International Focus Magazine iF-Oct 2019

critical situation, but we still firmly believe, with the support of the Cen- tral Government and mainland com- patriots, any plots aimed at instigating chaos in Hong Kong to undermine its prosperity and stability as well as “One country, Two Systems” policy will be doomed to failure. Hong Kong’s affairs are purely China’s in- ternal affairs. They brook no interfer- ence from any country, organization or individual in any form. A prosper- ous and stable Hong Kong not only serves the interests of China, but is conducive to the betterment of the international community, including the United States. Looking forward to the future, as the biggest developing country and the biggest developed country in the world, China and the US shoulder the responsibility to promote world peace and common development. According to the consensus reached by President Xi Jinping and President Trump, the two sides should work together to expand cooperation on the basis of mutual benefit, manage differences on the basis of mutual respect, so as to advance China-U.S. relations featuring coordination, co- operation and stability, and deliver greater benefits to our two peoples and the people around the world. Ladies and gentlemen, The Southern part of US is a rich and magic land. This region, Hous- ton in particular, has played a unique role in the history of the China-US relations. Houston was an important stop of Mr. Deng Xiaoping’s visit to the US back in 1979. The historic moment when Mr. Deng Xiaoping waved the cowboy hat to the au- dience in a local Rodeo show has made a significant page in the history and engraved in the memories of the people from both countries for gen- erations. 14 iF Magazine |October 2019 The practical cooperation between China and the Southern US is an in- separable part of the China-US rela- tions, and enjoys great potentials. For example, even against the backdrop of trade frictions, China has main- tained the top three export markets in Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, and Ala- bama for many years. The total trade volume between China and the eight states in our consular district has reached 125.1 billion US dollars. The investment by Chinese companies in this region also has witnessed great increase. Almost 300 Chinese com- panies have made this region home, with a total 23.2 billion US dollars investment. We are happy to see more and more people of the Southern US begin to love Chinese culture and language. In my first week in Houston, I met a lo- cal boy in Herman Park. He came up to me and talked in Chinese. He told me he loves the language and wants to travel to China someday. I was re- ally touched by his words. I am con- vinced that the friendship between the two peoples, which is the basis for the sound and steady develop- ment of China-US relations, cannot be restrained by any force. The development of China-US is inseparable from the hard work and efforts of overseas fellow Chinese. A large number of Chinese laborers crossed the Pacific Ocean 150 years ago, to build a railway connecting the East and West coasts of the United States, laying a solid foundation for its economic take-off. During the two world wars, many young Chinese became American soldiers to defend the United States. When Mr. Deng Xiaoping visited Houston in 1979, many members of the Chinese Asso- ciation spontaneously formed a team to welcome him. It can be said that the majority of Chinese in America have not only made important con- tributions to the development of the United States, but also acted as mes- sengers of China-US people-to-peo- ple friendship! I would like to take this opportunity to pay my apprecia- tion to all of them. Ladies and gentlemen, At this moment, China-US relations are at a crucial crossroad, with both opportunities and challenges ahead. As the 14th Consul General of China in Houston, together with my col- leagues, I am committed to work- ing closely with the United States counterparts to further strengthen mutually beneficial exchanges and cooperation between China and the consular district, and to deepen mu- tual understanding and trust between our two peoples. Today we formally launch the Wechat account, a new platform to implement the idea of conducting diplomacy in the inter- est of the people, protect the legal rights of overseas Chinese citizens and companies, and provide consular services to those in need. Without the supports of our friends from all walks of life in the Southern US, the Consulate General cannot effectively fulfill its duties. I will take this op- portunity to express my sincere ap- preciation to you all. As the saying goes, where there is a will, there is a way! Let’s work to- gether for the better future of China- US relations. Thank you. you. 谢谢. Thank

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