(Photograph by Shen Hong/Xinhua News Agency)

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

At the outset, I wish to extend, on behalf of the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations, our warmest congratulations on the opening of the Year 2010 China Textile and Apparel Trade Show.

Textile and apparel trade between China and the US showcases the brisk growth of China-US economic cooperation over the past 31 years．Our two-way trade has skyrocketed from less than 2.5 billion US dollars in 1979 to 298.26 billion in 2009,almost a 120-fold increase．In 2009,textile and apparel trade between China and the US stood at 26.9 billion US dollars. China was once a major importer of American textile machinery, and now remains the biggest importer of American cotton. Chinese products,initially made in China and now jointly designed and manufactured by China and the US,have not only increased the choices of American consumers and reduced America's inflationary pressure,but also offered great space for upgrading the US industrial mix．At present, China-US economic cooperation is expanding in size,area, substance and form．Our economies are highly complementary, interlocked and interdependent.

China-US economic cooperation has gone beyond a mere bilateral dimension．My work experience in the United Nations has driven it home to me that the United States and China, the largest developed and developing countries respectively, shoulder major, unshirkable responsibilities for promoting world economic development and maintaining international peace and stability. Our potential for cooperation is ever expanding．A peaceful China-US relationship makes both countries winners while a confrontational one makes both losers．China-US economic cooperation has brought our two countries together and lent a great impetus to bilateral relations．It has not only brought real benefits to both Chinese and American people,but also contributed to world peace and development．

The distinguished guests present today have all worked vigorously to promote and engage in China-US economic cooperation, and have made great contributions to the sustained, healthy and steady development of China-US trade and economic relations．The development of economic ties between our countries is now faced with some difficulties and challenges,and calls for more care and support from all of you．I am convinced that complementarity is the basis of China-US economic relations,mutual benefit is the essence of our economic cooperation, and cooperation based on mutual trust represents the future of our bilateral relations．Let us work together to create a brighter future for China-US relations．

In closing, I wish the trade show a complete success．