More than 230 years ago, the American merchant ship "Empress of China" crossed the ocean and made its maiden voyage to China. 150 years ago, tens of thousands of Chinese workers, along with the American people, built the U.S. Pacific Railroad, which runs east-west through the United States. Seventy years ago, China and the United States fought side by side as allies in World War II to jointly defend world peace and justice. In that war, thousands of American soldiers sacrificed their precious lives for the just cause of the Chinese people. We will never forget the moral support and valuable assistance given by the American people to the Chinese people to resist aggression and win freedom and independence.

-- "Speech at the Washington State Government and U.S. Friendship Group Joint Welcome Banquet" (September 22, 2015)

Further reading:

On February 22, 1784, a 360-ton cargo ship set sail from New York, USA, to Guangzhou, China. At this time, the United States, which had just gained independence and was plagued by the British trade blockade, was eager to engage with the outside world. American businessmen set their sights on China on the other side of the Pacific Ocean and gave the merchant ship a pleasant name - the "Empress of China". On May 11, 1785, the "Empress of China" completed the first voyage between China and the United States, and returned with a large number of Chinese goods such as pottery, porcelain, silk, and sandalwood fans. Washington, the founding father and first president of the United States, purchased more than 300 pieces of porcelain from the Empress of China, and these antiques from more than two centuries ago are still in Washington's home at Vernon Hill and the Pennsylvania State Museum. An American "China expert" once commented: "For a ship that sails blindly, all wind directions are headwinds, and it is gratifying that the 'Empress of China' did not sail blindly, it brought a brilliant Chinese culture, and benefited the United States a lot." ”

The Pacific Railroad, the main artery that runs through the east and west of the United States, also has a deep "Chinese imprint". In 1863, construction of the Pacific Railroad began. Compared with the eastern section of the plain, the western section of the railway has complex terrain and poor construction conditions. Yet Chinese workers have "done what others can't do." In his report to US President Boris Johnson, the governor of California at the time lamented: "They are calm and quiet, and besides, they are very industrious, peace-loving, and have much more endurance than other peoples." These Chinese are astonishingly capable of learning, and they quickly learn the technical skills required for future railway construction work, and they can become proficient in either job in the shortest possible time. As a result, Chinese workers quickly became the main force in the construction of the western section of the railway. At its peak, more than 6,000 Chinese workers were working on the front line of the Pacific Railroad.

More than 70 years ago, the Chinese and American peoples fought side by side to fight fascism, which is an "indelible national memory". The "Flying Tigers," formed by American pilot Chennault, transported 800,000 tons of combat materials to China's battlefield, shot down and destroyed more than 2,600 enemy planes, and achieved brilliant results one after another. The opening of the Hump route ensured the transportation of China's strategic materials at the critical moment when the Yunnan-Burma Highway was cut off. In the years of fighting together, American pilots who came to China would carry with them a "blood banner" marked "Come to China to help the foreigners (the United States) and provide integrated military and civilian rescue." When they saw an injured pilot carrying a "blood amplitude," the Chinese masses would go all out to treat them.

In 2015, Xi Jinping made a state visit to the United States, and the first stop was Seattle, Washington. In the face of new and old friends gathered together, Xi Jinping answered some people's questions with the three stories of the American merchant ship "China Queen", the joint construction of the Pacific Railroad by the Chinese and American peoples, and the joint fight against fascism between the two countries: The vast Pacific Ocean has enough space to accommodate the two major powers of China and the United States, and the construction of a new type of major-country relationship has a deep public opinion foundation and historical roots.

In this speech, Xi Jinping proposed to promote a new model of major-country relations between China and the United States from a new starting point, and several things should be done well: correctly judging each other's strategic intentions, unswervingly promoting win-win cooperation, properly and effectively managing differences, and extensively cultivating people-to-people friendship. The three stories, including the "Empress of China", are the last thing that Xi Jinping said when he talked about the last thing to be done well, aiming to emphasize that "although China and the United States are far apart, the friendly exchanges between the two peoples have a long history".