"Putting people's safety and health first, the CPC and Chinese government has led an all-out fight against COVID-19 epidemic, marking a major strategic achievement in fighting the virus," Zhang said.

After years of efforts, China's CPC has also eliminated absolute poverty, creating a miracle in humanity's anti-poverty history, he said.

In addition, it has established the world's largest social security network, covering 1.4 billion of the population, which has given people "a much stronger sense of gain, happiness and security", Zhang said.

"The CPC is the choice of history and of the people, and has won whole-hearted endorsement by the Chinese people. China adheres to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. This is a path that has been proved in practice a right path suited to China's specific conditions. China upholds the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. This is the fundamental institutional guarantee for the development and progress of contemporary China," Zhang said.

The ultimate purpose of the country's development is to achieve the goal of national rejuvenation and ensure a better life for all Chinese people, he said.

"China will not impose its own systems and values on other countries. It has no intention to interfere in other countries' political systems, nor has the desire to export its own development model," the envoy pointed out.

He stressed that China is actively advocating building a community with a shared future for mankind, and stays committed to the path of peaceful development. "China will not hit the beaten path that 'a growing power is bound to seek hegemony'", Zhang added.

To understand China, one needs to abandon ideological bias, stay truthful and objective, and stand by justice and conscience, the envoy said. He noted that American journalists Edgar Snow, Anna Louise Strong, Agnes Smedley and others visited Yan'an in northern Shaanxi province in the 1930s and made objective reporting of the CPC and the Chinese revolution to the world.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of President Nixon's National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger's secret trip to China. Next year will be the 50th anniversary of President Nixon's "ice- breaking" visit to China, the envoy said.

Although China and the US have different social systems, ideologies, and values, the two countries "share extensive and important common interests", he said.

"The two sides can rise above differences and seek ways of cooperation. Under the new historical conditions, China and the US should uphold the spirit of no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, and try hard to explore a way of peaceful co-existence between two major countries with different social systems," Zhang said.

He said subnational cooperation and people-to-people exchanges are an important part of the bilateral relations. The consulate general will continue to deepen mutual understanding and friendship between the people of the two countries, and promote a sound and steady development of China-US relations, the envoy said.