Photos record 40 years of China-US relations

Yang Meiping
Significant moments from history are on display at the Jing'an District Culture Center to commemorate diplomatic relations over the decades.
Yang Meiping
Photos record 40 years of China-US relations
Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

A visitor takes a picture of photos on display at the “Trans-Pacific Exchange and Cooperation” exhibition at the Jing’an District Culture Center.

An exhibition commemorating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of China-US diplomatic relations was launched at the Jing’an District Culture Center on Tuesday.

The 220 photographs in the “Trans-Pacific Exchange and Cooperation” exhibition are of historical moments such as the visit to China by then US President Richard Nixon and the issue of the “Shanghai Communique” in 1972, as well as the publication of the “Joint Communique on Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the People’s Republic of China and the United States of America” in 1978 and visits to China by other American presidents and politicians.

It also shows moments in the history of trade relations and people-to-people exchanges. 

One photo shows the “Liulinhai” ocean liner on its maiden voyage from Shanghai to Seattle in 1979, symbolizing the resumption of maritime shipping after a break of 30 years.

Others show touching moments such as an American woman in Shanghai who made a donation to help victims of the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008 and an American volunteer helping a visitor during the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai.

Most of the photos had been exhibited previously at the Shanghai Archives and in Houston and were moved to Jing’an on Tuesday along with other pictures showcasing the fruits of exchange and cooperation in culture, business, trade and other areas between the people of Jing’an and different parts of the United States.

The exhibition will run through December 28.

“China-US relations are the most important bilateral relations in today’s world,” said Jing Ying, vice president of the Shanghai People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

“As an important window on the reform and opening-up of China, Shanghai has participated in and witnessed the happening and development of China-US relations,” she said. “In the 40 years since the establishment of China-US diplomatic relations, the links, contacts and interactions between Shanghai and the US local governments, including those taking place spontaneously between the people of the two sides, have enriched the in-depth development of relations between the two countries.”

Owen Messick, China president of doTERRA, an essential oils company, said: “Four decades ago, the leaders of China and the United States, acting in the fundamental interests of the two peoples, made the historical decision to establish diplomatic relations between the two countries, opening a brand new page in China-US relations.”

He said it was a little disappointing to see the recent miscommunication and misunderstanding between the two countries.

“The historic pictures remind you how many links we have between the two countries, so many years of people exchanges, government exchanges, companies working together. It’s a really long and rich history,” he said.

He pointed out that at the individual level, people still have strong feelings between the two countries and that can be the basis for future cooperation.

“It’s important not only for the two countries, but also for the rest of the world to cooperate,” he said. “So my feeling is that the two economies are not competitors, they complement each other. The two economies are interlinked very strongly now, I don’t think they can ever be separated.”

Photos record 40 years of China-US relations
Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

A visitor looks at photos on a timeline of diplomatic relations between China and the US.


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