Ambassador Qin Gang reads a letter on the 2021 Gala Dinner of the National Committee on US-China Relations on November 9, 2021. Photo: Website of Chinese Embassy in the US

 China stands ready to work with the US to enhance exchanges, jointly address global challenges and properly manage differences in an effort to bring bilateral relations back on the right track, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed in a congratulatory letter at the 2021 Gala Dinner of the National Committee on US-China Relations on Tuesday.

President Xi and his US counterpart Joe Biden on Tuesday sent congratulatory messages to the Gala Dinner, which was read out respectively by Chinese Ambassador to the US Qin Gang and Chairman of the National Committee Jacob Lew. 

President Xi expressed his appreciation to the Committee and its members for their?long-time dedication to the growth of bilateral relations and to the cooperation between two sides in various areas.?

Xi pointed out that the China-US?relationship is among the most important bilateral relationships in the world today. As the world's biggest developing country and the biggest developed country as well as two permanent members of the UN Security Council, whether China and the US can handle their relations well bears on their fundamental interests, and matters to the future of the world.

"At a critical historical juncture right now, the two countries will gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation," Xi noted. 

Following the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, Xi stressed that China stands ready to work with the US to enhance exchanges, jointly address regional and international issues, and properly manage differences so as to bring ties back on the right track of sound and steady development.?

For his part, President Biden said that today's world is at an inflection point in history. The relationship between the two sides has global significance, from tackling the COVID-19 pandemic to addressing the existential threat of the climate crisis. 

"Solving these challenges and seizing opportunities will require the broader international community to come together as we each do our part to build a safe, peaceful, and resilient future," Biden said,?expressing thanks to the committee's dedication to strengthening the bonds between the two peoples.

"Through the advocacy of organizations like yours, we can seek greater connectivity and advancement of interests that affect our countries and the world," he added.

Ambassador Qin said that President Xi's letter of congratulations reflects China's positive attitude and position on developing China-US relations. 

China's policy towards the US is highly consistent and stable. "Some people say that the China-US relationship cannot go back to the past. But is it the reason why people can take it lightly, or even damage it as they wish? We reject this view," Qin said.

On a different event on Tuesday where Qin met with representatives of local overseas Chinese community in New York, he said that as China and the US have encountered great difficulties, how to deal with the problems is a matter of vital interests to the development of overseas Chinese in the country. 

Qin stressed that the Taiwan question during the meeting, which is "a prominent issue in bilateral relations." The island's Democratic Progressive Party authorities refuse to recognize the 1992 Consensus, and are getting further down the wrong track of "Taiwan independence," creating tensions across the Taiwan Straits. "It will never end well for those advocating such ideal," he said.  

Global Times