Liu Haiping, Dean of the School of Foreign Languages of Nanjing University, said in his opening speech at the International Symposium on "Sino-US Cultural Exchanges: 1840- 1949" held in Nanjing University from July 4 to 7 that the great cultural differences between China and the United States are rare in the world. It is precisely because of this difference that China and the United States attract and influence each other. The United States is now the only superpower in the world. It can be predicted that China will become a world power in more than 20 years. China and the United States need mutual understanding and respect more than ever before. Looking back on Sino-US relations in modern history, there were ups and downs, from hostility to friendship, from friendship to discord, from confrontation to dialogue. In the 1940s and 1950s, the two countries changed from allies in World War II to rivals on the Korean battlefield. After that, the two countries entered a long-term cold war stage. This hostility didn't end until 1972 when Nixon visited China. The two countries established normal relations on 1979. However, the obstacles affecting the relations between the two countries have not been completely eliminated, and past misunderstandings will appear in new forms from time to time. "How should we view these changes and complicated situations? What is the trend of Sino-US relations in the world situation? What factors are promoting and hindering the development of the two countries? " His opening speech pointed out the purpose of this seminar. As Professor Margaret Ronald of City University of new york pointed out, the importance of cultural exchange between China and the United States is beyond doubt. This grand event coincides with the smooth return of Hong Kong to the embrace of the motherland. It is absolutely rare to return territory like this without shedding a drop of blood. The outbreak of World War I can be said to be largely caused by cultural differences and misunderstandings. This fully proves the importance of how we look at each other.

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