Original title: Continuation of Sino US friendship through people to people and cultural exchanges
On May 22, President Xi Jinping sent a letter to the opening of the 14th China US High level Dialogue on Tourism, hoping that all sectors of the two countries would take this high-level dialogue as an opportunity to deepen exchanges, build consensus, take positive action, promote personnel exchanges through tourism cooperation, continue China US friendship through people to people and cultural exchanges, and help the "San Francisco Vision" become a reality.
People to people and cultural exchanges have always been an important part of China US relations, and also the source of promoting the development of bilateral relations. As President Xi Jinping pointed out, "The foundation of China US relations is poured by the people, the door of China US relations is opened by the people, the story of China US relations is written by the people, and the future of China US relations will also be created by the two peoples." Although China and the United States are far apart, the friendly exchanges between the two peoples have a long history. More than 200 years ago, the American merchant ship "China Queen" made its first voyage across the ocean to China. More than 80 years ago, China and the United States fought against Japanese fascism side by side. General Chennault led American volunteers to the Chinese battlefield and formed the famous Flying Tigers, making positive contributions to the friendship between the Chinese and American people. More than 50 years ago, Chinese and American athletes used "ping-pong diplomacy" to close the gap between the two peoples, which also opened the historical prelude to the improvement and development of China US relations. In the decades since then, China US relations have gone through ups and downs, and people to people and cultural exchanges between the two countries have never stopped, even at the lowest point. History has shown that once the door of Sino US relations is opened, it will not be closed again; Once the cause of friendship between the two peoples is launched, it will not give up halfway.
Tourism is an important bridge for people to people exchanges between China and the United States, and plays an important role in promoting people to people and cultural exchanges between China and the United States. Last November, when President Xi Jinping met with President Biden of the United States in San Francisco, he proposed to work together to cast five pillars of China US relations, one of which is to jointly promote people to people and cultural exchanges, emphasizing the need to increase flights between the two countries, promote tourism cooperation, expand local exchanges, strengthen cooperation in education and disability affairs, and reduce negative factors that hinder people to people exchanges, Encourage and support more exchanges and communication between the two peoples, and lay a solid foundation for the healthy development of China US relations. With the support and promotion of the two governments, China and the United States have continued to deepen tourism cooperation, and established cooperation and exchange mechanisms such as the China US high-level dialogue on tourism, the China US dialogue on cooperation and development between provincial and state tourism directors, and the tourism working group of the China US Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade. The 14th China US High level Tourism Dialogue was held in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, with the theme of "Tourism promotes China US people to people and cultural exchanges". It has built an important dialogue and exchange platform for the two countries' high levels, which will help promote China US tourism cooperation and enhance friendly exchanges between the two peoples.
At the same time, we should also see that some people in the United States deliberately set up various barriers for people to people and cultural exchanges between the two sides, creating a "cicada effect". This practice runs counter to the real desire of the two peoples to strengthen exchanges. The more difficult the time is, the more we need to tighten the ties between the people, enhance people to people communication, and advocate for China US relations. In recent years, President Xi Jinping has personally promoted China US people to people friendship and people to people and cultural exchanges, such as meeting with Bill Gates, the co chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation of the United States, sending a congratulatory letter to the "Gulingyuan" China US People to People Friendship Forum, replying to the "US China Youth Student Exchange Association" in Washington State, the United States, and friendly people from all walks of life, replying to General Stilwell's descendants Reply to the Chairman of the U.S. - China Aviation Heritage Foundation and veterans of the Flying Tigers, send congratulatory letters to the annual awards dinner of the National Committee on U.S. - China Relations, send letters to the Fifth China US Friendship Cities Conference, reply to the President and CEO of the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra Ma Siyi, reply to the friend Sara Landy of Iowa, reply to the students of the delegation of the Massachusetts Middle School visiting China, etc, It added light and warmth to China US relations at a low ebb.
China US people to people friendship should not be kidnapped by "political correctness", and people to people and cultural exchanges should not be poisoned by "being tough on China". Both sides should take more actions to jointly promote people to people and cultural exchanges and inject more momentum into the continuous improvement and development of bilateral relations. To this end, the Chinese government has constantly introduced convenience measures, including the implementation of visa application free of appointment, substantial optimization of visa policies to China, and provision of more payment facilities. With the joint efforts of both sides, the number of direct flights between China and the United States has increased from 20 flights a week to 100 flights a week at the beginning of last year. The 14th China US high-level tourism dialogue was successfully held, and a new round of giant panda conservation cooperation is poised. No matter how the situation changes, the historical logic of peaceful coexistence between China and the United States will not change, the fundamental aspirations of the two peoples for exchanges and cooperation will not change, and the common expectations of the people of the world for the stable development of China US relations will not change. The governments of the two countries and all sectors of society should implement the consensus of the China US dollar summit, comply with the desire of the two peoples to strengthen exchanges and cooperation, actively promote people to people and cultural exchanges with a long-term perspective, consolidate the public opinion foundation of China US relations, and inject more powerful stability into the development of bilateral relations.
The hope of China US relations lies in the people and the foundation lies in the people. President Xi Jinping has issued an invitation: "We warmly welcome American tourists to travel in China, to meet Chinese friends, experience Chinese culture, visit beautiful landscapes, and experience the real China." We look forward to the people of the two countries moving and coming more, gathering the strength of the two peoples, and continuing to write a new chapter in the friendship between the Chinese and American people. （ Dingolong East ）
