On July 29, 2008, visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi attended the inauguration ceremony of the "Kissinger Institute on China and the United States" at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington. Yang expressed hope that the Kissinger Institute will actively engage in exchanges with Chinese scholars for broad and in-depth academic studies based on objective, fair scholarship, and contribute its share to the constructive and cooperative China-US relations.

At the ceremony, Yang delivered a speech, titled "China-U.S. relations in new century". "China-U.S. relationship has come a long way and achieved remarkable progress over the past 30 years," Yang said, adding that the growth of China-U.S. relations has not only brought huge benefits to the two countries and the two peoples, but also profoundly contributed to world peace and development. In the new century, Sino-U.S. relations have entered a new stage for development, marked by expanding common interest and strategic consensus, and advancing dialogue, exchanges and cooperation, he said. The top Chinese diplomat pointed to more frequent high-level contacts and exchanges, more interconnected economic interests, expanding coordination and cooperation in international affairs, broadening channels for dialogue and communication, and deepening friendship between the two peoples.

With the complex and changeable international situation in the new century, Yang said, the two countries face increasing common challenges and responsibilities and enjoy widening foundation and prospect for cooperation. The Sino-U.S. relations have more global influence and strategic significance, he added. Yang called China and the United States to work hard to deepen cooperation and build an enduring and stable framework for future bilateral relations. He suggested that China-U.S. relations be viewed and handled from a long-term and strategic perspective and maintain their right direction and the two countries judge each other in an objective and sensible way to further enhance strategic mutual trust. He also noted that the two countries should expand exchanges and cooperation and work together to promote common interests. Yang called for a constructive manner to properly handle differences and sensitive issues, and prevent them from hampering the overall interests of bilateral relations. He also stressed the need to actively promote people-to-people exchanges and build stronger popular support for China-U.S. friendship.

Stephen Hadley, assistant to the president for the national security affairs, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Dr. Henry Kissinger, former U.S. State Secretary attended the inauguration ceremony. Addressing the ceremony, Hadley said that the U.S.-China relations have never been so candid, dynamic and constructive as today, and it would be further strengthened in the future. Kissinger hailed great achievement China has made in the development and noted that no global problem can be solved without the U.S.-China cooperation. He urged the two countries to work together to address all kinds of problems and challenges facing the world.

The institute is to establish an advisory board of about 20 Chinese and U.S. dignitaries, which will be co-chaired by Kissinger and Xu Kuangdi, President of the China-U.S. People's Friendship Association, and conduct academic exchanges and cooperation with the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs. Head of the new Institute Stapleton Roy, also former U.S. Ambassador to China, said it will commit to building mutual understanding and promoting U.S.-China relations.

On the same day, Yang also met respectively with Joe Lieberman, chairman of the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Joseph R. Biden Jr., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and World Bank President Robert Zoellick.