Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi (R) greets former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger before the Inauguration of the Kissinger Institute on China and the United States at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington July 29, 2008. (Xinhua/Zhang Yan) Photo Gallery>>>

    WASHINGTON, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister, Yang Jiechi, called on Tuesday for broad and in-depth academic exchange between China and the U.S. to push forward the bilateral relations to a new century.

    Yang made the remarks when he delivered a speech, titled "China-U.S. relations in new century," to the inauguration of the "Kissinger Institute on China and the United States" at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

    Yang praised Dr. Henry Kissinger, former U.S. State Secretary, for devoting "his energy and wisdom to advancing China-U.S. relations."

    The institute is to establish an advisory board of about 20 Chinese and U.S. dignitaries, which will be co-chaired by Kissinger and Xu Kuangdi, President of the China-U.S. People's Friendship Association and President of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and conduct academic exchanges and cooperation with the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs.

    "I hope, and I believe, that the Kissinger Institute will actively engage in exchanges with Chinese scholars for broad and in-depth academic studies, and contribute its share to the constructive and cooperative China-US relations," Yang said.

    The institute was established as China and the United States would celebrate the 30th anniversary of their diplomatic relations around the end of this year and the beginning of the next, he said.

    "China-U.S. relationship has come a long way and achieved remarkable progress over the past 30 years," Yang said, "The growth of China-U.S. relations has not only brought huge benefits to the two countries and the two peoples, but also profoundly contributed to world peace and development."

    The top Chinese diplomat noted that the current China-U.S. relations have some salient features, including more frequent high-level contacts and exchanges, more interconnected economic interests, expanding coordination and cooperation in international affairs, broadening channels for dialogue and communication, and deepening friendship between the two peoples.

    In view of the beginning of the new century, when the international community is facing rare opportunities for development and increasing uncertainties and destabilizing factors, Yang called China and the United States, the largest developing country and the largest developed country, to work hard to deepen cooperation and build an enduring and stable framework for future bilateral relations.

    He suggested that China-U.S. relations be viewed and handled from a long-term and strategic perspective and maintain their right direction and the two countries judge each other in an objective and sensible way to further enhance strategic mutual trust.

    He also noted that the two countries should expand exchanges and cooperation and work together to promote common interests in business, counter-terrorism, law enforcement, military exchanges, science and technology, education, culture and so on, as a way to make bilateral cooperation stronger, broader and better.

    Yang called for a constructive manner to properly handle differences and sensitive issues, and prevent them from hampering the overall interests of bilateral relations.

    He also stressed the need to actively promote people-to-people exchanges and build stronger popular support for China-U.S. friendship.

    With only less than ten days to go before the Beijing Olympic Games, Yang said that hosting the sport event is "a century-old dream of the Chinese people" and China is confident to make it a great success.

    For his part, Kissinger hailed great achievement China has made in the development and noted that no global problem can be solved without the U.S.-China cooperation.

    He urged the two countries to work together to address all kinds of challenges the world is faced up with.

    Stephen Hadley, assistant to the president for the national security affairs, said that the U.S.-China relations have never been so candid, dynamic and constructive as today, and it would be further strengthened in the future.