30 years of wind and rain, 30 years of fruitful achievements. Today, the photo exhibition commemorating the 30th anniversary of establishment of China-US diplomatic ties entitled Looking back 30 Years Later kicked off in Beijing. Chinese President Hu Jintao and U.S. President George W. Bush sent congratulatory messages to the opening ceremony respectively.

Hu expressed warm congratulations on the opening and sincere greetings and best wishes to people from all walks of life in China and the US who had been making great contributions to promoting the development of bilateral ties.

The bilateral relations had experienced twists and turns and made fruitful achievements since China and the US established diplomatic ties 30 years ago, which greatly benefited the two peoples and boosted peace, stability and development in Asia and Pacific and the world at large. Like a vivid scroll of history, the exhibition displayed significant progress of China-US relations over the past 3 decades and inspired us deeply, he pointed out.

In the new historical period, so long as the two countries look at and maintain the bilateral relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective, follow unswervingly the direction of constructive partnership and strengthen dialogue, increase mutual trust and expand cooperation, China-US ties will harvest greater achievements which will benefit their people and those in the rest of the world.

Bush extended congratulations on the 30th anniversary of China-US diplomatic ties. He said he himself had witnessed the significant changes of China over the past 30 years. He saw a China which just started the journey of modernization in 1975 and felt proud seeing the exciting Olympic Games hosted successfully by China in 2008. During the 30 years, US-China relations have moved forward steadily with ever increasing bilateral trade. The two countries maintained cooperation on major issues concerning the wellbeing of their people and frankly and sincerely discussed their differences. The relations of the two peoples would grow closer in the next 30 years.

More than 180 Chinese and US delegates, including State Councilor Dai Bingguo, Chairman Xu Kuangdi of China-US People’s Friendship Association, Chairman Chen Haosu of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, former US President Jimmy Carter, former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, former U.S. national security advisers Zbigniew Brzezinski and Brent Scowcroft, attended the opening ceremony.

The exhibition is co-organized by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, China Photo Service and Tsinghua University. With the theme of friendship, the 360 photos displayed are divided into four parts, i.e. history review, people’s friendship, economic exchanges and win-win cooperation. They showcase the major exchange events at government and non-government levels and the achievements of China and the US in the fields of diplomacy, trade and economy, culture, education and sports within the 30 years.

The exhibition will tour a number of Chinese municipalities and provinces and US states throughout 2009. The first exhibition in China kicked off here today, and that in the US will open in Richard Nixon Library on January 21. The closing ceremony will be held in the Carter Center in December.