Eight years ago, on September 22, 2015, President Xi Jinping said at the welcoming banquet jointly hosted by the local government of Washington State and friendly organizations of the United States that "state-to-state relations are, in the final analysis, people-to-people relations." "The foundation of China-Us friendship lies in the people, and the hope lies in the youth," he said.

In this speech in San Francisco, President Xi stressed four sentences: The foundation of China-Us relations is poured by the people, the door of China-Us relations is opened by the people, the story of China-Us relations is written by the people, and the future of China-Us relations is created by the people.

"The hope of China-Us relations lies in the people, the foundation lies in the people, the future lies in the youth, and the vitality lies at the local level." These are the clear conclusions and ardent expectations that President Xi Jinping expressed when meeting with American guests this year.

In his speech that night, President Xi said, "For any great cause to succeed, it must find its foundation from the people, gather strength from the people, and be completed by the people." China-u.s. friendship is such a great cause."

"The more difficult times are, the more necessary it is to tighten the bond between the people and enhance communication between the people, and the more necessary it is for more people to stand up and speak for China-Us relations." Thus, it is not difficult to understand the special importance of this speech.

At the China-U.S. dollar summit on the same day, President Xi pointed out that China and the United States have two choices: one is to strengthen solidarity and cooperation to jointly tackle global challenges and promote world security and prosperity. The other is to hold a zero-sum mentality, provoke camps against each other, and lead the world to turmoil and division.

The two choices represent two directions that will determine the future of humanity and the future of the planet.
In his speech at the welcome banquet, President Xi asked the question "Are China and the United States rivals or partners?" 'This is a fundamental and overarching issue,' he said. President Xi gave a clear Chinese answer: "China is willing to be partners and friends with the United States."

In this speech to the American people, President Xi highlighted the three principles that govern our relations with the United States - "mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation" - and expounded in vivid language the five characteristics of Chinese-style modernization.

"No matter how the situation changes, the historical logic of peaceful coexistence between China and the United States will not change, the fundamental desire of the two peoples for exchanges and cooperation will not change, and the common expectation of the people of the world for the steady development of China-Us relations will not change."

In his speech in Seattle eight years ago, President Xi quoted Martin Luther King Jr., who said, "There is no time to do the right thing."

Today, we are once again at a critical juncture in history. President Xi said in San Francisco, "As the world's largest developing country and developed country, China and the United States need to have good dealings. In the face of a turbulent and intertwined world, China and the United States need to have a broad mind, demonstrate the pattern of major countries, show their responsibility and play their role as major countries."