Foreign and Military Affairs

President Hu's speech at arrival ceremony

By Tan Yingzi and Wu Jiao (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2011-01-19 23:51

Mr. President,

Ms. Obama,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear friends,

It gives me great pleasure to come to Washington and pay a state visit to the United States at the beginning of the new year at the invitation of President Obama. Let me extend, on behalf of the 1.3 billion Chinese people, sincere greetings and best wishes to the people of the United States.

I have come to the United States to increase mutual trust, enhance friendship, deepen cooperation and push forward the positive, cooperative and comprehensive China-US relationship for the 21st century.

Over the past 32 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the China-US relationship has grown into one with strategic significance and global influence. Since President Obama took office, with concerted efforts of the two sides, our cooperation in various fields has produced fruitful results and our relations have achieved new progress. This has brought real benefits to our two peoples and contributed greatly to world peace and development.

As we enter the second decade of the 21st century, the people of both China and the United States want to see further progress in our relations, and people around the globe want to see greater prosperity in the world. Under the new circumstances and in the face of the new challenges, China and the United States share broad common interests and important common responsibilities. We should adopt a long-term perspective, seek common ground while reserving differences and work together to achieve sustained, sound and steady development of our relations. I hope that through this visit, our two countries will advance the positive, cooperative and comprehensive relationship and open a new chapter in our cooperation as partners.

--Our cooperation as partners should be based on mutual respect. We live in an increasingly diverse and colorful world. China and the United States should respect each other’s choice of development path and each other’s core interests. We should deepen mutual understanding through communication, increase mutual trust through dialogue, and expand common ground through exchanges.

--Our cooperation as partners should be based on mutual benefit. China’s future and destiny are increasingly tied to those of the world, and China-US relations have become closer. Our two countries should seek to learn from each other through exchanges and achieve win-win progress through cooperation. This is the right approach for us to develop our relations.

--Our cooperation as partners should be based on joint efforts to meet challenges. China and the United States should step up communication and coordination in international affairs, work together to counter global challenges and make greater contribution to world peace and development.

--Our cooperation as partners should be based on extensive involvement of the people. The Chinese and American people cherish deep friendship towards each other and they fought side by side at defining moments in history when the future and destiny of mankind were at stake. The two peoples should expand exchanges and enhance friendship. This will offer an inexhaustible driving force for the growth of our relations.

Our world today is undergoing major development, major changes and major adjustments. To pursue peace, development and cooperation is the irresistible trend of our time. Let us seize the opportunity to forge ahead hand in hand and work together to enhance cooperation as partners. And let us work with all other countries to build a harmonious world of lasting peace and common prosperity.

Thank you once again, Mr. President, for your warm welcome.