Without economic figures or political jargon, a simple letter from an 8-year-old girl in the United States to the Chinese consul general in San Francisco speaks volumes about the true foundation of the 45-year journey of China-US relations.

"Dear ambassador: I'm 8 years old. I think China is really cool. Your friend," said Consul General Zhang Jianmin as he read the letter he received before Christmas at a news conference on Wednesday at the consul general's residence in San Francisco.

He shared the heartwarming anecdote as a symbol of the shared desire for connection between the people of the two countries.

"I do believe somewhere in China, an 8-year-old Chinese girl or Chinese boy also have the same spontaneous and genuine desire to forge friendship and make friends with their American peers," he said.

On Jan 1, 1979, China and the US established diplomatic relations. On Jan 1, President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden exchanged letters of congratulations to commemorate the 45th anniversary.

"Both presidents spoke highly of the benefits of the relationship. It has brought tangible benefits to the people of our two countries. The relationship has also contributed to world peace, stability and prosperity," Zhang said.

"If you look at how far we have gone over the past 45 years, there are many examples to support the conclusion that the relationship is really important and beneficial."

Business opportunities

In 1979, the two countries had less than $2.5 billion of trade. In 2022, the trade volume between them reached almost $760 billion. Two-way investment increased from almost zero in 1979 to more than $260 billion in 2022.

Zhang's recent visits to Boeing and other US companies shed light on the crucial interdependency. "One sentiment that they repeatedly shared with me is that they'd like to see the Chinese economy recover. They'd like to see the Chinese economy succeed, because, for them, this will mean lots of business opportunities, and that is in the interest of both sides," Zhang said.

In the next 20 years, China is expected to require 8,560 new passenger planes, and that is about 20 percent of total global demand. "No one airplane manufacturer is able to meet this huge global demand. If China is doing well, it would generate even bigger demand, and it would be an opportunity for the whole world," he said.

The 45-year journey has not been without bumps. Zhang highlighted the three guiding principles for the two countries to get along well with each other: Mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.

The consul general also spoke of the legacy of "Ping-Pong Diplomacy", which ended a 22-year estrangement between the two countries.

"When we look at how we manage to have such success in our relationship, I think the success can be attributed to the goodwill that exists on the part of people," Zhang said.

liazhu@chinadailyusa.com