并协助第三国加强能力建设，如在东帝汶开展粮食安全三方合作。我们始终支持双方在各层级各领域开展直接、坦诚交流，积极寻求合作以促进双方共同利益。以芬太尼问题为例，中方落实两国元首达成的共识，去年5月正式整类列管芬太尼类物质。据美方通报，去年10月以来，美方未再查获来自中国的芬太尼类物质。再如经贸问题，经过13轮谈判，今年1月双方签署了第一阶段经贸协议，这份协议有利于中美双方也有利于世界。中方也已全部完成加强知识产权保护等协议生效后4个月内需落实的50件事项。今年上半年中方自美进口商品总值达564亿美元，其中采购农产品金额同比增长约56%，谷物增长22倍，肉类增长近6倍，大豆增长58%，远高于同期中国自全球进口的增幅，充分展现了中方的善意。虽然疫情形势下国际贸易面临巨大限制，但中方愿继续从美国进口更多产品，包括我馆领区的农产品。
China’s willingness to manage differences with the US through dialogues remains unchanged. China and the US are different in terms of national conditions, history, culture, and ideology. We have different views on many issues, but our differences have not become an obstacle to China-U.S. cooperation, nor does it mean that China and the US must fall into a confrontation. Many issues between China and the US are historical and structural, and not easy to resolve within a short time. But we can at least listen to each other more and try to find some ways to control the differences. Microphone diplomacy and imposing pressure and sanctions may work on other countries, but not on China. Some in the US have asserted that “dialogue with China is useless”. I cannot agree with it. How can we solve problems without communication? Communication may not solve all problems, but at least it can manage differences, prevent the situation from getting out of control, and accumulate understanding and consensus necessary for the ultimate solution. We stand ready to grow China-U.S. relations with goodwill and sincerity, as we believe that it will be beneficial to the well-being of our two peoples and conductive to the future of the entire world if we could reserve the trend of escalating tensions and bring the China-U.S. relations back to normal.
中国愿与美方通过对话管控分歧的意愿没有改变。中美两国在国情、历史、文化、意识形态等方面有很大差异，在许多问题上看法不同，但有分歧并未成为中美合作的障碍，更不意味着中美一定要陷入对抗与冲突。中美之间有许多问题是历史性和结构性的，很难在短时间内解决。但我们至少可以多倾听对方意见，争取找到某种管控方法。隔空喊话、搞麦克风外交、施压制裁对别的国家也许奏效，但对中国是行不通的。近来美方某些人鼓吹“对话无用论”，我对此不敢苟同。不沟通对话怎么解决问题？对话不一定能解决所有问题，但至少可以管控分歧、避免局势失控，并为最终解决问题积累必要的了解与共识。中方愿本着善意和诚意发展中美关系，因为中美关系能否拨乱反正、重回正确发展轨道，不仅事关中美两国人民福祉，也会对世界和全人类的未来产生重要影响。
The profound friendship between the people of China and the US remains unchanged. People-to-people relations underpin state-to-state relations. More than two centuries ago, Empress of China, a U.S. merchant ship loaded with various products, sailed across vast oceans to the shores of China, pioneering China-U.S. exchanges. Since then, the stories of friendly exchanges between the two peoples have never stopped. Our cooperation in fighting against the pandemic is a vivid example of friendship and mutual assistance of the two peoples in the face of the crisis. After the outbreak of COVID-19 in China at the beginning of this year, many US companies and individuals donated a large number of medical supplies to China. Their sincerity and friendship really moved us. At the height of the pandemic in the US, Chinese provinces, cities, organizations, and enterprises, in return, have also donated and exported many PPEs and supplies to the US, supporting the combat against the pandemic in this country. Statistics show that since March this year, China has exported nearly 30 billion pieces of masks, more than 600 million pairs of surgical gloves, more than 300 million sets of protective clothing, more than 30 million pairs of goggles, and more than 10,000 ventilators to the US. Although the China-U.S. relationship is having a difficult time, the two peoples have joined hands in combating COVID-19, and our friendship has once again withstood the test.
中美两国民间的深厚友谊没有改变。国家关系归根结底是人民之间的关系。两个多世纪前，满载各种特产的美国商船“中国皇后号”穿越重洋，首航中国，开启了中美互通有无的先河。自此以后，两国人民友好交往的故事从未间断。今年的中美抗疫合作更是两国人民面对危机友好互助的集中体现。年初中国发生新冠肺炎疫情后，美国不少民众和企业争相向中国捐赠大量抗疫物资，与中国民众守望相助，他们的真挚情谊令人动容。在美国疫情严重时，中国国内有关省市、团体、民间机构、企业等也积极向美方捐赠、出口防护设备，全力支持美国抗疫。据统计，今年3月以来，中国共向美国出口口罩近300亿只、外科手套6亿余副、防护服3亿余套、护目镜3000余万副、呼吸机1万余台。尽管当前中美关系面临困难局面，但中美两国人民在疫情之下同舟同济，双方友谊再次经受住了考验。
Although the international situation is undergoing profound changes, China’s desire to cooperate with all countries in the world, including the US, to build a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for humanity remains unchanged. The Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco wishes to continue to work with the government and people of Northern California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska in our consular area, to further expand exchanges and cooperation, enhance mutual understanding and consolidate the foundation of friendship between the two countries. I would like to express sincere gratitude to the friends from all walks of life in our consular district, for your unreserved support for the work of the Consulate, and your contributions to promoting China-U.S. friendship as well as the exchanges and cooperation in various fields between the two countries. We hope that all our friends will continue to care for and support China-U.S. relations, and work together to bring the bilateral relations back on the track of sound and steady development. It is worth noting that the Mid-Autumn Festival of this year falls on October 1st, the same day as China National Day. As the Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for family reunion, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you and your family a happy and blissful holiday!
尽管当今世界局势不断发生深刻变化，但中方与包括美方在内的世界各国通力合作、推动构建新型国际关系和人类命运共同体的愿望始终没有改变。中国驻旧金山总领馆愿与领区内的北加州、内华达州、俄勒冈州、华盛顿州和阿拉斯加州的政府与人民进一步扩大交流合作，增进双方的相互了解与友谊，夯实两国友好的基础。我们要真诚感谢领区各界朋友长期以来对总领馆工作的大力支持，以及为促进中美友好、推动中美各领域交流合作所作的贡献，希望各界朋友继续关心支持中美关系发展，推动两国关系早日走上健康稳定发展的轨道。今年的中国国庆恰逢中秋佳节。中秋节是中国人家庭团聚的传统节日，我也借此机会祝领区各界朋友们阖家幸福，节日快乐！