A tree is planted by delegates attending the forum. [HU MEIDONG/CHINA DAILY]

Meeting challenges

At reunion events for the Friends of Kuliang and their Chinese friends, officials and diplomats from both countries highlighted the need to continue cross-cultural exchanges despite challenges and difficulties.

Last year marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations being established between China and the U.S.

Annual trade between the two nations has grown from $12.88 million in 1972 to nearly $760 billion last year, and two-way investment has risen from almost zero to more than $240 billion during the same period.

Guo Shaochun, Chinese consul general in Los Angeles, told local media recently there are about 3,000 Chinese companies in the U.S., with 300 of them publicly listed, while more than 70,000 U.S. companies have invested in China, and nearly 90 percent of their operations in China are profitable.

Speaking to the Friends of Kuliang, Lin Songtian, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, said the fact that Chinese and American people could live together in harmony by showing each other mutual respect made a strong impression on him.

A veteran diplomat who worked in Fuzhou for years, Lin told members of the group that more than 100 years ago, their forefathers came all the way to China — to Fuzhou — to help local people improve their livelihoods and develop education.

"Locals treated the strange Westerners as friends and guests, drew spring water from the same well, and provided support for them here without considering them as intruders who posed a threat to their own security," he said.

"These stories have strengthened our belief that as long as we respect each other, extend a helping hand to each other in times of need, and cherish friendship, we can live in peace, harmony and coexistence, carry friendship forward and build a beautiful future despite our many differences in terms of our looks, languages, cultural values, religious beliefs and political systems."

Lisa Heller, U.S. consul-general in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, said: "As the Kuliang story reminds the U.S., countless American and Chinese people have crossed the ocean to live and work in each other's countries. China was not a foreign land. It was home to these Americans.

"Friendship between the U.S. and China is not something to be taken for granted. It is up to all of us to nurture that friendship and pass it on to our children," she said, adding that the average American and Chinese citizen benefits from stable and sustained relations.

On June 19, when meeting with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing, President Xi said, "China always hopes to see a sound and steady China-U.S. relationship." He added that China believes the two countries "can overcome various difficulties and find the right way to get along based on mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation."

Xie Feng, Chinese ambassador to the U.S., said the two nations should "build on their historical legacy of profound origins", lay a solid foundation for public opinion toward each other, and conform to the common expectations of the world.

In a prerecorded video speech for the Friends of Kuliang reunion, Xie said both sides should use goodwill and rationality to further advance China-U.S. exchanges and cooperation, let dialogue eliminate confrontation, "building bridges" replace "building walls", and for cooperation to transcend competition.