Thank you, Dr. Green for your kind invitation and introduction. It gives me great pleasure and honor to join friends of the Pacific Council on International Policy via video link to discuss China-US relations.

The Pacific Council is one of the first Californian public institutions that I came into contact with after I came to LA as Chinese Consul General. I still remember my first meeting with Dr. Green and other Council members. The Pacific Council is committed to promoting public understanding of and participation in international affairs and has played an important role in enhancing local to global connection between California and the world.

As Dr. Green mentioned, California has very close ties with China. In 2019, China was the largest trading partner of California. California had the biggest trade volume with China, as well as the biggest Chinese investment among all the US states. Southern California carries a special weight in this relationship. Before the Covid pandemic, there were nearly 100 flights between Chinese cities and Los Angeles every week. At its peak, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Los Angeles reached more than 1 million every year. The number of Chinese students in Southern California was over 40,000. About one-third of the cargo volume of China-U.S. trade went through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. As Chinese Consul General, I certainly take great pride of the close ties that we have with Southern California and feel obliged to maintain and develop them. Yet, given the tremendous benefits that this close relationship has brought to both sides, we all have a stake in seeing California's connection with China remain strong.

As you know, the previous US administration carried out an erroneous policy toward China which brought unprecedented damages and difficulties to China-US relations in the past few years. With the inauguration of the US new administration, China-US relationship has come to a new beginning.

Over the past few months, there have been some positive interactions between the two sides. On the Lunar New Year's eve in February, President Xi Jinping and President Biden had a long phone conversation. The two heads of state held the same view that China and the US should enhance mutual understanding, avoid misperception and miscalculation, treat each other with candor and sincerity and not engage in conflict or confrontation; and that the two countries should unclog communication channels and facilitate exchange and cooperation. This important phone call has pointed out the right direction for China-US relations at this critical juncture.

To implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, last month China and the US held a senior-level strategic dialogue in the State of Alaska. During the talks, the two sides conducted candid, in-depth and long-time communication on their respective domestic and foreign policies, China-US relations and major international and regional issues of common concern. Both sides agreed to maintain and enhance communication and coordination on a number of bilateral, regional and global issues and agreed to establish a joint working group on climate change.

Although there were some heated exchanges during the dialogue and major differences remain on some issues, we believe this dialogue was timely, helpful, constructive and good for mutual understanding. After all, dialogue is better than confrontation.

Meanwhile, China-US relations remain difficult and tense in some areas as a result of the US side taking a series of negative actions recently. In order to hold back China's rise, some people in the US have resorted to various means, and even gone so far as to maliciously disseminate disinformation, fabricate stories with an intention to create issues to be used for containing China. The much hyped-up issue of so-called human rights violation in Xinjiang is a typical example. In disregard of the basic facts of progress and development in Xinjiang, the US side arbitrarily slapped the label of "genocide" and "forced labor" on China based on nothing but the accounts of a few fake academics and false witnesses.Anyone who has some understanding of international politics can tell that this is a scheme set up for geopolitical purpose and a card played to contain China. Its purpose is to instigate ethnic tensions, disrupt local economy and undermine stability of Xinjiang and create an so-called Xinjiang issue for that purpose. According to what Lawrence Wilkerson, retired US Army Colonel and Chief of Staff to a former U.S. Secretary of State has said, the so-called Xinjiang Uyghur issue is nothing but a strategic conspiracy to foment unrest in China and contain it from within. This will never succeed in China.

The US new administration has taken China as its most serious strategic competitor and defined China-US relationship as competitive, cooperative and adversarial. Though the US side has said China-US relationship is not about confrontation, but about competition, it will not seek confrontation with China, yet it has disproportionately stressed competition and played down cooperation. As the focus is on competition, the question is where we can draw a line between competition and confrontation to prevent competition from escalating into confrontation.

You might be aware that some law makers in US Senate have proposed a piece of legislation, the so-called "2021 Strategic Competition Act", which asks for the US government to adopt a comprehensive strategic competition policy toward China and mobilize all strategic, economic, and diplomatic means to counter China.In the current atmosphere where being tough on China becomes "politically correct", the introduction of this bill will prompt some people, under the pretext of competition, to engage in more political manipulation to push for more actions that will further damage the relationship. This will push China-US relations to a dangerous brink.

China's U.S. policy maintains a high degree of stability and consistency. We are committed to developing a bilateral relationship with the United States featuring non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation. We hope the two sides could focus on cooperation, manage the differences properly, avoid confrontation and maintain the sound and stable development of China-U.S. relations.

History of the bilateral relations proves that China and the US gain from cooperation but lose from confrontation. Cooperation is the only right choice. As President Xi pointed out in his phone conversation with President Biden, when China and the US work together, we can accomplish a great deal for the good of both countries and the world at large, confrontation between the two countries will definitely be disastrous.

The essence of China-U.S. relations is mutual benefit rather than a zero-sum game. Dialogue and cooperation are the mainstream of bilateral relations. Whether in the interests of the people of two countries or those of the world at large, cooperation should be the main goal for both China and the United States.

At present the two countries can cooperate on three pressing tasks: fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, tackling climate change, and promoting world economic recovery. Both sides also need to strengthen communication and coordination on major international and regional issues. Last week, US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry was in China for climate change talks, which indicates that China and the US can work together on issues of common interest. Of course, we hope that China-US cooperation will not be limited to climate area, or issues that the US is concerned about. It should be two-way and mutually beneficial, and address the concerns and needs of both sides. Dialogues should be conducted on the equal footing and with the spirit of mutual respect and seeking common ground while reserving differences, instead of one side unilaterally drawing up a list or gouging price, exerting pressure in condescending manner.

While competition becomes inevitable between China and the US, yet competition does not represent the whole picture of China-US relations. Competition between China and the US should be a healthy one based on fairness and justice, rather than a life-and-death zero-sum game.

China and the United States shall focus on managing their own business well. This is the right way to raise competitiveness. Accusing others and shifting blames will not help to solve one's own problems. There is also no need to tie China with the US domestic agenda and refer China in every context. China has never taken as its goal to out-compete the U.S. We will out-compete ourselves and build a better China.

The ultimate purpose of China's development is to achieve the goal of national rejuvenation and ensure a better life for all Chinese people. To pursue a better life is the legitimate right of the Chinese people. No one has the right to deprive it. The American values advocate that all men are created equal. What the Chinese people cannot understand is that while the U.S. can "build back better", or "make America great again", why China need to be contained and suppressed for pursuing a better life. China will continue to develop and no forces can stop it. We hope the US side will have a correct understanding of China's development and avoid miscalculation on China's strategic intentions.

China and the United States are not doomed threat to each other; differences are no reason for confrontation. Neither side can afford the consequences of conflict and confrontation. China is committed to non-conflict, non-confrontation with the US, while firmly safeguarding its sovereignty, security and development interests, as well as its national dignity. No one should underestimate the firm will and determination of the Chinese people.

China follows the path of peaceful development, adheres to the open strategy of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, and is committed to building a community with shared future for mankind. We are against building small circles or blocs which target specific countries as this practice is out of cold war mentality and against the tide of history.

China does not seek hegemony or engage in military expansion. We have no intention to challenge or replace the United States nor do we want to compete with the U.S. for the dominance of the world. Though China and the U.S. have different social systems and ideologies, it should not stand in the way for our peaceful coexistence. We hope that the US side will put aside ideological bias and accept the reality of China's development and have a peaceful coexistence with China. The Pacific Ocean is big enough to accommodate both China and the US.

At present, China-US relationship is faced with a critical choice. What choice we are to make will have a direct bearing on the well-being of two peoples and the future of the world. We need to ensure that the relationship heads to the right direction and will not fall into the trap of conflict. The ultimate destiny of China-U.S. relations is in the hands of Chinese and American people. We hope, with the joint efforts of our two peoples, we can maintain and develop China-US relations along a healthy and stable track. We also believe, both sides have the ability and wisdom to find a viable path eventually to build a model of interaction between the two major countries that focuses on peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation. Let us work together to create a bright future for China-US relations.

Thank you.