The Soul of the Shanghai Communiqué

On February 25， the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai， the National Committee on United States-China Relations and the Committee of 100 co-hosted an event， both online and offline， marking the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Shanghai Communiqué. Seasoned diplomats including Dr. Henry Kissinger as well as other public figures examined how China-U.S. relations should evolve over the next 50 years building upon the legacy of the landmark document， which laid the political foundations for China and America to establish diplomatic ties. Edited excerpts of some participants’ views follow：

The joint communiqué is one of the most extraordinary diplomatic documents， I would say， in history. From the beginning， President Richard Nixon and I decided that we should establish contact with China and then， through many complicated attempts， finally linked up. The fundamental intention of the strategy of dealing with China was to open the international system to one of its most important components， historically and in reality. That was accomplished through these messages that went from Washington and Beijing via Pakistan to each other.

After my trip to China [in July 1971]， which opened the door， there was another set of meetings which prepared the Shanghai Communiqué in October 1971. It started with a normal communiqué-type discussion， after which there was a Chinese proposal， put forward by Chairman Mao Zedong， that the discussions should state the differences between the two sides in order to highlight whatever agreements might be made.

Therefore， the document that appeared was a highly unusual one， including a statement of opposing views on a number of subjects. It also stated agreements of great significance： a statement in which the U.S. affirmed that it would not challenge the concept of one China； a statement in which both countries indicated opposition to hegemony by any country in the world； and a statement about efforts of cooperation between China and the U.S. on matters of international importance.

The essence of what it said about Taiwan was that the U.S. accepted the principle of one China and therefore would not support a “two-China policy.”China indicated it could be very patient about the process of eventual reunification. Those are the principles that were augmented by two more communiqués in subsequent years that should maintain the basic structure of the discussion.

Now we’re meeting at a moment when it is not always one of cooperation between China and the U.S.， and I simply want to say that the safety of the world depends on the two most advanced technological countries to remain in permanent dialogue and to attempt and achieve the settlement of their disagreements with a cooperative attitude. Those are the key issues of our time. In the opinion of thoughtful people， the key to international order is restrained conduct and peaceful discussion between these two great societies.

During the First Asian-African （Bandung） Conference [in Indonesia] in 1955， Premier Zhou Enlai rebutted a number of countries that spoke out aggressively against China with an 18-minute impromptu speech on seeking common ground while shelving differences and the necessity of achieving world peace.

He also announced the People’s Republic of China’s openness to a possible negotiation with the U.S. on the Taiwan question. The statement， though brief， was widely reported and welcomed. Its significance carries on even today.

On February 21， 1972， Premier Zhou highlighted in his speech at a dinner honoring Nixon in Beijing， “American people are great people. Chinese people are great people.Both peoples have always been friendly to each other.”

The past half century has taught us countless times that despite all the sensitivity causing rifts between China and the U.S.， the two largest economies in the world share immense common interests. Peace brings mutually beneficial results， whereas fights incur damages. China and the U.S. must learn how to work together. Both our peoples， as well as the international community， aspire to see a bilateral relationship featuring mutual respect， cooperation and equality.

I would like to call on all civil groups， businesses， think tanks and media outlets， from both China and the U.S.， to enhance their communication and dialogue. Trust and friendship can only be enhanced through amiable conversations， cultural exchanges and business interactions. They will play a vital role in building a healthy and stable bilateral relationship galvanizing strong support from the masses.

The 1970s were among the most pivotal and fascinating of decades. At the center of it all stood the Shanghai Communiqué， connecting past to present—and indeed present to future.

For the last 40-plus years， U.S.-China trade has helped lift hundreds of millions of Chinese people out of extreme poverty—the most dramatic social and economic transformation the world has ever seen. The recent Chinese foreign direct investment is creating more than 2 million jobs in America. Scientific， educational and cultural exchanges have enriched both countries.

Our two countries are inextricably globally intertwined. The world today is very different from that of 50 years ago. During these times of great flux and rapid change， increasingly louder voices have been calling for decoupling， withdrawal and isolation. It has become popular and far too easy to blame or demonize the other and exploit differences， rather than finding a way to bridge those differences.

The Shanghai Communiqué is really one of the most remarkable and creative documents in U.S. diplomacy. Both sides laid out some of their most extreme ideological positions in social systems and foreign policy. There was no whitewashing of positions. The two countries agreed that they could disagree， and that they should conduct themselves based on principles of respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity， and that neither would seek hegemony in the Asia-Pacific region. These are principles that our modern-day leaders and politicians should really examine.

It is precisely this principle of seeking common ground while respecting differences that the Committee of 100 has been practicing and advocating for all of our 30-plus years of existence. And we still firmly believe in those principles， while we continue to promote positive and constructive engagement between the peoples of the U.S. and China.

If history has taught us anything， it is that even in the darkest of times， if both sides are willing and determined， change and breakthrough are possible.

In the U.S. over the past two years， Chinese Americans and Asian Americans at large have become the target of an unprecedented number of violent crimes and harassment due in no small measure to the false and inflammatory rhetoric， scapegoating and blaming the Asian community for the coronavirus. Ethnic Chinese students and researchers in America have also become caught in the dragnet of geopolitical tensions and suspicions between the U.S. and China， painted with a dangerous， broad-brushed stereotyping that people of Chinese descent are not to be trusted.

Despite the current tensions and disagreements， we must find a way to coexist peacefully and work together constructively. Only together can we ensure that the next 50 years and beyond become an era marked by peace， progress and prosperity for all. BR