China and the United States need to let dialogue and win-win results — not confrontations or a zero-sum mentality — define interactions, China's top envoy to the US said.

Ambassador Xie Feng, who served as commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region from 2017 to 2021, made the comments in a speech at the US-China Hong Kong Forum on Friday.

Hosted by the China-United States Exchange Foundation in partnership with the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, the forum was the first global event centered on the bilateral relationship since the US presidential election on Nov 5.

This year's theme, titled "Reflection and Forecast", emphasized the need to review past progress and set a forward-looking agenda for bilateral cooperation on shared challenges between the two countries.

"History, if not forgotten, can serve as a guide for the future. Over the years, the China-US relationship has traveled an extraordinary journey, bringing tremendous dividends of peace, stability and development to both countries and the world," Xie said.

"History tells us that when China and the US work together, we can make a big difference; if we confront one another, turbulence, division and disaster would ensue."

As the world's two largest economies, permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and nuclear powers, China and the US should "sit down and talk it through", the envoy said.

"Conflict or confrontation would have consequences neither side can afford," he said.

"While China and the United States each have our own concerns, we can well put the issues on the table, have candid communication and find a solution through equal-footed consultation."

Xie said dialogue needs to be enhanced at various levels and in various fields to eliminate "misunderstanding and miscalculation, expand common interests, and foster closer ties between our two peoples, so as to inject fresh impetus into China-US relations".

"We hope the US side will also move with us in the same direction," he said.

"Past tragedies of major country conflicts should not be allowed to repeat. It is important to ensure the giant ship of the China-US relationship will not lose direction or speed, still less have a collision," he said.

Xie said that China-US relations should be approached with a strategic, long-term perspective.

"China has no intention of overtaking the US, and we hope the US similarly avoids efforts to contain China. Both sides should prioritize common interests over differences, respect each other's core concerns, and manage disagreements constructively to minimize negativity," he said. Both sides should work to expand mutually beneficial cooperation and bilateral relations are not a zero-sum game or a one-sided arrangement, Xie said.

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