Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on Monday expressed the hope that the U.S. and China will cooperate more closely on solving the world's most daunting challenges.

"The relationship between the United States and China has witnessed many moments that tested the Sino-U.S. relationship during the past year. Despite these events and the antagonizing rhetoric of a few politicians, the leaders of our nations understand the importance of a healthy bilateral relationship to the well-being of our peoples," Carter said in a letter to the Chinese Consulate General in Houston congratulating the 63rd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

"It was on just such understanding that Deng Xiaoping and I decided to end the more than 32 years of estrangement and open the doors to allow exchange and cooperation between the people of our nations," said Carter, expressing the hope that "future leaders of both the U.S. and China will continue to put people before politics, and work together to ensure long lasting peace and friendship between our countries."

"China's economic success during the past decade has benefited not only its own people, which account for one fifth of the world' s population, but also created opportunities for numerous impoverished communities around the globe," said Carter, expressing his, and his wife Rosalynn's congratulation to China on "the great accomplishments" it has achieved.

In 1979, Deng Xiaoping, who was at that time vice premier of China, paid an official visit to the United States as a guest of Carter. The visit marked the first trip by a Chinese leader to the United States. Just four weeks before Deng's tour, on Jan. 1, 1979, China and the U.S. formally established diplomatic relations.

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