WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai said here Wednesday that there's "no better option" for China and the United States than cooperation.

Speaking at the reception for the 40th anniversary of China-U.S. diplomatic relations and the Chinese New Year, Cui said history has proven that cooperation serves the interest of both countries.

"The past 40 years have proved that cooperation is in the interests of both countries while confrontation hurts both," Cui said, adding "there is no better option for us than cooperation."

Cui highlighted the progress both countries have made over the past four decades, saying "China and the U.S. have interacted on such an extensive scale and influenced each other in so many ways that each is stronger and better than it would be otherwise."

According to Cui, daily trade between the two countries is worth more than 1.5 billion U.S. dollars. More than 14,000 people fly between the two countries every day for work, study and leisure. There are now 50 pairs of sister states/provinces and 227 pairs of sister cities between the two countries.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, National Security Council Senior Director for Asian Affairs Matt Pottinger and a number of members of Congress attended the event.

The People's Republic of China and the United States formally established ties on Jan. 1, 1979.

Over the past four decades, the progress of China-U.S. ties is nothing but staggering, far exceeding most people's expectations.

Bilateral trade grew from a negligible 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in the late 1970s to over 580 billion dollars in 2017, while the stock of two-way investment rose from practically nil to more than 230 billion dollars.