America’s and China’s heads of state are scheduled to have a bilateral meeting in San Francisco on Wednesday, and “People’s Daily” sets the scene in accordance with Xi Jinping’s wishes.
The following is my translation of an article published by “People’s Daily” on Sunday, on the upcoming meeting between U.S. President Joseph Biden and Chinese State Chairman Xi Jinping.
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Developing Sino-American relations in Correspondence with Responsibility towards History, the People and the World. By Zhong Sheng*).
Hopes for the Sino-American heads-of-state meeting in San Francisco
本着对历史、对人民、对世界负责的态度发展中美关系（钟声）
——瞩望中美元首旧金山会晤
The Sino-American heads of state’s face-to-face meeting, the first for a year, is of great importance for the promotion and improvement of continued stable Sino-American relations, for a hand-in-hand response to global challenges, and for the promotion of global peaceful development.
中美两国元首时隔一年再次面对面会晤，对推动中美关系真正稳下来、好起来具有重要意义，对携手应对全球性挑战、推动世界和平发展亦具有重要意义
On U.S. President Biden’s invitation, State Chairman Xi Jinping will travel to San Francisco for a meeting between the two heads of state. He also follows an invitation to take part in the 30th APEC leader’s unofficial meeting. The two heads of state will enter communication concerning the major issues of the strategic, comprehensive, seminal nature of Sino-US relations, and concerning global peace and development. Chairman Xi Jinping hasn’t been to the US for six years, and it has been a year since the Chinese and American heads of states had their most recent face-to-face meeting. That is major importance, and raises global attention.
应美国总统拜登邀请，国家主席习近平将赴美国旧金山举行中美元首会晤，同时应邀出席亚太经合组织第三十次领导人非正式会议。两国元首将就事关中美关系的战略性、全局性、方向性问题，以及事关世界和平与发展的重大问题深入沟通。这是习近平主席时隔6年再次到访美国，也是中美两国元首时隔一年再次面对面会晤，意义重大，举世瞩目。
Sino-American relations are the world’s most important relations. If China and America can establish a correct path of interaction is of great concern to global peaceful development and humankind’s future destiny. Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable role in the development of the two countries’ relations. Since February 2021, Chairman Xi Jinping has had many phone calls and meetings with President Biden, trying hard to lead Sino-American relations onto the right track forward. Chairman Xi Jinping poknted out in a video conference with President Biden in November 2021 that “the most important thing for international relations in the next fifty years is that China and America must find a correct path of interaction”. China’s policies toward America hav ebeen consistent, which maintains mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, cooperation and win-win. China is ready to seek a correct way of interaction together with America, to promote Sino-American stable steps forward.
中美关系是世界上最重要的双边关系。中美能否确立正确相处之道，攸关世界和平发展和人类前途命运。元首外交对两国关系发展发挥着不可替代的战略引领作用。2021年2月以来，习近平主席多次同拜登总统通电话、会晤，着力引领中美关系沿着正确轨道向前发展。习近平主席2021年11月在同拜登总统举行视频会晤时指出：“未来50年，国际关系中最重要的事情是中美必须找到正确的相处之道。”中方对美政策一以贯之，就是坚持相互尊重、和平共处、合作共赢。中方愿在此基础上同美方探讨两国正确相处之道，推动中美关系稳步向前。
In November last year, Chairman Xi Jinping and President Biden met in BAli, Indonesia, and reached important consensus in several areas, with major deep influence on Sino-American relations. The Chinese and American heads of states’ Bali meeting clearly defined a direction which is to keep Sino-American relations from getting off the track, to find a correct path of interaction for the two great powers, to define a framework to jointly establish guiding principles or a strategic framework for Sino-American relations. This launched a process to put the two countries’ leaders’ important consensus into practice, and to control and to steady Chinese-American relations. Recently, China and America have bilaterally implemented the two leaders’ Bali consensus, improved high-level interaction, started a set of dialog mechanisms, activated local, people-to-people, cultural etc. exchange and cooperation, and bilateral relations have stopped tumbling and have stabilized.
去年11月，习近平主席同拜登总统在印度尼西亚巴厘岛举行会晤，达成一系列重要共识，对中美关系产生重要深远影响。中美元首巴厘岛会晤明确了一个方向，就是要防止中美关系脱轨失控，找到两个大国正确相处之道；确定了一个框架，就是要共同探讨确立中美关系指导原则或战略性框架；启动了一个进程，就是要将两国元首重要共识落到实处，管控和稳定中美关系。近一段时间，中美双方落实两国元首巴厘岛会晤共识，增加高层互动，启动一系列对话机制，激活地方、民间、人文等多个领域交流合作，双边关系出现止跌企稳的势头。
The Sino-American heads of states’ first face-to-face meeting in a year is of great significance for the promotion of genuine stable development and improvement of Sino-American relations, for meeting global challenges hand-in-hand, and to promote global peaceful development. A “return to Bali” by China and America, “leading onto San Francisco”, is in line with their bilateral relations and the international community’s universal expectations.
中美两国元首时隔一年再次面对面会晤，对推动中美关系真正稳下来、好起来具有重要意义，对携手应对全球性挑战、推动世界和平发展亦具有重要意义。中美“重返巴厘岛、通往旧金山”，符合双方共同利益和国际社会普遍期待。
The ups and downs in Sino-American relations have taught us that China and America should always follow the three principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and cooperation and win-win. Mutual respect is a prerequisite, peaceful coexistence is the bottom line, and cooperation and win-win is the goal. There have always been differences between the two countries, and there will be differences in the future, but this can’t obstruct China’s and America’s search for common ground and to develop cooperation. China won’t become another America, and America can’t transform China based on its own taste. To respect the basic principles of international relations and the three Sino-American communiqués is the key for the two sides to control contradictions and division and to avoid confrontation and clashes. America should abandon cold-war mentality, confrontational attitude, make up for “operational deficits” by practical moves and concrete policies, and improve mutual trust between China and America. Cooperation and win-win has been the real narrative for Chinese-American relations for half a century. It is neither truthful to history to completely define Sino-US relations as competitive, nor is it factual. China’s and America’s respective successes provide opportunities for one another, not challenges. Both sides can succeed, prosper together, benefit both countries and benefit the world.
近年来中美关系跌宕起伏的经验教训表明，中美应该始终遵循相互尊重、和平共处、合作共赢三原则。相互尊重是前提，和平共处是底线，合作共赢是目标。两国的差异过去有，现在有，今后还会有，但这不能妨碍中美求同存异、开展合作。中国不会成为另一个美国，美国也无法依照自己的好恶改造中国，两国相互尊重、相互包容是唯一选择。遵守国际关系基本准则和中美三个联合公报，这是双方管控矛盾分歧、防止对抗冲突的关键。美方应摒弃冷战思维、对抗心态，以切实行动和具体政策弥补“行动赤字”，增加中美战略互信。合作共赢是中美关系半个世纪以来的真实叙事，以竞争定义全部中美关系，既不尊重历史，也不符合事实。中美共同利益远远大于分歧，中美各自取得成功对彼此是机遇而非挑战。双方完全可以相互成就、共同繁荣，造福两国，惠及世界。
As two great powers, China and America bear a particular responsibility and should show great powers’ broad-mindedness and far-sightedness. Only with a responsible attitude that corresponds with history, the people and global responsibility can we enhance our two people’s well-being, advance human societies’ progress, and make contributions to global peaceful development.
中美作为两个大国，肩负特殊责任，理应展现大国的胸怀、视野和担当。唯有本着对历史、对人民、对世界负责的态度，处理好中美关系，才能不断增进两国人民福祉，促进人类社会进步，为世界和平发展作出贡献。
To be responsible to history means to absorb historic experience, to firmly graph the historic initiative. History is the present tense of the past, and today is tomorrow’s history. No matter if the two countries and peoples of America opposed the flames of fascist war and shared the same hatred for the enemy, jointly defended peace and justice, or whether it has been the continuous development of the two countries’ relations ever since the establishment of diplomatic relations, come shine, come rain, this benefited the two countries and the world, and historic facts have once again shown that China and America both stand to benefit together and both hurt themselves in conflict. Cooperation is the best choice for China and America. Some people in America are hyping the so-called “failure of engagement with China” talk, in a departure from historic reality. When America defines China as its “most important competitor and adversary” and as its “major geopolitical challenge”, etc., it is irresponsible towards history. Great powers’ competition doesn’t correspond with the trend of the era and does even less to solve practical challenges. At this critical juncture, each of China’s and America’s choices will be justly recorded by history. The two sides should view, should handle relations with each other from the height of hisotiric development and jointly explore the correct path of the two countries’ interaction, and ensure that Chinese-American relations are a force that promotes historic progress.
对历史负责，就是要汲取历史经验，把握历史主动。历史是过去的今天，今天是未来的历史。无论是中美两国人民在世界反法西斯战争的烽火硝烟中同仇敌忾，共同捍卫和平与正义，还是建交以来两国关系历经风雨不断发展，造福了两国和世界，历史事实都一再证明，中美合则两利，斗则俱伤，合作始终是中美两国的最好选择。美方一些人炒作所谓“对华接触失败论”，背离历史真相。美方将中国定位为“最主要竞争对手”“最重大地缘政治挑战”等，不符合事实，是对历史的不负责任。大国竞争不符合时代潮流，更解决不了现实挑战。站在历史发展的关键当口，中美的每一个抉择都将为历史所公正记录。双方应该从历史发展的高度看待和处理彼此关系，共同探讨新时期两国正确相处之道，确保中美关系是推动历史进步的力量。
To be accountable to the people means to correctly see joint benefit and to seek mutual accomplishment. Recently, Sino-American people-to-people contacts have written new moving stories. The “Bond with Kuliang” has continued the friendship of 100 years ago, the “U.S.-China Youth and Student Exchange Association” actively promote friendly exchange between Chinese and American young people, the Flying Tiger veterabs carry forward Sino-American cooperation’s precious spiritual wealth, and the Philadelphia Orchestra continues to write the records of its friendship with the Chinese people, records that extend over half a century … To strengthen exchanges, deepen friendship, cooperation and friendship corresponds with the expectations of both countries’ peoples and is the choice of both of them Sino-American relations have been in a difficult situation in recent years, and this does not correspond with the interests of the two peoples. The costs of “cutting ties and breaking up links” will ultimately be born by the people. Blocking exchanges cuts off channels of mutual understanding and attachment between people, and confrontation between great powers sacrifices the people’s development opportunities. China and America must both bear in mind what the peoples of the two countries think and act in accordance with their hopes, visit each other more often, have more dialogue, more exchanges. They must melt away the ice of misunderstandings and misjudgement, and build a bridge of mutual understanding.
对人民负责，就是要正视共同利益，追求相互成就。近来，中美民间交往不断书写新的动人故事。“鼓岭之友”延续100年前的友谊佳话，“美中青少年学生交流协会”为中美青年友好交往积极行动，飞虎队老兵传承和弘扬中美合作的宝贵精神财富，费城交响乐团续写与中国人民之间跨越半个世纪的音乐友谊……加强交流、深化友谊、合作共赢是两国人民的共同期待和共同选择。中美关系近年来处于困难局面，这不符合两国人民的根本利益。“脱钩断链”的成本最终要由人民埋单，阻遏交流切断的是人民相知相亲的渠道，搞大国对抗牺牲的是人民的发展机遇。中美双方要想两国人民之所想、行两国人民之所盼，多走动、多对话、多交流，消融误解误判的坚冰，构筑相互了解的桥梁。
To be responsible means to listen to international calls, to lead global cooperation. China and America are permanent members of the UN Security Council, the world’s two largest economic entities with an economic weight of more than one third of the global economy, a quarter of the world’s population, bilateral trade at a fifth of global trade. They have a major responsibility for global peace, stability and development. The world enters a time of change and upheaval, uncertainty, instablility, and increasing unpredictable factors. The international community universally opes that Sino-American relations will soon return to healthy and stable development, and instill stability, determinacy and constructiveness into the turbulent global fabric. Looking at the world today, post-pandemic global economic recovery, reaction to climate change, solutions to regional trouble spots etc. inevitably depend on Sino-American coordination and cooperation. Not only are the two countries’ joint forces needed to respond to global challenges; they are not only necessary for global peaceful development, but they are also the point of responsibility of great powers.
对世界负责，就是要倾听国际呼声，引领全球合作。中美两国是联合国安理会常任理事国、全球前两大经济体，经济总量超过世界1/3、人口总数占世界近1/4、双边贸易额约占世界1/5，对世界的和平、稳定与发展负有重要责任。世界进入新的动荡变革期，不确定、不稳定、难预料因素增多。国际社会普遍希望中美关系早日重回健康稳定发展轨道，为变乱交织的世界注入稳定性、确定性、建设性。放眼当前世界，全球经济疫后复苏、应对气候变化、解决地区热点问题等都离不开中美协调合作。双方合力应对全球性挑战，不仅是世界和平发展之需，也是大国责任之所在。
Facing changes not seen for a century, every responsible politician must confidently and courageously assume and respond to the tasks of the eara and make a historic choice. China and America should bilaterally maintain the three principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, cooperation and win-win, with a responsible attitude that correspnds with history, the people and the world, address and promote the healthy and stable development of Sino-American relations, and make unceasing efforts to this end.
百年未有之大变局下，每一个负责任的政治家都必须以信心、勇气、担当，回答时代课题，作出历史抉择。中美双方应坚持相互尊重、和平共处、合作共赢三原则，本着对历史、对人民、对世界负责的态度，朝着推动中美关系健康稳定发展相向而行、不断努力。
(Editors: Zhao Xinyue, Yuan Bo)
(责编：赵欣悦、袁勃)
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