中美关系领航再出发，友城合作携手向未来

Guided by Leadership, United by Friendship: Sister Cities Renew the Future of China-U.S. Relations 

——谢锋大使在第八届中美友城大会上的致辞

——Video Message by Ambassador Xie Feng to The Eighth China-U.S. Sister Cities Conference

尊敬的杨万明会长，罗伟市长，

女士们，先生们，朋友们：

President Yang Wanming,

Mayor Daniel Lurie,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Friends,

很高兴同大家“云聚”金城，共同出席第八届中美友城大会，预祝本次活动圆满成功！

It is my great pleasure to join you virtually in the Golden City for the Eighth China-U.S. Sister Cities Conference. I wish the conference every success!

旧金山是中美友城交往的先行地和中美关系发展的见证者。1980年，旧金山率先与上海结好，成为上海在美国的第一座友城。1985年，时任河北正定县委书记习近平首次访美，从旧金山入境并在金门大桥留下珍贵留影。2023年，习近平主席再次到访旧金山，在美国友好团体联合欢迎宴会上阐释“中美关系希望在人民、基础在民间、未来在青年、活力在地方”重要论述，提出“5年5万”重要倡议，开辟了面向未来的“旧金山愿景”，为中美关系发展指明了方向。

San Francisco has long been a pioneer in China-U.S. sister-city exchanges, and a witness to the growth of China-U.S. relations. In 1980, San Francisco became the first U.S. sister city of Shanghai. In 1985, President Xi Jinping, then Party Secretary of Zhengding County in Hebei Province, made his first visit to the United States, entering through San Francisco and leaving behind a cherished photograph at the Golden Gate Bridge. 

In 2023, President Xi returned to San Francisco. At the welcoming dinner hosted by American friendship organizations, he pointed out that the hope of China-U.S. relations lies in the people, its foundation is rooted in our societies, its future depends on the youth, and its vitality comes from subnational exchanges. He also announced the initiative to invite 50,000 young Americans to China over the next five years. Together, those have opened up a future-oriented San Francisco vision and pointed the way forward for China-U.S. relations.

女士们，先生们，朋友们，

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Friends,

三周前，习近平主席同特朗普总统在北京成功会晤，就事关中美关系以及世界和平发展的重大问题进行坦诚、深入、建设性、战略性沟通，积极探索两个大国的正确相处之道，并就此达成一系列共识。本次活动以“推动中美城市高质量发展”为主题，从地方和民间层面积极落实两国元首共识，是推动新时期中美关系稳定、健康、可持续发展的重要举措。我想与大家分享三点建议：

Three weeks ago, President Xi Jinping and President Trump held a successful meeting in Beijing. The two Presidents had a candid, in-depth, constructive and strategic discussion on major issues concerning China-U.S. relations as well as world peace and development. They explored the right way for two major countries to get along, and reached a series of important common understandings.

With the theme of “Shared Efforts for High-quality City Development”, this conference is a concrete step to implement, at the local and people-to-people levels, the common understandings between the two Presidents. It is also an important effort to advance the stable, sound and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations in the new era.

With that in mind, I would like to share with you three proposals:

第一，我们要以两国元首共识为引领，助力中美关系再出发。元首外交始终是中美关系的“定盘星”。此次会晤中，两国元首同意将中美建设性战略稳定关系作为中美关系新定位，为未来3年乃至更长时间的中美关系提供战略指引，受到两国人民和国际社会的欢迎。“中美建设性战略稳定关系”不是一句口号，而应是双方坚守的目标，共同采取的行动。具体而言，应该是以合作为主的积极稳定、竞争有度的良性稳定、分歧可控的常态稳定、和平可期的战略稳定。这是双方着眼中美能不能跨越“修昔底德陷阱”，能不能携手应对全球性挑战，能不能着眼两国人民福祉和人类前途命运给出的郑重答案，有助于中美开创大国关系新范式。

First, we should be guided by the common understandings between our two Presidents to help China-U.S. relations make a fresh start.

Head-of-state diplomacy is the compass for China-U.S. relations. At their recent meeting, the two Presidents agreed on a new vision of building a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability. That provides strategic guidance for the next three years and beyond, and has been welcomed by the people of both countries and by the international community.

A constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability should not be a slogan. It should be a shared goal and a joint endeavor. More specifically, it means positive stability with cooperation as the mainstay, healthy stability with competition within proper limits, constant stability with manageable differences, and lasting stability with expectable peace. This is the answer of both sides to the three vital questions about whether China and the United States can overcome the Thucydides Trap, meet global challenges together and build a bright future for our two peoples and humanity as a whole.

第二，我们要以互利共赢为目标，推动中美地方务实合作再出发。地方务实合作是中美关系互利共赢本质的生动写照。中国已是美9个州的最大贸易伙伴、30多个州的前三大出口市场。不少中国来美投资企业扎根基层社区，为当地贡献税收并创造大量就业。中美经贸往来同样促进中国地方省市经济发展，给两国老百姓带来了实实在在的福祉。中美在经贸领域难免存在摩擦，关键是要平等协商解决分歧。两国已同意成立贸易理事会和投资理事会，讨论双方贸易投资领域各自关切，这将给中美地方经贸合作带来新的利好。中美可以合作、应该合作的事情还有很多。希望大家争做中美地方合作的开拓者，以友城为平台，积极推动合作从经贸、农业等传统领域向人工智能、新能源、人形机器人等新兴领域拓展，推动友城关系向更高层次、更宽领域迈进，以持续深化的交流合作不断增强中美关系韧性，为中美关系注入更多新动力。

Second, we should pursue win-win cooperation, and bring new momentum to practical cooperation at the local level.

Sub-national cooperation epitomizes the mutually beneficial nature of China-U.S. relations. China is now the largest trading partner of nine U.S. states, and among the top three export markets for more than 30 states. Many Chinese-invested companies have taken root in local communities, contributing tax revenue and creating many jobs. China-U.S. trade and economic exchanges have also supported the growth of Chinese provinces and cities, delivering tangible benefits to people in both countries.

It is natural that frictions may exist in the economic and trade field. What matters is that differences should be addressed through consultation on an equal footing. The two countries have agreed to establish a board of trade and a board of investment to discuss respective concerns. This will bring new opportunities for sub-national cooperation on economy and trade.

Between our two countries, more can be done and should be done together. I hope all of you will be pioneers, use sister cities as a platform, expand cooperation from conventional fields such as trade and agriculture to emerging ones such as AI, new energy and humanoid robotics. We can lift sister-city relations to a higher level and broaden their scope. Through sustained and deeper exchanges, we can strengthen the resilience of China-U.S. relations and open up greater prospects.

第三，我们要以人文交往为纽带，带动中美民间友好事业再出发。习近平主席指出，55年前，“乒乓外交”推开中美冰封20多年的大门，自此之后，两国以开放合作不断书写友谊的佳话。从波士顿设立“波士顿—杭州日”纪念两地结好，到石家庄外国语学校中美友谊银杏树上挂满祝福寄语；从中美青年匹克球代表团互访，到“5年5万”倡议取得重大成果，反复证明中美关系取得的成就，离不开两国人民的共同努力；中美关系继续前行，既需要两国高层“握手”，也需要社会各界“牵手”。近期美多项权威民调显示，美民众对华好感度出现积极回升，其中年轻人比例更高。越来越多美民众正开启一场说走就走的“东游记”，乘高铁、逛夜市，在体验“成为中国人”、“极致中国化”的过程中增进对中国的真实感知。希望大家继续做中美民间友好事业的播种者，以地方亲助力民相亲，为深化两国民众相互理解创造条件，以人文交流消融信息茧房，不断夯实中美关系的社会基础，让两国人民的友谊之树向深处扎根、向高处生长。

Third, we should build on people-to-people exchanges to renew the friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.

President Xi has noted that 55 years ago, “Ping-Pong diplomacy” was carried out between our two countries. The door that had remained frozen for over 20 years was opened. Since then, through openness and cooperation, our two peoples have continued to write new chapters of friendship.

From the establishment of “Boston-Hangzhou Day”, to the ginkgo tree of goodwill and friendship at Shijiazhuang Foreign Language School; from reciprocal visits of Chinese and American youth pickleball delegations, to the major progress under the initiative to invite “50,000 in five years”, these could not have been achieved without the joint efforts of our peoples. For China-U.S. relations to keep moving forward, we need not only handshakes between the leaders, but also all social sectors to come together, hand in hand.

Quite a number of recent surveys show a positive rebound in American public opinion toward China, especially among young people. More and more Americans are setting out on spontaneous journeys eastward — riding China’s high-speed trains, exploring night markets, and gaining a more authentic understanding of China through their own firsthand experiences. “Becoming Chinese” or “Chinamaxxing” are becoming popular trends.

I hope that all of you will continue to sow the seeds of people-to-people friendship. Bring localities and our peoples closer. Create more opportunities for mutual understanding, increase people-to-people exchanges to move beyond echo chambers. When we strengthen the social foundation, the tree of friendship will grow even stronger.

女士们，先生们，朋友们，

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Friends,

中美关系承载两国17亿多人民的福祉，关乎世界80多亿人民的利益，中美走出一条正确相处之道，是两国人民所愿和世界人民所盼。正如金门大桥的钢缆需要千万根钢丝共同编织，新时期的中美关系，需要两国更多“架桥者”共同建设和守护。让我们在两国元首的战略引领下，锚定构建中美建设性战略稳定关系的大方向，赋予中美友城关系新的历史使命，以实际行动鼓励两国地方和民间双向奔赴，让友谊与合作的涛声传遍太平洋两岸，推动中美关系这艘巨轮沿着正确航道平稳前行，共同开创两国关系的美好未来。

The China-U.S. relationship bears on the well-being of the more than 1.7 billion people of our two countries. It bears on the interests of over 8 billion people around the world. Finding the right way for China and the U.S. to get along meets the aspiration of our peoples and the expectation of the world.

The cables of the Golden Gate Bridge are woven from thousands of steel wires. China-U.S. relationship in the new era need more bridge-builders from both countries.

Let us follow the strategic guidance of our two Presidents, stay firmly committed to building a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability, and give sister-city ties a new historic mission. Let us take practical steps to bring our local communities and peoples closer together, so that cooperation across the Pacific becomes more active, more meaningful, and more lasting. Together, we can help keep China-U.S. relations on a steady course and open up a brighter future for both our countries.

谢谢大家。

Thank you.