U.S. envoy praises relations with China

BEIJING, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- The United States and China have come a long way since setting up diplomatic ties 30 years ago, the U.S. ambassador to China said.

Speaking at a Beijing reception held by Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, U.S. envoy Clark Randt said relations between the two nations "will continue to be increasingly good."

Under terms of a joint communique issued in 1978, the United States and China formally opened diplomatic relations Jan. 1, 1979.

"We have some ups and downs but we've come a long way," Randt told the official Chinese news agency. "From January 1979 to January 2009, (we've made) a lot of progress. It's terrific."

Randt said the 30th anniversary of the two nations' diplomatic relations next month will be marked by celebrations in Beijing, attended by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former President Jimmy Carter, former U.S. National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.