The China-U.S. relationship has become one of the most dynamic and influential bilateral relations in the world and will continue to be vibrant and important in the future, Zhou Wenzhong, China's ambassador to the United States, told a conference in Houston Friday.

Recalling the past 30 years since the two countries established diplomatic ties, Zhou said cooperation has remained the overriding theme despite ups and downs in their bilateral ties.

"The China-U.S. relationship is a mutually beneficial and win-win relationship rather than a zero-sum game," Zhou told the conference, which was held to commemorate the 30th anniversary of China-U.S. diplomatic relations.

China and the United States have shared interests in such areas as maintaining world peace and stability, promoting sustainable global development and intensifying bilateral economic cooperation, Zhou said.

As permanent members of the UN Security Council and two of the world biggest countries, China and the United States shoulder major responsibilities in maintaining world peace and stability, Zhou said.

The two countries need to cooperate more closely on international issues such as combating terrorism and promoting nuclear non-proliferation, he said.

As two major economies of the world, China and the United States contribute over 30 percent of world economic growth, and therefore have significant impact on the world economic stability and growth, Zhou said.

"The current financial and economic crisis has further highlighted the importance of maintaining the stability of Chinese and U.S. economies."

"Our two countries have implemented large-scale stimulus plans and have strengthened cooperation and dialogue in tackling the crisis. There are also broad prospects and vast potential for the two countries to work together to address energy and environment issues," he said.

The two countries also need to intensify economic and trade cooperation so as to bring tangible benefits to the two peoples, Zhou said.

He stressed the need to promote friendship between the two peoples, saying the Chinese and the American peoples, with a strong desire to know each other better, have had increasingly vibrant and in-depth social and cultural exchanges.

Meanwhile, Zhou said, it is important that the two countries commit themselves to protecting their own cultural identities and diversity of the world in the spirit of "harmony without uniformity," and seek common grounds while putting aside differences.

The one-day conference, entitled "America and China: The Next 30 Years", drew high-profile speakers such as former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker, former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, as well as other senior statesmen and distinguished scholars from both countries.

(Xinhua News Agency April 4, 2009)