Envoy: Common development should be bilateral consensus

China's sustained and stable development is not a threat to the United States but rather a major opportunity and benefit, and common development should become a major consensus of the two countries, Beijing's top envoy in Washington said Tuesday.

Ambassador Qin Gang made the remarks via video link during the US-China Policy Foundation's annual gala.

The envoy said he hoped the US will respect the Chinese people's right to pursue a better life and will accept China's development.

"President Xi Jinping stressed that China and the US should respect each other, coexist peacefully and carry out win-win cooperation. I hope all of you will pool wisdom, jointly explore how our two countries can get along with each other, and how to take China-US relations back to the right track of healthy and stable development," he said.

Founded in 1995, the US-China Policy Foundation is dedicated to promoting mutual understanding among policymakers, government officials and researchers between the US and China, and to promoting the US-China relationship.

US Representative Rick Larsen, a Democrat from Washington state and co-chair of the US-China Working Group of the House of Representatives; Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Rick Waters; and former US ambassador to China J. Stapleton Roy attended the event.