Encouraged by the recent meeting between leaders of the US and China during the G20 Summit, dignitaries in California urged the two sides to maintain the spirit of exchange and cooperation, as officials marked four decades of Sino-US relations.

"To implement the consensus of our two leaders, in the next few weeks or months, we need not only to find solutions to those eminent trade issues, but more importantly, to lay a solid foundation for the next four decades' development of China-US relations," said Zhang Ping, Chinese consul general in Los Angeles.

More than 300 people in the government, business, cultural and education sectors attended a reception Thursday hosted by the consulate general to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the US and China.

On Dec 16, 1978, the Chinese and American governments simultaneously issued the Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and the US.

The document recognizes the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China, among other things.

Two weeks later, on Jan 1, 1979, China and the US normalized diplomatic ties with each other, opening a new chapter in the two nations' history.

"To those who care about the relationship and who want a better relationship, the choice is obvious. The China-US relationship is so important that it is not in our interests to see it fall into confrontation," Zhang told those assembled.

China is now California's largest trading partner, the third-largest export destination for goods, and the fourth-largest export destination for services, Zhang said. California is also the top state in attracting Chinese investment, students and tourists.

A number of California officials in the state and local level came to the reception and offered their well wishes to the longevity of Sino-US friendship.

Among those in attendance was California State Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon.

"The relationships that have grown between these two countries over the last 40 years go far beyond political views, they go far beyond the actions of any one or two individuals," Rendon said.

"The relationship between California in particular, and China, is a relationship that we as a state are so incredibly proud of," he added. "It's a relationship where we understand the role of China as a global leader."

Los Angeles County Chief of Protocol Lourdes Saab, who attended the reception on behalf of the county Board of Supervisors, celebrated 40 years of "the wonderful relationship with China".

"I say wonderful because here in Los Angeles, it's wonderful, and it's exhibited by the friendship here and of our friends in China, that no matter what happens that we can't control, we express and maintain a strong relationship," Saab said.

When it comes to people-to-people exchanges, perhaps nobody understands them better than Kelechi A. Kalu, vice-provost of international affairs at the University of California, Riverside, who has traveled to China to build a partnership with the universities and communities there.

He said his university hosts a large number of Chinese students from the undergraduate to the graduate level. At the same time, it also sends a lot of American students to study in China.

"Cultural exchange is important because it's a window through which we know and understand people, places that are different from ours, and if we understand each other, we are able to work more in an atmosphere of respect and mutual collaboration," Kalu said.

Contact the writer at [email protected]