Addressing American citizens in a USA Today column on New Year's Day, Ambassador Cui spoke on the 40th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties between China and the US. He mentioned that whilst China-US relations were at a "crossroads in history", developing stable relations was vital to both nations' success.
"The steady growth of China-U.S. relations is indispensable to the success of our two countries and the world, as air and water to lives," wrote Ambassador Cui. "It would be irresponsible and detrimental for us to 'decouple' or become isolated from each other."
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Cui said that China-US trade was worth $1.5bn a day and that the last 40 years achieved a "mutually-beneficial balance, which allows both of our societies to 'win' together". Data from the US Department of Commerce also found that US exports to China supported over 910,000 US jobs in 2015.
Beijing and Washington are negotiating their trade relationships after US president Donald Trump slapped China with billions in tariffs on Chinese imports, with China retaliating with its own measures. Negotiations will last three months and are set to end at the beginning of March.
Despite tensions over trade, Cui reaffirmed that China-US retained its relationship which upheld "the shared interests of our peoples for a better life, and the need for our combined efforts to address major global challenges."
"The China-U.S. relationship is like a tower built on the solid foundation of common interests," Cui continued. "And this foundation has remained as strong as ever, weathering every storm of the past 40 years. Damaging or dismantling it will only cause mutual suffering."