China-US relations at forum in Hong Kong calls for maintaining partners' relationship

Global experts and scholars gathered at the sixth United States-China Hong Kong Forum in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Monday and Tuesday, calling for overcoming differences between the two countries and maintaining the partners' relationship.

The annual event brought together more than 350 guests from across China, the United States, Singapore, Germany, and India to discuss topics such as deepening people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

National Committee on U.S.-China Relations Board Chair Charlene Barshefsky, a former U.S. trade representative, rebuked the decoupling between China and the United States advocated by some U.S. think tanks.

"I think to decouple the economies is, first of all, highly unrealistic, and second of all, potentially destructive of global growth, which would be counterproductive," she said.

Late former U.S. President Richard Nixon's grandson, Christopher Nixon Cox, a board member of the Richard Nixon Foundation, expressed his hope that the diplomatic wisdom his grandfather demonstrated in breaking the ice for U.S.-China relations back then can continue to contribute to the healthy development of bilateral ties today.

"It's through that focusing on mutual interest, and then working out differences that I think he could make a very big difference today in terms of making the relationship between China and the United States even better," he said.

Participants also discussed topics such as artificial intelligence, technology governance, and supply chain resilience.

"All voices should be heard, and then together form a joint force to promote the development of relations between the two countries. I think it's fine for voices to differ and opinions to vary, but there must be one consensus, that is, China and the United States should be partners," said Shen Xin, vice president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

Themed "Circles for Peace", the sixth U.S.-China Hong Kong Forum is organized by the China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF), a Hong Kong-based non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting dialogue between the two countries, and co-organized by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

China-US relations at forum in Hong Kong calls for maintaining partners' relationship

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday that China has both the will and the ability to make new contributions to global marine governance.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while addressing a meeting of preparatory committee for the Conference of the Parties to the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) via video link.

Wang said that the BBNJ Agreement marks the success of multilateralism, and is also a milestone of the global marine governance.

The full and effective implementation of the BBNJ Agreement is of vital importance to the common well-being of all mankind, Wang said, adding that China is a firm supporter, defender and builder of the United Nations.

In the face of a volatile international situation, China firmly upholds the central position of the United Nations and remains a pillar of multilateralism, Wang said.

Noting that China has long and profound marine civilization, Wang said China nowadays is also committed to promoting modernization featuring harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.

Wang said China has proposed to host the Secretariat of the treaty in Xiamen, which indicates the responsibility of a major developing country.

China is willing to work with all parties to promote the full and effective implementation of the BBNJ Agreement and jointly build a more just and reasonable global marine governance, he said.

China willing to make new contributions to global marine governance: FM