为中美关系击出一记精彩的“全垒打”——谢锋大使在2026年“鼓岭缘”中美青少年棒球友谊赛暨体育交流周开幕式上的致辞

Hit a Home Run for China-U.S. Relations--Remarks by Ambassador Xie Feng at the Opening Ceremony of “Bond with Kuliang” 2026 China-U.S. Youth Baseball Exhibition Games and Sports Festival

尊敬的彭清华副委员长，

周祖翼书记，赵龙省长，

女士们，先生们，朋友们，

Vice Chairman Peng Qinghua,

Fujian Provincial Party Secretary Zhou Zuyi,

Governor Zhao Long,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Friends,

很高兴同大家相聚“云端”，共同出席“鼓岭缘”中美青少年棒球友谊赛暨体育交流周开幕式，预祝本次活动圆满成功！

It gives me great pleasure to join you virtually at the opening ceremony of “Bond with Kuliang” 2026 China-U.S. Youth Baseball Exhibition Games and Sports Festival. I wish this event a full success!

鼓岭故事是习近平主席亲自推动的中美友好佳话，承载着跨越百年的中美人民真挚情感。近年来，丰富多彩的“鼓岭缘”系列活动在福州市举办，既邀请“鼓岭之友”深情叙旧，传递友谊佳话；也汇聚莘莘学子以歌结缘，唱响青春乐章。今年的体育交流周活动以“跨越山海，拥抱未来”为主题，来自中美两国的青少年棒球队同台竞技、以球会友，相信将以涌动的青春之力焕发中美人民友好新的生机。

The Kuliang story is a cherished chapter of China-U.S. friendship personally championed by President Xi Jinping. It reflects the genuine affection between the Chinese and American peoples that has endured for more than a century.

In recent years, Fuzhou has hosted a rich variety of Kuliang-themed events, bringing old friends together to share memories and keep their stories of friendship alive, while giving young people a platform to connect through music and celebrate the spirit of youth. This year’s Sports Festival, themed “Pitch Across Oceans, Catch the Future”, brings young baseball teams from China and the United States onto the same field to compete, connect and make friends through the game. I believe it will inject fresh vitality into the friendship between our peoples with the vibrant energy of youth.

朋友们，

Friends,

不久前，中美元首在北京成功会晤，同意将“中美建设性战略稳定关系”作为两国关系新定位，为未来3年乃至更长时间的中美关系作出战略指引。站在新起点上的中美关系已超越双边范畴，具有世界意义，关乎人类命运。习近平主席指出，青少年最富有朝气，最富有梦想，是中美关系的未来和希望，也是世界的未来和希望。本次活动是中美元首北京会晤后首次两国青年大规模交流活动，在此，我向大家提“3R”期望：

Not long ago, President Xi Jinping and President Trump had a successful meeting in Beijing, where they agreed on a new vision of building a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability. This provides strategic guidance for China-U.S. relations over the next three years and beyond. At this new starting point, China-U.S. relations have gone far beyond the bilateral scope, bearing on the world and the future of humanity. President Xi Jinping has pointed out that young people are full of vitality and dreams. They represent the future and hope of China-U.S. relations as well as that of the world.

This event is the first large-scale youth exchange between our two countries after the Beijing summit meeting between the two Presidents. Today, I would like to share three hopes for you — three words that all begin with the letter R:

展现尊重（Show RESPECT）。尊重是体育竞技的基本之道，虽然参赛队伍水平不同，但都要在赛前相互致意、赛后列队握手。尊重同样是中美打交道的基本准则。中美都是大国，社会制度、发展阶段、历史文化不同，双方谁也改变不了谁，但可以改变相处方式，那就是秉持相互尊重的态度，守住和平共处的底线，争取合作共赢的前景。传承100多年的鼓岭故事告诉我们，中美两国人民完全可以跨越差异，建立信任与友谊。过去两年半，5万多名美国青少年参加“5年5万”倡议赴华交流学习，游览名山大川，体验赛博科技，感受市井烟火，以亲身经历认识到中美可以做伙伴、做朋友。希望大家在赛场内外以实际行动践行中美相互尊重，扣好推动中美关系发展的第一粒纽扣。

First, show RESPECT. Respect is fundamental to sports. Teams may differ in skill level, but they greet one another before the game and line up to shake hands afterward. Respect is also the basic principle for China and the United States in dealing with each other. Both are major countries. We differ in social systems, stages of development, history and culture. Neither side can change the other, but we can change the way we get along. That means treating each other with mutual respect, upholding the bottom line of peaceful coexistence, and striving for the prospect of win-win cooperation.

The Kuliang story, passed down for more than a century, tells us that the Chinese and American peoples can rise above differences and build trust and friendship. Over the past two and a half years, more than 50,000 young Americans have come to China under the “50,000 in Five Years” initiative for exchange and study. They have traveled across China, seen its natural beauty, experienced its latest innovations, and felt the warmth of daily life. Through their own experiences, they have come to see that China and the United States can become partners and friends. I hope you will carry forward the spirit of mutual respect, both on and off the field, and make this your first step toward building China-U.S. friendship on the right foundation.

遵守规则（Play by the RULES）。规则是体育竞技的公平保障，如果在规则上作弊，即使跳得再高、跑得再快，也赢不了比赛，反而会因犯规被判罚出局。中美之间存在竞争不足为奇，但应是相互促进的良性竞争，你追我赶的积极竞争，遵守规则的公平竞争，不能为了“竞赢”而无视国际规则，甚至踩线越界。中美难免在一些问题上存在分歧，关键要妥善管控，不能任由分歧主导两国关系。双方要以对话增进互信，遇事多商量、有事好商量，解决实际问题。希望中美青年沿着中美元首北京会晤明确的方向，朝着合作为主、竞争有度、分歧可控、和平可期的目标共同努力，以青春之力做规则的守护者，助力中美在同一个赛场上公平竞争，赛出水平、赛出风格。

Second, play by the RULES. Rules are what make sports fair. However high the jump or however fast the run, cheating is never a real win. Break the rules, and the game will call it out. It is only natural that China and the United States have competition. But it should be healthy competition that brings out the best in each other, positive competition in which both sides strive to improve, and fair competition that follows the rules. No one should disregard international rules or cross the line, just for the sake of “winning.”

China and the United States will inevitably have differences on some issues. The key is to manage them properly and not let them define the whole relationship. The two sides should build trust through dialogue, consult more when issues arise, and solve practical problems through communication. I hope young people from both countries will follow the direction set by the Beijing meeting between the two Presidents and work toward a relationship with cooperation as the mainstay, competition within proper limits, manageable differences and expectable peace. I hope your youthful energy and spirit will help show that China and the United States can meet on the same field, play by the same rules, and compete with skill, character, and sportsmanship.

加油得分（Cheer for RUNS,棒球比赛得分称为RUN）。体育竞技的魅力不仅在于自己得分，也在于为对方的精彩表现欢呼喝彩，在互学互鉴中提高进步。当前，中美在应对全球性挑战方面拥有广泛共同利益和广阔合作空间，需要两国青年共同担当、贡献力量。近年来，中美青年携手在科考船上解锁海洋奥秘，在癌症早期检测方面取得突破性进展，在创客大赛上探索科技与社会愿景的深度结合，以实际行动诠释中美合作可以相互成就、共同繁荣。中美元首北京会晤为两国各领域务实合作开辟了远大前程，希望大家脚踏实地、放眼未来，积极投身到两国共同应对气候变化、人工智能、公共卫生等全球性挑战的合作中，不断丰富中美建设性战略稳定关系内涵，造福两国、惠及世界。

Third, cheer for RUNS. In baseball, a point scored is called a run. The beauty of sports lies not only in scoring runs yourself, but also in applauding the other side’s great plays, and in learning from one another so that all can improve. Today, China and the United States share broad common interests and vast space for cooperation in addressing global challenges. This calls for young people from both countries to step up and contribute.

In recent years, Chinese and American youth have set out together on voyages to discover the mysteries of the ocean, made breakthroughs in early cancer detection, and explored, through maker competitions, how technology can connect with a shared vision for society. Through real action, they have shown that China-U.S. cooperation can enable both sides to succeed and prosper together. The summit meeting in Beijing has opened broad horizons for practical cooperation in various fields. I hope you will keep your feet on the ground and your eyes on the future, and use your knowledge, creativity, and energy to help China and the United States work together on shared challenges — from climate change to AI to public health. In doing so, you will add new dimensions to a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability, and contribute to both countries and beyond.

朋友们，

Friends,

鼓岭的千年柳杉根深叶茂，老干苍劲，新芽竞发，见证着中美人民的友好情谊代代相传、生生不息。中美关系未来在青年。新时期中美友好事业的画卷，有待两国青年共同绘就。希望中美青年携手新时代、一起向未来，共同续写更多新时期“鼓岭故事”，助力中美走出一条新时期正确相处之道，为中美关系稳定、健康、可持续发展注入蓬勃的青春力量。

The ancient Chinese cedars of Kuliang stand tall with deep roots, sturdy trunks and fresh shoots. They have witnessed the friendship between the Chinese and American peoples being passed on from generation to generation, growing ever stronger and more vibrant. The future of China-U.S. relations lies with the youth. It will be shaped by the friendships you build and the steps you take together.

I hope young people from China and the United States will move forward, hand in hand, in this new era, embrace the future and write new Kuliang stories of our time. I hope you will help China and the United States find the right way to get along in the new era, and inject fresh youthful energy into the stable, sound and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations.

期待“鼓岭缘”中美青少年棒球友谊赛为中美关系击出一记精彩的“全垒打”！谢谢大家！

May “Bond with Kuliang” 2026 China-U.S. Youth Baseball Exhibition Games hit a splendid home run for China-U.S. relations.

Thank you.