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Footsteps of Sino-US history in Jinjiang hotel
By Lu Qiuping, Xu Xiaoqing, Ji Ming and Wu Yu |
February 29, 2012, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
IN the grand hall of Shanghai's Jinjiang hotel, the picture of former American President Richard Nixon toasting with former Premier Zhou Enlai portrays the significance of that moment.
Forty years ago, Nixon became the first US president to visit the People's Republic of China. He met with China's leader Mao Zedong on February 21, the day he arrived in the country, and then the Shanghai Communique - which was the major achievement of his ice-breaking visit - was released on February 28, 1972, the day he left China. The Communique was finalized in the grand hall of the hotel.
"It can be said that Sino-US relationship kicked off here," Nixon recalled while revisiting the hall in 1993.
According to the Shanghai Communique, on which the negotiations were led by Mao and him and Zhou, "the two sides expressed the hope that the gains achieved during this visit would open up new prospects for the relations between the two countries." It emphasized the normalization of relations between the two countries was not only in the interest of the Chinese and American people but also contributed to the relaxation of tension in Asia and the world.
The visit and the Communique totally changed China-US relations, leading to official establishment of diplomatic relations between the countries at the ambassadorial-level on January 1, 1979.
Decades later, trade between the two countries has reached US$440 billion.
The Sino-US relationship has become one of the most important and promising bilateral links in today's world, Vice President Xi Jinping said during his visit to the US two weeks ago.
Nervous and curious
Qiu Huanxi, a former waiter at the hotel well remembers the American delegation in 1972. Qiu says he would never forget "the mysterious, political task."
"We were nervous and curious, but we had to hide our feelings and look calm," he recalled.
Qiu, a son of a local ordinary family, could not speak any English at the time. With little idea of how to receive foreigners, Qiu and his colleagues were told to be "neither too humble nor too pushy, neither too friendly nor too hostile."
"They were from the other side of the world after all. They were capitalists," said the 64-year-old.
As none of the waiters and waitresses spoke English, they had to use body language or simply smile to show their sincerity.
Qiu's former colleague, 76-year-old Le Cuidi, said it took "guts" to serve the foreigners tea.
"Some of our colleagues hesitated whether to bring tea or not, but I did it after thinking it over," she said.
Le, a food runner during the banquet to receive Nixon, was also surprised to see foreigners enjoying the Chinese liquor Moutai.
"Less than 24 hours, we were acquainted with each other," she laughed.
In 1993, Nixon met the service people again at the hotel, and had group photos taken as commemoration.
Coca-Cola
In accordance with the Communique, both sides agreed to boost economic relations based on equality and mutual benefit and to facilitate bilateral trade.
In 1979, right after the two countries established diplomatic relations, 3,000 boxes of Coca-Cola were shipped from Hong Kong to Beijing for sale, which was deemed as a milestone for the beginning of Sino-US trade.
So far, there have been 41 Coca Cola plants built on the Chinese mainland, with nearly 50,000 jobs created, said David Brooks, president of Coca-Cola China and Korea. "Total investment of the company in China has reached US$5 billion and the number will be increased to 9 billion, eyeing huge profit potential in China's rural area," Brooks said.
Today, China-US trade has grown over 180 times than the volume in 1979.
Over the past 10 years, US exports to China have increased by 468 percent and created more than 3 million jobs for the United States. Up to 47 out of the 50 US states have seen three-digit or even four-digit growth in their exports to China.
Chinese companies have also expanded their businesses to the US, creating numerous jobs.
The authors are Xinhua writers.
Forty years ago, Nixon became the first US president to visit the People's Republic of China. He met with China's leader Mao Zedong on February 21, the day he arrived in the country, and then the Shanghai Communique - which was the major achievement of his ice-breaking visit - was released on February 28, 1972, the day he left China. The Communique was finalized in the grand hall of the hotel.
"It can be said that Sino-US relationship kicked off here," Nixon recalled while revisiting the hall in 1993.
According to the Shanghai Communique, on which the negotiations were led by Mao and him and Zhou, "the two sides expressed the hope that the gains achieved during this visit would open up new prospects for the relations between the two countries." It emphasized the normalization of relations between the two countries was not only in the interest of the Chinese and American people but also contributed to the relaxation of tension in Asia and the world.
The visit and the Communique totally changed China-US relations, leading to official establishment of diplomatic relations between the countries at the ambassadorial-level on January 1, 1979.
Decades later, trade between the two countries has reached US$440 billion.
The Sino-US relationship has become one of the most important and promising bilateral links in today's world, Vice President Xi Jinping said during his visit to the US two weeks ago.
Nervous and curious
Qiu Huanxi, a former waiter at the hotel well remembers the American delegation in 1972. Qiu says he would never forget "the mysterious, political task."
"We were nervous and curious, but we had to hide our feelings and look calm," he recalled.
Qiu, a son of a local ordinary family, could not speak any English at the time. With little idea of how to receive foreigners, Qiu and his colleagues were told to be "neither too humble nor too pushy, neither too friendly nor too hostile."
"They were from the other side of the world after all. They were capitalists," said the 64-year-old.
As none of the waiters and waitresses spoke English, they had to use body language or simply smile to show their sincerity.
Qiu's former colleague, 76-year-old Le Cuidi, said it took "guts" to serve the foreigners tea.
"Some of our colleagues hesitated whether to bring tea or not, but I did it after thinking it over," she said.
Le, a food runner during the banquet to receive Nixon, was also surprised to see foreigners enjoying the Chinese liquor Moutai.
"Less than 24 hours, we were acquainted with each other," she laughed.
In 1993, Nixon met the service people again at the hotel, and had group photos taken as commemoration.
Coca-Cola
In accordance with the Communique, both sides agreed to boost economic relations based on equality and mutual benefit and to facilitate bilateral trade.
In 1979, right after the two countries established diplomatic relations, 3,000 boxes of Coca-Cola were shipped from Hong Kong to Beijing for sale, which was deemed as a milestone for the beginning of Sino-US trade.
So far, there have been 41 Coca Cola plants built on the Chinese mainland, with nearly 50,000 jobs created, said David Brooks, president of Coca-Cola China and Korea. "Total investment of the company in China has reached US$5 billion and the number will be increased to 9 billion, eyeing huge profit potential in China's rural area," Brooks said.
Today, China-US trade has grown over 180 times than the volume in 1979.
Over the past 10 years, US exports to China have increased by 468 percent and created more than 3 million jobs for the United States. Up to 47 out of the 50 US states have seen three-digit or even four-digit growth in their exports to China.
Chinese companies have also expanded their businesses to the US, creating numerous jobs.
The authors are Xinhua writers.
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