Remarks by Ambassador Cui Tiankai At the Welcome Luncheon for USCBC President Craig Allen

很高兴出席今天的午餐会，在这里我见到了很多老朋友。首先我向艾伦大使担任美中贸委会会长表示祝贺。艾伦大使长期从事对亚洲特别是对华工作，成绩卓著，我期待同你密切合作。感谢格林伯格先生富有启迪的精彩致辞，感谢你领导美中贸委会董事会所做的工作。同时我还想感谢美中贸委会全体员工长期的努力和贡献，造就了美中贸委会的成功，推动了中美经贸关系的发展。

　　今年是美中贸委会创立45周年，也是中国改革开放40周年。明年1月我们还将迎来中美建交40周年。我想我们有充分的理由为过去几十年中美关系取得的成就感到自豪。同时我们也看到，中美关系又一次走到了历史的十字路口，我们今天做出的选择将对两国乃至全世界的未来产生深远影响。

Thank you Ambassador Allen. I am so happy to be here and see so many old friends. Let me start by congratulating Ambassador Craig Allen for taking up this important post at the USCBC. Your outstanding, long-term work in Asia in general and for China-US relations in particular will be a great asset, not only for the USCBC, but for all of us. I look forward to working very closely with you. I also want to thank Mr. Greenberg for very thought-provoking and inspiring remarks just now. Thank you for the work done by the board of the USCBC under your leadership. Let me also thank all the USCBC staff, your devotion and commitment over the years has made this institution a great success. Without you, we would not have been here to celebrate. Thank you so much.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the USCBC, and we are also celebrating the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up. Very soon, next January, we'll commemorate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the United States. We have every reason to be proud of the achievements we have made over the decades. But now, again, we are at a critical historic crossroads. The choices we make today will have a long-term impact on our relationship and the well-being of our two peoples and even on the world. So that's why we say this bilateral relationship is the most important one in the world. 

　　我们经常说中美关系是世界上最重要的双边关系，此言非虚。但在当前这个关键时刻，中美关系似乎遇到了一些困难。尽管如此，我仍然满怀希望。如果我们能共同努力、增强信心，就能够达成长远目标，面向未来建立一个更强劲、更稳定的双边关系。就此，我想对美中贸委会及两国工商界提几点不成熟的建议：

　　第一，要对中美关系的基本面抱有信心。两国人民和全世界都需要强劲且稳定的中美关系。发展好中美关系是唯一正确选择，任何其他选项都会带来破坏性后果。

However, we seem to have met some difficulties at this critical moment. But I am still confident, if we can work together, if we can build up mutual confidence, we will be able to achieve our long-term goals, we will be able to build a stronger, more sustainable relationship for the future. In this regard, I would like to offer some very humble advice, not only to the USCBC, but maybe also to the business communities of both countries:

Firstly, believe in the fundamentals. The world needs a steady and strong China-US relationship. Our two peoples need such a relationship. There can no alternative, as an alternative would be rather terrible.