File Photo: Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai speaks at the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America during a Chinese New Year celebration reception in Washington D.C., the United States, on Feb. 13, 2018. (Xinhua/Yang Chenglin)

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- China and the United States should continue to serve the fundamental and common interests of the two peoples as the two sides develop future-oriented China-U.S. relations, said Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai on Tuesday.

Cui, in his article published in USA Today, highlighted the importance of the steady growth of bilateral ties, which he said is indispensable to the success of our two countries and the world, "as air and water is to lives."

FAR GREATER COMMON INTERESTS

Beijing and Washington formally established their diplomatic ties on Jan. 1, 1979, which has not only served the interests of two countries, but also engendered far-reaching significance to regional and global development.

"For 40 years, we have not only achieved a mutually-beneficial balance, which allows both of our societies to 'win' together, we have also created favorable conditions for world peace and development," said the Chinese ambassador.

According to Cui, the two countries have made great strides in coordinating efforts on regional hotspot issues, as well as addressing global challenges, through collaboration in international forums including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Group of 20(G20), and the United Nations.

As the world has changed tremendously in the past four decades, it comes as no surprise that China and the United States will have disagreements from time to time, many of which cannot be resolved overnight, said Cui.

The diplomatic veteran stressed that although the disagreements are inevitable, they are still manageable as "the basic elements of the relationship remain unchanged," including the shared interests of peoples for a better life, and the need for combined efforts to address major global challenges.

"We have far greater common interests than differences and disagreements. In such an environment, cooperation is the only right choice," Cui said.

The progress of China-U.S. ties in the past 40 years is nothing but staggering, far exceeding most people's expectations. Bilateral trade grew from a negligible 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in the late 1970s to over 580 billion dollars in 2017, while the stock of two-way investment rose from practically nil to more than 230 billion dollars.

Cui also pointed out that the political foundation of the biliteral relationship must remain unchanged.

"Our two sides need to respect each other's core interests and major concerns, abide by the China-U.S. Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations and two other joint communiques, and remain firmly committed to the one-China principle," he said.

"The steady growth of China-U.S. relations is indispensable to the success of our two countries and the world, as air and water is to lives. It would be irresponsible and detrimental for us to 'decouple' or become isolated from each other," the ambassador said.

CROSSROADS IN HISTORY

Noting that the China-U.S. relationship has once again come to a crossroads in history in this new international context, Cui believed the bilateral relations "should continue to be defined by our two peoples, who are looking to us with high expectations as we look forward to the next 40 years."

"Their aspirations are to benefit more from our relations. These shared interests will rise above 'political correctness' and the 'differences' between our two countries," the ambassador said.

"China and the United States benefit the most from our cooperation. We should avoid the entrapments of rivalry, which only holds both of us back," Cui said.

Also on Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump exchanged congratulations on the 40th anniversary of the establishment of China-U.S. diplomatic relations, during which the two top leaders voiced hope to promote cooperative and constructive U.S.-China relations in the coming years.

"With the guidance of our presidents, we must seize the hour, seize the day, advancing China-U.S. relations centered on coordination, cooperation and stability," the senior diplomat said.

The China-U.S. relationship is like a tower built on the solid foundation of common interests. And this foundation has remained as strong as ever, weathering every storm over the past 40 years, he said.

"It is our common historical responsibility to pass a steady China-U.S. relationship full of opportunities on to our future generations," Cui added.