青春好放歌，友谊再启航——谢锋大使在2025年“鼓岭缘”中美青少年合唱周开幕式上的致辞

A new song for an old friendship —— Remarks by H.E. Xie Feng at the Opening Ceremony of the Bond with Kuliang: 2025 China-U.S. Youth Choir Festival

尊敬的张庆伟副委员长，

周祖翼书记，赵龙省长，杨万明会长，

各位来宾，各位朋友：

The Honorable Vice Chairperson Zhang Qingwei,

Party Secretary Zhou Zuyi,

Governor Zhao Long,

President Yang Wanming,

Distinguished guests,

Dear friends,

大家好！首先，我谨向“鼓岭缘”中美青少年合唱周成功开幕表示热烈祝贺！向长期致力于中美友好的朋友们致以崇高敬意！“鼓岭缘”是中美人民跨越百年的真挚情谊，是习近平主席亲自推动中美友好的动人佳话，也是中美关系稳定健康可持续发展的宝贵财富。今天，来自中美两国的约20支合唱团、1000多名青少年相聚在“有福之州”，重温来时路，共唱一首歌，相信将续写更多新时期的“鼓岭故事”。

Good morning! To begin with, I would like to extend my warm congratulations on the successful opening of the Bond with Kuliang: 2025 China-U.S. Youth Choir Festival. Let me also take this opportunity to pay tribute to all friends who have long been committed to fostering friendship between China and the United States. 

The bond with Kuliang has been forged between our two peoples over the past century. It witnesses President Xi Jinping’s personal input in promoting goodwill between our two countries, and has become a precious asset for the stable, sound and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations. Today, more than 1,000 young people of about 20 choirs from both China and the U.S. are gathering here in Fuzhou, the “city of blessings”, to remember where we came from and sing the same songs side by side. I believe you will write more Kuliang stories of the new era.

让我们一起唱响和平之歌。和平是时代的主题，也是永恒的课题。今年是世界反法西斯战争胜利80周年，中美为和平与正义而战的历史应该铭记，经受血与火考验的友谊值得珍惜。当今世界很不太平，地缘冲突此起彼伏，冷战思维卷土重来，国际和平事业任重道远。历史反复证明，穷兵黩武带不来持久和平，无论是冷战、热战还是关税战、科技战都不会有赢家。作为两个大国，中美和平共处是理所应当，维护世界和平是责任担当。青年一代是继续享受和平红利，还是重回弱肉强食的丛林世界，取决于我们今天的选择。希望两国青年讴歌和平万岁、友谊长存，立志永不为敌、共筑和平，为破解“泛安全化困境”、跨越“修昔底德陷阱”贡献光和热。

Let’s sing aloud the song of peace together.Peace is the main theme of our time, and an eternal pursuit of humankind. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. The history of China and the U.S. fighting together for peace and justice should not be forgotten, and our friendship forged amid the trials of blood and fire should be cherished. 

The world today is far from tranquil. Geopolitical conflicts keep flaring up, the Cold-War mentality is coming back, and there remains a long way to go to secure international peace. History has repeatedly proved that warmongering cannot bring lasting peace, and any war, be it cold war, hot war, tariff war or tech war, will produce no winner. 

For two major countries like China and the U.S., peaceful coexistence is our only right choice, and safeguarding world peace is our shared responsibility. Can the younger generation continue to enjoy the dividends of peace, or will they be plunged back into a jungle where might is right? This depends on our choice now. It is my hope that the youth of our two countries will sing of enduring peace and friendship, pledge never to be enemies, uphold peace hand in hand, and contribute your wisdom to bring our two countries to get over the pan-securitization predicament and leap over the Thucydides Trap.

让我们一起唱响友谊之歌。近年来，中美青年以歌会友、以声传情，One Voice合唱团在天坛深情演唱《如愿》，获得百万网友点赞。中美青年以诚相知、以心相交，美国青少年积极参与习近平主席提出的“5年5万”倡议赴华交流学习。篮球等共同爱好把两国青年连在一起，匹克球运动成为中美青年交流的新纽带。互联网冲破“信息茧房”，太平洋两岸“数字原住民”在小红书迅速打成一片。从圈粉无数的哪吒、悟空，到刷不停的中国微短剧，再到“说走就走”的中国行，越来越多美国青年走近“炫酷中国”。事实证明，地缘政治逆风阻不断中美人民的双向奔赴，“麦卡锡主义”终将被扫进历史的垃圾堆。期待两国青年互学互鉴、相知相亲，让“傲慢与偏见”无处遁形，让中美友谊的种子生根发芽，为树立正确认知、增进相互理解鼓与呼。

Let’s sing aloud the song of friendship together.In recent years, our young people have drawn closer to each other through music. The video of One Voice Children’s Choir from the U.S. singing the Chinese song “Ru Yuan” (“As You Wish”) at the Temple of Heaven in January was liked by millions on the Internet. Our young people have engaged with each other heart to heart. Young Americans have actively taken part in President Xi Jinping’s “50,000 in five years” initiative and visited China on exchange and study programs. The shared love for basketball and more has connected our young people together, and pickleball has become a new bond for youth exchanges between China and the U.S. 

The Internet has helped us break out of the echo chamber, and the “digital natives” from both sides of the Pacific are mingling with one another at Xiaohongshu. From Ne Zha and Wukong to Chinese micro dramas and to on-a-whim trips to China, more and more young Americans have come to see a cool China. 

Facts have proven that the headwinds of geopolitics cannot stop our people from reaching out to each other, and that McCarthyism is doomed to end up in the dustbin of history. It is my expectation that our young people will better know and learn from each other, help people shake off pride and prejudice, sow more seeds of friendship between our two countries, and advocate for establishing a right perception toward one another and enhancing mutual understanding.

让我们一起唱响未来之歌。回答“这个世界会好吗”的时代之问，首先要答好“中美能否正确相处”的世纪之问。今年以来，习近平主席同特朗普总统两次通话，为中美关系把舵定向。中美都在追逐各自的梦想，两国人民都期待过上更美好的生活，可以成为伙伴和朋友，应该增进各领域交流与合作，尤其需要排除各种干扰和破坏。青年是中美关系的见证者、受益者，也是未来所系、希望所在。回头看，中美关系史上的重要节点都有青年的身影，最年轻的飞虎队员、“乒乓外交”参与者都不到20岁，尼克松总统访华时傅立民大使作为首席翻译只有28岁。向前看，中美关系的未来归根结底要由两国青年来创造。很高兴越来越多中美青年通过创客大赛、圆桌沙龙等形式，为应对人工智能、气候变化等21世纪挑战群策群力。希望中美新生代争当促进世界和平发展的生力军，以青春的力量为中美关系赋能，以青春的涌动为人民友好助力，以青春的创造为人类未来担当。

Let’s sing aloud the song of future together. To answer the question of the era, “Will the world become a better place”, we need to first find the right answer to the question of the century, “Will China and the U.S. find a right way to get along”. 

Since the start of this year, President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump have spoken on the phone twice and charted the course for China-U.S. relations. Both our countries are chasing our dreams, and both our people want a better life. We can become partners and friends. We need to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and especially steer clear of various disturbances and disruptions. 

The youth are witnesses to and beneficiaries of China-U.S. relations, and also where our future and hope lie. Over the past decades, the youth have played an indispensable role in every important chapter of our bilateral relationship. The youngest Flying Tigers member and the youngest participant in ping-pong diplomacy were both under 20, and Ambassador Chas Freeman was only 28 when he became the principal interpreter during President Richard Nixon’s visit to China. 

Looking ahead, the future of China-U.S. relations will be ultimately created by our youth. I am glad to see that more and more young people from both countries are pooling wisdom for addressing AI, climate change and other challenges of the 21st century through forms such as young maker competitions and roundtable salons. It is my hope that the younger generation in both countries will strive to be a staunch force for world peace and development, empower China-U.S. relations and friendship with youthful vigor, and shoulder your responsibility for human future with ingenuity.

各位朋友，

Dear friends,

闽南经典歌曲唱到，三分天注定，七分靠打拼，爱拼才会赢。国际形势风云变幻，中美关系不会一帆风顺，但弄潮儿向涛头立，风高浪急恰是破浪者大显身手的舞台。自古英雄出少年，长江后浪推前浪。中美青年携手同行，必将大有可为，也将大有作为。期待大家唱出热情、唱出友谊，祝愿中美青年交流盛会圆满成功，为百年“鼓岭缘”再谱青春乐章！

As the lyrics of a classic Minnan song read, “Life is 30% circumstances and 70% hard work. Keep fighting and you will win.” The international situation is turbulent, and China-U.S. relations will not be smooth sailing. But this is exactly the time for the intrepid tide riders to brave the wind and surf the currents. Young heroes have kept emerging in the long river of history. When joining hands, Chinese and American youth have a lot to accomplish. I look forward to hearing you sing aloud, with passion and for friendship. May this get-together of Chinese and American youth be a great success and add another beautiful chapter to the century-old stories with Kuliang!

谢谢大家。

Thank you very much.