Chinese President Jiang Zemin expressed here Thursday his belief that so long as China and the United States bear in mind the larger picture, take a long-term perspective and abide by the principles in the three Sino-US joint communiques, the relationship will make even bigger strides forward in the years ahead.
"The Chinese side is ready to join the US side in reflecting on the past and looking to the future, increasing exchanges and cooperation, and enhancing understanding and trust," Jiang said when asked by a reporter to comment on Sino-US relations over the past 30 years, while meeting the press together with visiting US President George W. Bush.
February 21 and 28 this year marks respectively the 30th anniversary of the first visit to China by US President Richard Nixon, and the release of the Shanghai Communique.
Jiang hailed the current visit by President Bush as "highly meaningful" as his visit coincides with the day of Nixon's visit 30 years ago.
Thirty years ago, he said, leaders of China and the United States acted together to put an end to mutual estrangement and opened the gate for exchanges and cooperation between the two countries. History has proven that it was with great vision that our leaders took this major move.
Jiang said that the growth of bilateral ties over the years has brought tangible benefits to the two peoples and played an important role in safeguarding peace in the Asia-Pacific region and the world as a whole.
At present, he said, despite profound changes in the international situation, China and the United States have more rather than less shared interests, and more rather than less common responsibility for world peace. The importance of the relationship has increased, rather than decreased.
Therefore, he said, to build a constructive and cooperative relationship serves the desire of not only the people of the two countries, but also of the people throughout the world.
(Xinhua News Agency February 21, 2002)
