Incoming US administration should carry forward Carter's legacy as a friend of China

Former US president Jimmy Carter, who died on Sunday at the age of 100, will always be remembered for the pivotal role he played in the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States.

It was thanks to his vision, courage and wisdom that the normalization process started by his predecessor Richard Nixon in 1972 went on, finally leading to Carter himself announcing in a national speech on Dec 15, 1978, that the two countries would recognize each other and establish diplomatic relations. That not only helped open up broad vistas for cooperation between the two countries in the political, economic, scientific, technological and cultural fields in the following decades, but also contributed significantly to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, attesting to his remark that "the change that I'm announcing tonight will be of great long-term benefit to the peoples of both our country and China".

The foresighted decision he made complied with the trend of the times as it was based on the recognition of the important role China — with one-fourth of the world's population at that time — was playing in world affairs, "a role that can only grow more important in the years ahead".