Envoy calls for strengthening China-U.S. ties

China's top diplomat in San Francisco and his newly-deployed deputy colleague remain upbeat about the subnational relationship-building between China and Northern California and beyond, urging people from various sectors to act and help strengthen the bilateral friendship.

Zhang Jianmin, consul general in China's San Francisco Consulate General, shared at a reception with attendees on Wednesday about the "unchanged position, stance and commitment" in a changing world that features turbulence and transformations. He also introduced Yang Shouzheng, the deputy consul-general who arrived in October to report to his new post, also his first foreign service in the United States.

"Geographically, the United States and China are faraway. In many ways, however, San Francisco makes me feel close," said Yang, adding the Chinese cuisine, highly-densed Chinese American community, and the Golden Gate Bridge all remind him of the communities that China and the U.S. have.

The long-term trend of China's economic growth will remain unchanged, said Zhang, adding the government has announced that China will deepen its reform and advance China's modernization with 300 major reform-related initiatives being introduced for completion within the next five years.

"China's economy is on track for steady recovery, reinforcing its position as a key engine of global economic growth," he said, citing the example that the number of participating vendors to this year's China International Import Expo in Shanghai surpassed that of last year. "The U.S. companies, once again, rent first in terms of size of their exhibition areas. That fully demonstrates the world's confidence in China's economic prospects."

In addition, China's position on growing its relations with the United States remains unchanged. Meeting between two leaders last November in San Francisco and this November in Lima, Peru chartered a new course for the future of bilateral relations. "The two countries are better to be partners instead of rivals," said Zhang, adding "both sides will benefit when we cooperate".

He noted that bilateral economies are deeply intertwined with over 70,000 U.S. companies investing and operating in China.

"Made-in-China products provide U.S. consumers more choices and lower cost," he said.

Moreover, China's commitment to deepen people-to-people friendship with the United States remains unchanged. Both sides have collaborated in many areas, trade, economy, people-to-people exchanges, and some of the merging fields such as artificial intelligence. Thanks to the launch of the China-U.S. Youth Exchanges, many American students are able to visit China and gain first-hand experiences there. "Many of them shoot videos that capture a real and vibrant China," said Zhang, adding San Francisco, for example, has established sister-city type of relations with Guangzhou and Shenzhen. "Bay Area residents are eagerly awaiting the arrival of a pair of giant pandas to the San Francisco Zoo."

China stands ready to engage in dialogue, expand cooperation, and manage differences with the U.S. in order to achieve a stable, healthy and sustainable bilateral relationship, said Zhang.