China's new Ambassador to the United States Qin Gang on Wednesday said he believes "the door of China-U.S. relations, which is already open, cannot be closed."
"This is the trend of the world, the call of the times, and the will of the people," said Qin in his remarks to Chinese and U.S. media upon arrival in the United States.
Fifty years ago, Dr. Henry Kissinger made a secret visit to China and opened the door to the normalization of China-U.S. relations, said Qin. "It was during the Cold War; at that time there was virtually no contact between the two countries. Dr. Kissinger had to travel covertly to China via a third country."
"Fifty years later today, as the 11th Chinese Ambassador to the United States, I can travel most openly and fly directly to this country. How the world has changed with the passage of time," Qin said.
Over the past half a century, the China-U.S. relationship has kept moving forward despite twists and turns, Qin said.
"It has not only had a profound impact on the two countries, but has also changed the course of history and the world significantly. The world today is going through major changes unseen in a century," he said.
Prior to his ambassadorship, Qin served as Chinese vice foreign minister. His predecessor, Ambassador Cui Tiankai, completed his tenure and returned to China on June 23.
