On November 15, 2024, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng delivered written remarks to the Yangtze-Mississippi River Regional Dialogue, extending congratulations on the successful opening of the event.

In his remarks, Ambassador Xie said that the Yangtze River and the Mississippi River are the longest rivers in China and the United States respectively. They have born witness to the economic and social progress of both our countries, and nurtured generations of sons and daughters. Protecting the mother river is our shared obligation, and seeking new development is our common pursuit. Today, delegates from cities along the two rivers are coming together to share experience and explore cooperation, so as to jointly promote green development, enhance people’s well-being and build bridges of friendship. The event is results-oriented, effective and of far-reaching significance, a shining example of China-U.S. subnational cooperation.

Ambassador Xie emphasized that the China-U.S. relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world. We should safeguard the relationship just as we protect our mother river. The three principles proposed by President Xi Jinping, namely, mutual respect, peaceful co-existence and win-win cooperation, are the fundamental guidelines for China to view and develop China-U.S. relations. Both sides need to make joint efforts to follow them. For the China-U.S. relationship to embark on a new journey, we need to pool stronger support for subnational cooperation and people’s friendship. We hope that more people with vision will join this great endeavor, so that China-U.S. subnational cooperation and people’s friendship will surge forward just like the Yangtze River and the Mississippi River.

The Yangtze-Mississippi River Regional Dialogue was organized by the United States Heartland China Association in Memphis, Tennessee, with the participation of more than 100 delegates from Chinese and American cities, as well as experts and scholars.