China’s Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng delivered a keynote speech entitled “Act on the new vision for China-US relations and open a new chapter in mutually beneficial cooperation” at the US-China Business Council, or USCBC,’s 2026 Gala dinner on Wednesday in Washington.
The annual event drew about 450 business executives, diplomats, US government officials, and scholars.
In his remarks, Xie highlighted the “historic and landmark summit” between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump held in Beijing last month, which has not only charted the course for China-US relations once again, but also brought multiple benefits to bilateral economic and trade cooperation: establishing a new vision for China-US relations, opening a new chapter in engagement between our two countries, and building new platforms for dialogue.
“The summit has established a new vision for China-US relations, providing stable prospects for bilateral economic cooperation,” Xie noted. “The two heads of state agreed on a new vision of building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability.”
He added that the summit opened a new chapter in engagement, injecting positive impetus into bilateral economic cooperation, and built new platforms for dialogue, including boards of trade and investment as well as an intergovernmental dialogue on artificial intelligence, or AI.
“History has proven time and again that, a tariff war, trade war or tech war would produce no winner, any effort to decouple, disrupt industrial and supply chains, or build ‘small yards with high fences’ would only hit a dead end, and anyone trying to close others’ doors would end up blocking their own path,” Xie said.
“For China and the US, the world’s two largest economies, it is an undeniable reality that our interests are closely intertwined, and a well-established fact that we gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation.”
With President Xi and President Trump at the helm, the giant ship of the China-US relationship has set out on a new journey, Xie said. He made five proposals to this end,urging friends from the American business community, who he said are both passengers and sailors on this ship, to act as practitioners of the new vision, promoters of renewed engagement, builders of new platforms, frontrunners in scientific innovation and bridge-builders between our two peoples.
“Let us seize the momentum of the Beijing Summit, act on the new vision for China-US relations, and usher in a new chapter in mutually beneficial cooperation, so as to jointly keep the giant ship of China-US relations along the course of a constructive relationship of strategic stability, sailing far and steady,” Xie concluded.
Video remarks by US Ambassador to China David Perdue stressed the importance of the relationship. “The US-China relationship is the most consequential of the 21st century,” Perdue said.
He highlighted progress on fair reciprocal trade, reduced deficits, job creation, and addressing challenges, including single-source supply chain dependency and regulatory restrictions.
In a fireside chat, Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla told USCBC’s President Sean Stein that cooperation with China in life sciences offers a tremendous opportunity for humanity.
“It is about bringing a medicine for pediatric brain cancer that we can’t get,” Bourla said. “Competition creates progress. Competition makes us better.” He expressed strong optimism for a scientific renaissance through biology and AI.
Bourla also talked about China’s biotech ecosystem and rapid progress in life sciences, saying it had become a top priority in the country’s new five-year plan. He highlighted successful collaborations in oncology and global drug development, while stressing the importance of stable policies, patent protection, and open scientific exchange to benefit patients worldwide.
“Whoever cures cancer, I think, is great,” he added, underscoring that breakthroughs would come through partnerships rather than rivalry.
The gala also featured opening remarks by Stein, special recognition of US Senator Steve Daines, and announcement of a charitable donation.