The Chinese Embassy in the United States held a reception in celebration of the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. Ambassador Xie Feng delivered remarks at the event. Here's the full text of his speech:

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to welcome you to our Embassy, to jointly celebrate the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. All of you have witnessed, participated in and contributed to the development of China-U.S. relations. So let me first extend my heartfelt thanks to you and friends from various sectors in the United States for your longstanding support for China-U.S. relations! Today, we also have a special message from space. Let’s watch it together. (Video of greetings from the Shenzhou-20 crew, including Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, from the Chinese space station)

A big thank-you to the three taikonauts for joining us from space.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Over the past 76 years, profound changes have taken place in China. Once an impoverished nation where people struggled to meet basic living needs, China is now the world’s second-largest economy and top manufacturer, and has brought moderate prosperity to its people in all respects, with the average life expectancy rising from 35 to 79 years. Significant progress has also been made in technological innovation. The Chinese space station we just saw in the video is a vivid example.

The Chinese nation has achieved the tremendous transformation from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong, and has found a Chinese path to modernization. China will continue to meet people’s aspirations, pursue the larger interests of all countries, and make greater contributions to the peace, development and modernization of the world through its own development.

As a force for stability in the world, China provides certainty for eliminating the deficit in development. In the face of rising protectionism, a widening wealth gap and sluggish global economic growth, China has upheld openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, and maintained steady economic development. Its GDP expanded 5.3% year-over-year in the first half of 2025, continuing to rank among the top in major economies. For over 10 consecutive years, China has contributed over 30% to global economic growth. According to IMF estimates, when China’s growth rate rises by 1 percentage point, growth in other countries increases by around 0.3 percentage points on average.

While some countries are closing doors, China has taken the initiative to open wider and stayed firmly committed to expanding unilateral and institutional opening-up. It has built platforms including the China International Import Expo, the Canton Fair, the China International Fair for Trade in Services and the China International Supply Chain Expo. China has also offered zero-tariff treatment for 100% tariff lines to all least developed countries having diplomatic relations with it. The Belt and Road cooperation has lifted over 40 million people out of poverty. China will continue to provide new opportunities to the world with its further development.

As a force for peace in the world, China injects positive energy into fixing the deficit in security. This year marks the 80th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. As the main Eastern battlefield, China made indelible contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War with 14 years of heroic resistance and over 35 million casualties. History should not be tampered with, and the truth should not be distorted. Only when a correct historical perspective on WWII is upheld can humanity prevent tragedies from repeating themselves again.

The world today is far from tranquil, with traditional military conflicts intertwined with non-traditional security threats. Over the past 76 years, China has never started a war, and has been the major country that keeps the best record in terms of peace and security. From the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence to joint boundary surveys and demarcation with neighbors, from the launch of the Global Security Initiative to the establishment of the International Organization for Mediation, from promotion of political solutions to hotspot issues to active participation in UN peacekeeping missions, China has been a staunch defender of world peace in both policy and practice. Every increase in China’s strength is an increase in the prospects of world peace.

As a force for progress in the world, China contributes wisdom to resolving the deficit in governance. To address the dysfunction and ineffectiveness in the current global governance system and the unjust and unreasonable arrangements, President Xi Jinping has put forward the Global Governance Initiative. Its core principles include adhering to sovereign equality, abiding by international rule of law, practicing multilateralism, advocating the people-centered approach, and focusing on taking real actions, which both embody the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and innovatively chart the course for reforming and improving global governance. The initiative stresses the need to uphold the authority and role of the UN, reject unilateralism and double standards, encourage extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit, and ensure that all countries are equal participants, decision-makers and beneficiaries in global governance, so that people of all countries can have a greater sense of fulfillment, safety and well-being. No matter how the international situation may evolve, China will always standon the right side of history, fairness and justice, and human progress.

Ladies and gentlemen,

History is the best guide to the future. In the past, China and the United States fought fascism side by side. We were both major contributors to the victory in World War II and main builders of the post-war international order. Today, as permanent members of the UN Security Council and the world’s top two economies, our two countries should act with a greater sense of responsibility for history, the people and the world, and enhance communication and cooperation, so as to benefit both our peoples and safeguard world peace and development.

We need to deepen the integration of interests, and be partners helping each other succeed. Our two countries have extensive common interests and vast room for cooperation. Since we established diplomatic relations, bilateral trade has surged 275 times from less than 2.5 billion U.S. dollars to 688.2 billion last year, demonstrating strong resilience and internal momentum. As China grows into the world’s largest and most dynamic market, we are able to buy more products we need from the U.S. and bring more business opportunities to the U.S. It is estimated that 82% of the around 73,000 American businesses investing and operating in China have profited. The number of U.S. exhibitors at the China International Supply Chain Expo in July increased by 15% from last year, making them the largest group of overseas exhibitors.

All these have spoken volumes about the mutually beneficial nature of China-U.S. economic and trade relations, and have proven that embracing China is embracing opportunities. Areas such as illegal immigration, the fentanyl issue, telecom fraud, financial crimes, cancer prevention, infectious diseases and AI have all the potential to become highlights and growth points in our cooperation. Our two sides need to make the list of cooperation longer and the pie of cooperation bigger, so that we both and all can win from it.

We need to properly handle differences, and be champions of peace and stability. There have been and will continue to be differences between China and the U.S. The key is to respect each other’s core interests and major concerns, so as to install a safety valve for bilateral relations.

The Taiwan question bears on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations. If not properly handled, it could cause confrontation or conflict. The U.S. side should exercise extra prudence on the question, abide by the one-China principle and the three Sino-U.S. Joint Communiqués, stop spreading the fallacy that Taiwan’s status is “undetermined”, avoid challenging the consensus of the international community including UNGA Resolution 2758, and refrain from trespassing on or crossing the line.

Also, facts have proven that tariff war or trade war produces no winner. Attempts to seek decoupling and disrupt industrial and supply chains would only destabilize the world and benefit no one in the end. The positive progress in our economic and trade talks has shown that equal-footed consultation is the right way forward.

When China and the U.S. work together, the world feels reassured; if we confront each other, the world would be left unnerved. Our two sides need to keep to the bottom line of non-conflict and non-confrontation, and add more stability to the turbulent world.

We need to enhance popular support for our relations, and be promoters of goodwill between our people. As President Xi Jinping pointed out, the hope of the China-U.S. relationship lies in the people, its foundation is in our societies, its future depends on the youth, and its vitality comes from exchanges at subnational levels. From ping-pong diplomacy to pickleball exchanges, from the Bond with Kuliang to the Friends of Kuliang, from the Flying Tigers to the Flying Tigers Friendship Schools, and from President Xi’s old friends in Iowa from 40 years ago to the new friends visiting China under the “50,000 in five years” initiative, bridges of mutual understanding and affinity have been built across the Pacific one after another, and stories of friendship and cooperation have unfolded across time one chapter after another.

Here, I would like to share with American friends some good news: you not only can enjoy China’s 240-hour visa-free transit policy, but also will be able to apply for a Chinese visa in just several clicks through the “China Consular Affairs” app soon, so you can embark on a trip to China whenever you like. We hope the US side will move in the same direction and facilitate our people’s exchanges and travels too.

Ladies and gentlemen,

As a Chinese saying goes, “A mountain is formed by layers of earth, and an ocean by drops of water.” After 76 years of hard work, the Chinese people know clearly that happiness and a bright future will not come on their own, and success favors only the courageous and the perseverant. Likewise, the China-U.S. relationship has never been smooth sailing. Let’s adhere to mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, and jointly ensure that the giant ship of China-U.S. relations, which carries with it the well-being of more than 1.7 billion people, will not lose direction or speed or have a collision, and will break waves and forge ahead along the right route.

Last but not least, I believe many of you know that our Embassy has been a frequent winner in the “Embassy Chef Challenge” contest in recent years. Today, our amazing chefs have each prepared several signature dishes, which you can enjoy later. Bon Appétit!

Now, I would like to propose a toast,

To the 76th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China,

To the friendship and cooperation between the Chinese and American people,

And to the health and happiness of all friends here and your loved ones,

Cheers!

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