Guests celebrate on Nov 9, 2023, the opening of the Hong Kong Forum on US-China Rations, which is organized by China-United States Exchange Foundation, a group established in 2003 to promote constructive exchanges between the two countries. (ANDY CHONG / CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG — Global dignitaries at the 2023 Hong Kong Forum on US-China Relations held here from Thursday to Friday welcomed positive signals in recent China-US relations, calling for concerted efforts to push for improvement in bilateral ties.

Xie Feng, Chinese ambassador to the United States, said in the opening speech via video link that while the two countries do have differences, their common interests are not to be dismissed.

Many participants at the forum said that sound China-US economic and trade ties are an important foundation for the steady development of bilateral ties

"We should and must expand the list of cooperation through dialogue and manage differences and disagreements," he said. "The three principles, namely, mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, have pointed us in the right direction."

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Titled "Change and Progress," the two-day forum featured five panel sessions where experts shared their ideas on trade and economy, science and technology, people-to-people exchanges, global challenges, and international finance, in addition to two high-level plenaries.

As the world's two largest economies, China and the United States together account for more than one-third of the global economy, nearly one-quarter of the world's population and about one-fifth of global trade.

Many participants at the forum said that sound China-US economic and trade ties are an important foundation for the steady development of bilateral ties.

Ning Jizhe, vice-chairmen of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE), said that China and the United States should strengthen their communication and coordination on macroeconomic, trade, industrial and investment policies in order to promote a steady, coordinated and sustainable development of China-US relations.

Former US trade representative Charlene Barshefsky suggested that both countries further establish relevant cooperation mechanisms based on recent positive developments so as to promote the improvement in China-US relations.

Participants from various countries said the healthy and steady development of China-US relations is a ballast stone for global development, and the international community looks forward to seeing the peaceful coexistence and friendly cooperation between the two countries.

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Bhokin Bhalakula, former president of the Thai parliament and former Thai deputy prime minister, noted that China-US relations play a monumental role in shaping the global economic and geopolitical landscape.

He said he believed the two countries could deepen cooperation in areas of common interests, and countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations could play a constructive role in fostering stability in China-US relations.

The forum, co-organized by the China-United States Exchange Foundation and CCIEE, was first held in 2019.