Principal dinner hosts: US-China Business Council,
Natl. Comm. on US-China Relations, US Chamber of Commerce

Henry Kissinger

Introductory remarks

Dinner in honor of His Excellency President Hu Jintao
Washington, DC

April 20, 2006

Mr. President:

All of us are here to welcome you on the occasion of your first
visit to the United States as President of your great and historic
country. We are here, too, because we join you in the commitment to
a friendly, transparent cooperation between our societies for the
benefit of our peoples and for peace in the world. You have arrived
here, Mr. President, at an important stage in our relationship. The rise
of China has caused some speculation about possible long-range
tensions between China and the United States. We in this room have
a different vision. Of course, patriotic Americans and Chinese will seek
to vindicate the interests of their countries. But they will also
understand that the interest of each country is best served by
cooperation rather than confrontation. China and the United States