Cooperation encouraged at 'My China Album' event

China and the United States have a responsibility to jointly uphold peace, and there is no single justification to incite confrontation, Beijing's top envoy in Washington said on Thursday.

"China is willing to be a friend and partner of the US. In the era of war, we fought side by side; in the era of peace, we should also be each other's partner," said Ambassador Xie Feng.

Xie made the remarks at the "My China Album: Sharing Our Stories about China" event at the embassy, attended by more than 200 guests, including Harry Moyer, a Flying Tigers veteran, now age 103.

During World War II, Captain Moyer fought shoulder to shoulder with Chinese soldiers against invading Japanese forces.

Xie said that the foundation of the Sino-US relationship was laid by the two peoples, and its future will be created by them.

"Currently, China-US relations are still facing serious challenges. We need to forge a closer bond between our peoples and open our hearts to each other, so as to inject more warmth and impetus into this relationship," he said.

Since its start in 2019, the "My China Album" video series has rolled out five editions, with the fifth featuring stories of Moyer; Ambassador Winston Lord — US ambassador to China from 1985 to 1989 and a member of the US delegation on the historic trip to China in 1972; and other noteworthy US citizens in 12 video episodes, collectively themed around "My Impressions of China — 100 Stories of China-US Friendship".

They capture the heartwarming moments and memories of people-to-people friendships, showcasing the historic interactions and profound bonds between the peoples of the two nations.

Xie noted that such stories have shown time and again that the two peoples can forge a profound friendship despite all the differences in systems, cultures and languages.

He said that it is important to develop a proper perception of each other, and be friends rather than rivals.

"Seeing the other as a primary strategic competitor, the most consequential geopolitical challenge and a pacing threat, in disregard of our peoples' will for exchanges and cooperation and the world's expectations for a stable China-US relationship, would only push our two countries toward antagonism, plunge the world into division and turmoil, and ultimately lead to 'self-fulfilling prophesies'," he said.

The envoy also said it is important to stay undistracted by domestic politics and avoid creating new hurdles for China-US relations.

He added that while China will not interfere in US domestic affairs, including its presidential election, it also firmly opposes any attempt to manipulate China-related issues, exploit China-US relations and damage China's interests during the election.

In his first comments on Washington's latest round of tariffs imposed on electric vehicles and other Chinese imports, Xie said the move was driven by domestic politics.

"This is protectionism in the name of fair competition. The real aim is to contain China's new energy sectors, hamper China's high-quality development and get an advantage in the elections by competing to be tougher on China," he said.

The launch of the "My China Album" event serves to amplify the crucial role that people-to-people exchanges have been playing in enhancing China-US relations, said Qu Yingpu, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily.

Over the past five years, China Daily has been a partner of "My China Album", focusing on stories of China-US friendship, of endearment and goodwill, and reciprocal kindness between the two peoples, Qu said in a video speech.

For example, the 2019 edition focused on the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, and the following year, it featured people from China and the US helping each other combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2021 edition of the album, released in May 2022, captured the thrill of athletic competition featuring the Beijing Winter Olympics, and the 50th anniversary of giant pandas in the US became the most popular theme of the 2022 edition.

"We believe stories of this kind are monumental and worthy of being recorded and retold," said Qu.

"The more we have explored the domain of China-US people-to-people exchanges, the more deeply we feel obligated and duty bound as China's national English-language news media. We are more committed now," he said.

Steve Blake, chief representative for environmental group WildAid in Beijing, said the "China Album" project offers a "really great" opportunity for people like him to tell a story about China.

"There's so much you hear in the news about challenges between the US and China, but there are millions of people just like me that have a personal story to tell, that our lives have been changed by our experience, whether we're Chinese people in America or Americans like myself in China," he said.

huanxinzhao@chinadailyusa.com