On the night of October 23, 2002, President Jiang Zemin, who was on a visit to the US, met with Houston Mayor Lee P. Brown.

Mayor Brown, on behalf of the people of Houston, extended a warm welcome to Jiang. He said that the people of Houston are greatly honored to receive President Jiang Zemin and his wife. Brown said that he led delegations to China twice and reached 72 cooperation agreements with the Chinese side in energy, port, and airport, health care, and high-tech fields. Cooperation in these fields has strengthened ties between Houston and China, and forcefully promoted the development of US-China relations.

Jiang thanked Mayor Brown and the people of Houston for the warm and friendly reception. He congratulated Houston, widely known as the engery capital of the world, on its achievements in petroleum, chemical industry, aerospace, healthcare and other fields. He pointed out that the Chinese government has always attached importance to friendly relations with Houston, actively supports and encourages all departments and regions to conduct exchanges and cooperation with Houston. Jiang said that with joint efforts, exchanges and cooperation between China and Houston will score bigger development.

On the same night, President Jiang Zemin and his wife attended the grand welcoming banquet hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Brown. In his welcoming speech, Brown particularly mentioned his second trip to China in May this year and congratulated China on the great changes taking place in the past years. He expressed the hope that the mutually beneficial cooperation between Houston and China will deepen and expand with concerted efforts.

Former US President Bush also gave a speech to warmly welcome Jiang's visit. He said that Houston is not only an important trade partner of China's, but also friends of the Chinese people. We both believe that either from the perspective of trade or maintaining world peace. US-China relations are the most important bilateral relations in the world. To constantly consolidate and strengthen all-round US-China coopration is in the interests of the two peoples.

Jiang in his address thanked Mayor Brown and Former President Bush for their warm speeches. He reviewed China-US relations and emphasized that 30 years ago, the leaders of the two nations, with great foresight and vision, broke the ice after bilateral ties were frozen for 23 years. The two countries started exchanges and cooperation, and the friendly relations between the two peoples have developed constantly. History tells us that The development of friendly cooperation between China and the United States will not only bring enormous benefits to the two peoples but will also greatly promote peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and the world as a whole. A stable, healthy and growing Sino-US relationship serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples and the people of the whole world and conforms to the trend of the times. Jiang said that he is looking forward to his meeting with President Bush on the 25th and expressed the belief that it will achieve positive results and give fresh impetus to the development of the China-US ties.