Symposium held in honor of first US Congressional trips to China

Chinese ambassador to the United States Qin Gang has called on Beijing and Washington to learn from history, overcome difficulties and rebuild trust to put bilateral relations back on the right track.

Qin made the remarks in a pre-recorded speech delivered to a symposium commemorating the 50th anniversary of the first China trips by the US Congress. Hosted by the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs, the event was held on Wednesday both online and offline.

In his speech, Qin underlined the need for the two countries to keep common interests in mind, enhance mutual understanding and trust as well as promote cooperation in various fields.

Mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation are the way for China and the US to get along, Qin said, adding this was the case 50 years ago and these are still the basic principles for bilateral relations today.

China and US should view their ties as mutually dependent and beneficial and make bilateral relations free from the "Thucydides trap" or "the tragedy of great power politics", he said.

Then-US Senate majority leader Michael Mansfield and minority leader Hugh Scott led a delegation to visit China in April 1972 following President Richard Nixon's historic visit to the country the same year. Two months later, bipartisan leaders of US House of Representatives also set foot in Beijing.