At a gala event hosted by an elite leadership organization of Chinese Americans on Thursday evening, Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Qin Gang called on Chinese Americans to “help build [a] China-U.S. friendship” and “bridge differences and ease confrontation.”
In the opening of his speech, Ambassador Qin said, “Ultimately Chinese Americans can only prosper when the China-U.S. relationship enjoys sound and stable development.”
Qin described the U.S. and China as “going through serious difficulties” before stating, “The China-U.S. relationship concerns not only the future of the world, but also the welfare of Chinese Americans.”
He referred to the U.S.’ sinophobic attitude towards China, regarded as not only the U.S.’ “most serious competitor” but also its “national security threat No. 1.”
“Just as an old Chinese saying goes,” he told the audience, “‘No egg stays unbroken when the nest is overturned,’” implying that Chinese Americans would suffer from a tense China-U.S. relationship.
The reception was held from May 5-7 in Washington, D.C., with members of host organization Committee of 100, which includes some of the most prominent Chinese Americans in business, government, academia and the arts, in attendance
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As with previous years, members and speakers of the annual conference and gala met to discuss the “state of Chinese Americans” as well as “the future of the U.S. China relationship.”
In the second half of his speech, Qin also addressed anti-Chinese and anti-Asian sentiment in the U.S. more broadly, stating that Chinese Americans “must unite and act, get more engaged in politics, get more integrated into American society” and “better protect [their] legitimate rights and interests.”
He cited this as the way to combat racism and long-term discrimination, which he noted has been “compounded” even more by the pandemic over the past two years.
Lastly, Ambassador Qin promoted the idea of younger generations connecting more with their Chinese ancestry.
“No matter where they are, people of Chinese origin share the same ancestry. The yellow skin and dark eyes are a gift from our ancestors.”
He urged younger generations to “learn more about Chinese culture” and also “develop bonds and affinity with [their] ancestral country.”
Featured Image via Richard Nixon Foundation
