In the phone conversation with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump earlier this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that he appreciated Trump's willingness to expand China-U.S. cooperation and develop a constructive bilateral relationship that would benefit both countries and the international community.
In the same month 45 years ago, U.S. President Richard Nixon made a historic visit to China. On Feb. 28, 1972, the last day of the trip, the two countries released the Shanghai Communique, laying the foundation for the two countries to resume diplomatic ties.
Forty-five years on, the spirit and legacy of the historic communique continues.
INTERESTS OF TWO PEOPLES
"In 1972, we Chinese staff, including waiters, doormen and cooks, were shy and curious about the guests from the other side of the Pacific," said Qiu Huanxi, a former employee with Jin Jiang Hotel in Shanghai, which hosted Nixon. "We later found the U.S. staff shared almost the same mentality."
"The ice-breaking visit helped the two countries get to know about each other, clear up misunderstandings and open up further, and this was good for the two peoples," Qiu said.
During the phone call, Xi said that building a sound China-U.S. relationship was in the fundamental interests of the two peoples, and it was also the responsibility that China and the United States needed to assume as two of the world's major countries.
Trump said that developing U.S.-China ties had won wide support from the U.S. people.
As the world's first and second-largest economies, the United States and China now shoulder more global responsibility, particularly in the face of economic uncertainty, uneven development, regional turmoil, terrorism, protectionism, and nuclear and climate issues.
"When the Shanghai Communique was released, the world was in the Cold War. After 45 years, the post-Cold War world pattern is still undergoing adjustment," said Wu Xinbo, director of the Center for American Studies of Fudan University.
Wu said the spirit of the communique was still followed by the two sides and that one of the key legacies was the one-China policy.
"The U.S. government adherence to the one-China policy is responsible for the interests of the peoples of the two countries," Wu said.
WIN-WIN
In early February, the Walt Disney Company said that the growth of its international parks was largely owing to the success of Shanghai Disneyland, which had received over 7 million visitors since opening in June 2016.
