In order to understand today's China and predict tomorrow's China, we must understand China's past and understand China's culture. The thinking of contemporary Chinese and the Chinese government's strategy for governing the country are imbued with the genes of traditional Chinese culture. Since ancient times, the Chinese people have cherished national independence, unity and dignity. The Chinese government must comply with the will of the people, firmly safeguard national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, safeguard national unity and social stability, and unswervingly follow the path of peaceful development. China and the United States have different national conditions, different histories, cultures, development paths, and stages of development, so we should understand and respect each other, gather common ground to overcome differences, and harmonize differences. There will inevitably be some differences between the two countries, but this is not the mainstream of the relationship between the two countries. The governments of the two countries should play the role of a stabilizer and properly handle relevant differences.

——Speaking with Obama at a meeting in Zhongnanhai (November 11, 2014)

Further reading:

In the Zhongnanhai in the early winter of Beijing, the water is rippling and the shadows of the trees are swaying. Xi Jinping greeted then-US President Barack Obama in front of the stage, and the two heads of state cordially shook hands and exchanged greetings. On the Yingtai Bridge, the two of them looked into the distance by the railing. Pavilions and pavilions, scattered, the lanterns are shining, the ancient Yingtai has witnessed the changes of China for hundreds of years. Xi Jinping briefed Obama on the history of Yingtai, saying that understanding China's modern history is important to understanding the ideals and the way forward for the Chinese people today.

Xi Jinping said that Yingtai was built in the Ming Dynasty, and in the Qing Dynasty, it was a place for the emperor to approve documents, take refuge in the summer and feast. The Kangxi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty once studied and formulated a national strategy to quell civil strife and recover Taiwan here. Later, when Emperor Guangxu was in decline, the country was in decline, and he engaged in the "Hundred Days Restoration", and was imprisoned here by the Empress Dowager Cixi after the failure. Obama immediately answered and said: China and the United States have historically been similar, and there will always be resistance to reform, which is an immutable law that requires us to show courage.

Unforgettable night. Haoyue was in the air, and the two chatted while walking, and they talked very well and deeply. Every link was greatly delayed, the originally scheduled 90-minute banquet lasted nearly two hours, and the originally scheduled 30-minute tea ceremony lasted nearly an hour. When Xi Jinping said, go to eat, don't want the guests to go hungry. Obama said he would like to talk to you about a few issues. The wonderful conversation caused Obama's official photographer Pete to be so cold that he couldn't go to the house, although he was so cold that he kept snotting. Five hours passed, and at 11 o'clock in the evening, the leaders of the two major countries waved goodbye. As he was leaving, Obama summed up his feelings in a very emotional sentence, "Tonight, I have the most comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the history and governing philosophy of the Chinese Communist Party and your thoughts in my life."

After the Annenberg Estate, the Yingtai Night Talk was the second meeting between the Chinese and American heads of state without a tie. Braving the cold wind and the bitter cold, why did Xi Jinping tell history to Obama? The reason lies in understanding the fate of China's backwardness and beating, hard struggle, and finally "standing up" in modern times, so as to understand why the Chinese nation has diligently pursued the realization of national rejuvenation as a century-old dream; Only by understanding China's explorations, struggles, and choices that have allowed the Chinese nation to stand tall among the nations of the world in modern times can we understand why the Chinese people chose Marxism, why they chose the Communist Party of China, and why they chose to take the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In a word, "Understanding China's modern history is important to understanding the ideals and the way forward for the Chinese people today." Yingtai's night talk is not about history for the sake of history, but about the present, that is, to build a new type of major-country relationship between China and the United States. From the "Manor Meeting" to the "Yingtai Night Talk" to the "White House Autumn Meeting", the heads of state of the two countries have gradually written a new page in the history of international relations through continuous communication and dialogue and enhanced mutual trust.