Transcending Differences and Focusing on Cooperation – The 3rd Hong Kong U.S.-China Forum was held online

The scene of the meeting (courtesy of the organizer of the Central Broadcasting Network)

Beijing, January 21, 2022 (Reporter Liu Huimin Feng Yue) From January 19 to 21, 2022, the third Hong Kong-US Forum jointly convened by the China Center for International Economic Exchanges and the Hong Kong-Us Exchange Foundation was held by video, and the theme of the forum was "Beyond Differences, Focusing on Cooperation". Delegates discussed and exchanged views on issues such as challenges and controls in Sino-US relations, global economic recovery, trade and investment, global supply chains, climate change, and people-to-people exchanges. Former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, Singapore Honorary Senior Minister of State and former Prime Minister Wu Zuodong, former President of Ireland and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, President of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations Steve Orens, and Chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges Zeng Peiyan delivered keynote speeches respectively. More than 150 representatives of former senior officials, business leaders and well-known scholars from the United States, New Zealand and other governments attended the forum.

The Chinese representative said that at present, the century-old changes are intertwined with the epidemic of the century, the recovery of the world economy is difficult and tortuous, the pressure of inflation and financial risks has increased, and the new crown pneumonia epidemic has repeatedly aggravated the uncertainty of the world economy. As the most important bilateral relationship in the world today, Sino-US relations have encountered the most difficult period since the establishment of diplomatic relations in recent years and have deviated from the correct course. Stable U.S.-China relations are important to both countries and are expected by all countries in the world.

The Chinese representative held that mutual respect is a prerequisite for developing Sino-US relations. We must respect each other's social systems and development paths, respect each other's core interests and major concerns, respect each other's right to development, and treat each other as equals. Peaceful coexistence is the foundation for developing Sino-US relations. Win-win cooperation is the goal of developing Sino-US relations. At present, China and the United States have extensive common interests in bilateral and global affairs, and should focus on strengthening cooperation in the fields of fighting the epidemic, responding to climate change, economy and trade, science and technology, and global governance, and turning the potential of cooperation into a driving force for development.

Foreign representatives unanimously held that China and the United States, as world powers, should jointly shoulder international responsibilities and obligations and make historic contributions to promoting world peace and development. The two sides should actively carry out dialogue and communication, strengthen pragmatic cooperation in the field of climate change, jointly promote global economic recovery, and solve outstanding problems such as the "broken chain" of supply chains affected by the epidemic. In the face of the repeated mutations of the new crown virus, the United States and China should continue to strengthen scientific and technological cooperation in the fight against the epidemic, promote the fair distribution of vaccines around the world, and help the world completely defeat the epidemic at an early date. The two sides should strive to build a bilateral relationship that is "frank and honest", avoid mutual threats and conflicts, and jointly use wisdom to find a new model for the improvement and development of bilateral relations and peaceful coexistence.