Remarks by Consul General Wang Baodong at the Reception Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, friends,

Good evening!

Welcome to tonight’s reception celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Two weeks ago, when I first touched down in Chicago, I instantly felt the vibrancy and diversity of the “Windy City” and the cordiality of its people. I am honored to be back to the U.S. after more than a decade and pick up the post of the 12th Consul General of China in Chicago, proud of the mission to fulfill and humbled by the great responsibility ahead. Just three nights ago, we celebrated a traditional Chinese festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival. Tonight, as we gather under the same full moon, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all in our consular district, covering 11 states in the U.S. Midwest, who have cared for China’s social and economic development and supported friendly exchanges between China and the U.S.! I’d like to extend sincere greetings to the local communities of overseas Chinese, Chinese students, and staff from Chinese companies! I’d also like to extend my best wishes to you all present tonight!

Over the past 75 years since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the Communist Party of China has united and led the Chinese people to strive on and forge ahead, embarking on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, which has transformed China from a poor and backward agricultural country into the world’s second-largest economy, completed the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, historically resolved the problem of absolute poverty, and achieved the two miracles of rapid economic growth and enduring social stability. The Chinese nation has realized the tremendous transformation from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong.

75 years later today, the Chinese people are embarking on a new journey to promote the national rejuvenation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. This year, despite the world economy in the doldrums, China’s economy has shown resilience, progressing steadily with both quantity and quality improvement. In the first half of this year, China’s GDP grew by 5% year-on-year, ranking among the top of major global economies. Emerging industries are booming. Green transition has yielded impressive outcomes. New quality productive forces are taking shape at a faster pace, and further progress has been made in high-quality development. In July, the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China made decisions of far-reaching significance on further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization. The session introduced over 300 significant reform measures, all of which should be completed by 2029. The session also made it clear that we will continue to promote reform through opening-up, and develop new institutions for a higher-standard open economy, which displays China’s firm commitment to deepening reform comprehensively and expanding high-level opening-up. To deliver the session’s outcomes, China has taken concrete steps to encourage foreign investment in China and facilitate China-bound international travel. These steps include: removing all market access restrictions in the manufacturing sector, ensuring national treatment for foreign companies, offering 72 or 144-hour visa-free transit policy to citizens from the U.S. and 53 other countries, eliminating appointments for U.S. applicants for Chinese visa, facilitating accommodation booking and payments for foreign visitors, etc. On the new journey, China will not stop reform and opening-up, and will continue to create new opportunities for the world, including the United States, with its new development.

Ladies and gentlemen,

This year also marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the U.S. Over the past 45 years, China-U.S. relations kept moving forward in ups and downs, which has not only enhanced the well-being of our two peoples, but also promoted world peace, stability and prosperity. Over the past 45 years, the bilateral trade volume has grown from 2.5 billion to nearly 760 billion U.S. dollars. Two-way investment has grown from almost zero to over 260 billion U.S. dollars. Personnel exchanges have grown from merely a few thousand to 5 million, and sister provinces, states and cities have exceeded 280 pairs. China and the United States have also carried out beneficial collaboration on regional hot spots and global issues.

At present, the China-U.S. relationship has become one of the most important bilateral relations in the world. How the two countries get along not only bears on the well-being of the Chinese and American peoples, but also profoundly influences the future and destiny of the entire world. Compared with the time when I worked in Washington D.C. over ten years ago, I can clearly feel that great changes have taken place in the two countries and the bilateral relations, but many more remain unchanged:

First, the call for the peaceful coexistence between China and the U.S. remains high. History has proven, and will continue to prove that China is not what some people call “top challenge” to the United States, but rather, a big opportunity to the U.S. Both China and the U.S. stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. It is unrealistic for one side to remodel the other. And conflict and confrontation would have unbearable consequences for both sides.

Second, the demand for China-U.S. interdependence remains great. The two economies are highly complementary and their interests are deeply intertwined. With common interests far outweighing differences, the two countries benefit from each other’s development and neither can do without the other.

Third, the Chinese and American peoples’ desire to make friendly interactions remain strong. Although China and the U.S. have different histories, cultures and social systems, the enthusiasm of the two peoples to move toward and learn about each other cannot be suppressed. This has always been the source of vitality for the development of China-U.S. relations.

And fourth, China’s U.S. policy remains highly consistent. China has always been committed to promoting the healthy, stable and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations. China is willing to be a friend and partner with the U.S., has never bet against the U.S. or interfered in its internal affairs, has no intention of challenging or unseating the U.S., and is glad to see a confident, open, ever-growing and prosperous U.S. China will, of course, continue to safeguard its sovereignty, security and development benefits.

Last November, President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden held a successful and historic summit meeting in San Francisco and fostered a future-oriented “San Francisco vision”, which points out the direction for the two countries to explore the right way to get along in the new period. Since the summit meeting, the two sides have conducted a series of exchanges and dialogues at various levels and fields and made encouraging progress. The China-U.S. relationship cannot go back to its past, but if cherished and preserved well , it can have a brighter future. We hope that the U.S. will work with China to follow through on the important common understandings between the two presidents. We should always handle the relationship with a sense of responsibility for history, the people and the world, and follow the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation. We should turn the San Francisco vision into reality, and steer China-U.S. relationship on a steady and sustained course, which benefits not only our two countries but also the world.

Ladies and gentlemen,

President Xi Jinping pointed out that the hope of the China-U.S. relationship lies in the people, its foundation lies in our societies, its future depends on the youth, and its vitality comes from exchanges at sub-national levels. Currently, the consular district of the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago includes 11 states in the U.S. Midwest, an area that boasts vast lands, rich resources, developed industries and friendly people. An important industrial, agricultural, and innovation hub in the U.S., the Midwest plays a significant role in promoting China-U.S. friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation.

As a trading partner, China ranks top three in all U.S. Midwest states in terms of volume, and serves as an important source of foreign investment. Chinese enterprises including CRRC, Wanxiang, Fuyao, and Bank of China have set up numerous projects. Chinese airlines including Air China, China Eastern and China Southern operate quality regular flights between our two countries. Together they have made great contributions to local economic and social development, as well as personnel exchanges between our two countries. Many American companies have cast strong votes of confidence in the Chinese market with their successful stories in China, demonstrating mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. The profound friendship between President Xi and his “old friends” from Iowa has lasted nearly 40 years, setting an example of people-to-people ties between the two countries. Nanjing and St. Louis formed the first pair of sister cities between China and the U.S., and set an example of cooperation through sister provinces, states, and sister cities, which has now yielded fruitful results. Schools and universities in the U.S. Midwest actively respond to the call of “inviting fifty thousand young Americans to China on exchange and study programs in 5 years” announced by President Xi, and have sent over a thousand students to visit China in the first half of 2024, which enhanced mutual understanding among our young people. The local Chinese community in our consular district has long supported the development and reunification of China as their country of origin, and played an important role in promoting China-U.S. relations and exchanges at the sub-national level.

Despite difficulties in our relations over the past few years, the potential in interaction and collaboration between China and the U.S. Midwest remains enormous. Enthusiasm in our friends from all walks of life for the cause of China-U.S. friendship remains strong. As the Consul General of China, I am confident in the future of our bilateral relations. Following the important common understandings reached between the two heads of state, I will devote myself to promoting exchanges and cooperation between China and the U.S. Midwest, consolidating the foundation of people-to-people friendship and deepening our common interests.

Finally, I sincerely hope that friends from all sectors in the consular district will continue to give strong support to the work of the Consulate General and myself, and contribute more wisdom and strength to promoting healthy, stable and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations. Let us join our hands to create a brighter future for our relations!

Now please join me in a toast,

To the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China,

To the friendship and cooperation between the Chinese and American peoples,

To the health and happiness of all of you and your families,

Cheers!