The large number of Chinese-Americans can take advantage of their bilingualism and cross-cultural experiences to tell China's story, and can play a significant role in promoting China-US relations, Qiu Yuanping, director of the Overseas Affairs Office of the State Council, said Monday at an event commemorating the 35th anniversary of the establishment of China-US diplomatic relations. The symposium was co-organized by the China Overseas Exchange Association, the Committee of 100 (C-100) and Global Forum of Chinese Political Scientists.

China has seen miraculous changes in its society, but the country hasn't effectively communicated these stories to the outside world. One of the biggest obstacles to building a new type of major power relationship is a lack of mutual strategic trust, said Qiu, adding that Chinese-Americans can use their linguistic and cultural backgrounds to help ease misunderstandings between China and the US, and create trust in ways acceptable to both sides.

China and the US are each other's second biggest trading partner, and there are now more than 4.5 million Chinese living in the US. About 235,000 Chinese students studied in the US in 2013. Chinese in the US can contribute to a new type of major power relationship by proactively engaging with mainstream American society and programs that contribute to the public good, said C-100 Chairman Clarence Kwan at the symposium, citing a C-100  initiative that asks candidates in the 2016 US presidential election to refrain from winning votes by bashing China or Chinese people.

Kwan added that the Chinese population in the US have improved their image, and that solidarity within the Chinese community must be continued and enhanced.

While people in the two countries generally trusted each other less than two years ago, young people on both sides are thinking proactively, Kwan noted.