Negroponte: U.S.-China relations to flourish under new administration

Source: Xinhua | 01-08-2009 14:56

Visiting U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte said Thursday he was confident of a bright U.S.-China future under the new administration.

"I look forward to watching the U.S-China relationship develop in the coming years, and feel confident that it will continue to flourish under the new American administration," Negroponte told an audience of about 100 people at a breakfast meeting Thursday morning.

The meeting was hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham-China).

Negroponte, who arrived in Beijing Tuesday evening, was attending activities marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Sino-U.S. diplomatic relations, which fell on Jan. 1.

He applauded the unveiling of China's policy of reform and opening in 1978 as a "pivotal moment" for the U.S.- China relationship that has grown and transformed over the past 30 years.

In his ten-minute address, Negroponte said the almost unprecedented speed of development in the bilateral relations over the past three decades sent a message to governments throughout the world that legacies of isolation and mistrust can be overcome by visionary actions.