BEIJING, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Neil Bush, founder and chair of the George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations (Bush China Foundation), has called for deepened cooperation and broader exchanges between the two countries to jointly address global challenges.
Noting the myriad pressing issues facing humankind, Bush said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua that the world's top two economies need to deepen cooperation in areas such as public health, climate change and food security, and find more areas of collaboration.
Neil Bush is the son of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush. He was in Beijing to attend the preparatory meeting for the 2025 International Symposium on the Peaceful Use of Space Technology - Health, to be held in southern China's Hainan Province in December.
Bush told Xinhua that he hopes to see more bilateral exchanges at all levels between the United States and China to build mutual understanding, clear up misperceptions, and promote collaboration in more fields.
"We should encourage even more Chinese students to come to America, and I wish more American students would be open-minded about coming to China to be educated," he said.
On the U.S.-China economic ties, Bush stressed that bilateral trade has been a key driver of growth for both countries.
Official data showed that trade between the two countries has surged from less than 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in 1979 to nearly 688.3 billion dollars in 2024.
"It's been through globalization that we have received the benefits from each other and grown independently, but grown successfully in a win-win environment," he said.
He said the Bush China Foundation, an organization dedicated to advancing U.S.-China relations, has been working to promote bilateral relations following George H. W. Bush's legacy of building relations through dialogue and empathy.
"My father was a big believer in bringing people together," Bush said. "So we created win-win relationships all over the world, including in China."
"The Bush China Foundation is built on that same thesis that we need to bring people together in respectful dialogue to establish better understanding that can lead to more collaboration," he added.
Besides his advocacy for more robust U.S.-China ties, Bush also shared with Xinhua his reflections on his long-standing connection with China and how he has witnessed the country's remarkable transformation over the decades.
In 1975, 20-year-old Bush visited China for the first time. He recalled that during his five-week trip in China, "everybody was very friendly," although the country was still poor.
That journey marked the beginning of his lifelong connection with China. Since then, he has been to the country "probably around 180 times."
On his recent visits, Bush has been particularly struck by China's commitment to green development.
"I'm impressed to see so many green tags on cars indicating electric vehicles," he said, adding that local Chinese officials often highlight the green initiatives and projects underway in their provinces and cities during the visits.
He has also observed steady progress in China's clean energy sector, as well as the technological advances in artificial intelligence and robotics sectors. "Industries supporting solar, wind, hydrogen, and other technologies are developing very maturely here in China, which could benefit the world."
Bush said that witnessing China's transformation into a major economic power has been "one of the most amazing experiences" of his life.
This "amazing transformation," as he pointed out, is also reflected in the international business community's confidence in the country.
He cited a recent report from the American Chamber of Commerce in South China, which showed that 58 percent of foreign companies surveyed ranked China among their top three investment priorities, while 76 percent of the companies intended to reinvest in China in 2025, with a notable 74 percent of the American companies planning reinvestments.
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