‘Concerning Peace and the Development of Humanity’

The seventh round of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) will be held in Washington, D.C., between June 23 and 24.

The mechanism of the S&ED was first established in 2009. Over the last six years, especially since 2013 when President Xi Jinping and President Barack Obama reached agreement on China and the United States working together to build a new model of major-country relationship, this mechanism has kept growing in depth and covered more and more areas in bilateral relations. With over 700 deliverables achieved so far, this mechanism is playing an increasingly positive role in bringing about closer exchanges and cooperation between China and the United States.

Today, China and the United States maintain close communication and cooperation in a wide range of areas concerning peace and the development of humanity.

The two countries have increasingly close and effective cooperation in combating terrorism, preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction, seeking solutions to regional hotspot issues, fighting transnational crimes, and containing the outbreak of epidemics.

In 2014, two-way trade and investment stock registered record figures, driving employment and economic growth in both countries. The two economies, contributing 27.8 percent and 15.3 percent respectively to the global economy, have become two main engines propelling global economic growth.

The two countries have worked with other parties at G-20 and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings to promote better global economic governance and launched the process of a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific.

The two countries have maintained close communication and coordination over such issues as the Iranian nuclear issue, the Korean nuclear issue, and South Sudan, working tirelessly for their resolution. Together, our countries have trained diplomats for Afghanistan, helped East Timor with agricultural development, and explored tripartite cooperation in Africa and other regions, thus contributing to the stability and development of the countries and regions concerned.

Together, the two countries have shown to the world their resolve to do more on cutting emissions, setting an example for other countries to jointly confront climate change, and create a green world. When the Ebola epidemic raged in West African countries, our countries worked closely with each other to provide financial and material assistance to the countries affected, to help with the training of local medical workers, and to set up treatment centers in the affected areas.

After 36 years of diplomatic engagement, China and the United States now share more and more converging interests. Our bilateral ties are assuming greater strategic significance as well as global influence. Under these new circumstances, the number of areas where our countries should and could work together has dramatically increased, not decreased.

China stands ready to work with the United States to follow up on the agreement reached between the presidents by keeping to the right direction of building a new model for major-country relationships. The two countries need to work together to deepen strategic communication, enhance mutual trust, avoid miscalculation, properly manage differences and sensitive issues, and expand exchanges and results-oriented cooperation across the board.

Within the S&ED framework, this round of strategic dialogue will focus on the upcoming important agenda for bilateral ties. This includes such major topics as reinforcing extensive cooperation in counterterrorism, nonproliferation, military-to-military ties, law enforcement, climate change, energy and the environment, and science and technology. It also includes dealing with the Iranian and North Korean nuclear issues and other regional hotspot issues, and exploring the way we conduct exchanges and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific. I look forward to working with Secretary of State John Kerry to make this dialogue as productive as it could be in order to prepare for Xi’s state visit to the United States in September and inject more positive energy to the growth of China-U.S. relations.

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