Sino-US ties not a 'zero-sum game'
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China Daily, January 21, 2012
Xie Feng, director-general of the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, exchanged views with chinadaily.com.cn readers online on Friday afternoon.
![Xie Feng, director-general of the Foreign Ministry's Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs, smiles when answers questions from readers during an online interview with chinadaily.com.cn on Jan 20, 2012. [Chinadaily.com.cn]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20120121/000cf1bdd03f108467b016.jpg "Xie Feng, director-general of the Foreign Ministry's Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs, smiles when answers questions from readers during an online interview with chinadaily.com.cn on Jan 20, 2012. [Chinadaily.com.cn]") |
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Xie Feng, director-general of the Foreign Ministry's Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs, smiles when answers questions from readers during an online interview with chinadaily.com.cn on Jan 20, 2012. [Chinadaily.com.cn] |
Topic: Sino-US relations
Q: How were Sino-US relations in last year? What problems still need to be solved between China and the US?
A: The relationship between China and the United States remains stable but we still have some problems that need to be properly solved.
China and the US keep effective communication and coordination in major international and global issues such as anti-terrorism, non-proliferation, climate change, dealing with the international financial crisis and boosting the world economic recovery.
The Sino-US trade volume reached $446.7 billion, an increase of 16 percent in 2011. And the two countries cooperation in the fields of energy, technology, agriculture, education, environmental protection and law enforcement have made great progress as well.
China is ready to work together with the US to enhance dialogue, deepen cooperation, build mutual trust, properly handle sensitive issues, and jointly secure a sustained, healthy and steady development of bilateral ties.
Q: How do you see the US' recent frequent presence in the Asia-Pacific area? Will it affect relations between China and other countries in this area?
A: China and the US are two big countries that have key influence in the Asia-Pacific area. We welcome the US' constructive role in the region's peace, stability and prosperity.
Increasing military presence and strengthening military alliance are not in line with the region's main trend of maintaining economic prosperity and strengthening regional cooperation. Such a concern is also echoed by a number of other countries.
We hope the US will abandon its zero-sum thought and play a constructive role in increasing mutual trust, promoting common development and maintaining regional peace and stability.
Q: How can we deal with Sino-US trade frictions to avoid a "trade war"?
A: The key for both is to take the right measures to address this issue appropriately. First is equal consultation. The issues concerning both sides can be brought into the bilateral dialogue for discussion and adhere to the give-and-take principle to seek a win-win solution.
Second is to make the "cake" bigger and bigger. The two sides should narrow and address the difference through a more open mutual investment and trade. The trade imbalance between China and the US should be addressed by the US expanding its export to China, instead of limiting China's export to the US.
Third, both sides need to take each other's reasonable concerns into consideration and respect them. China always attaches much importance to the US' reasonable concerns, such as the protection of intellectual property, and we have taken a lot of positive measures to protect it. Meanwhile we also hope the US will take tangible actions to loosen its export restriction on China and provide a fair environment for China's companies to invest in the US.
Fourth, we can also address such issues through WTO if we fail to find a solution through bilateral channels.
Q: Please comment on the belief by some Americans that the rise of China threatens and challenges the US and thus should be contained and checked.
A: Strategic mutual trust is the foundation for cooperation. Moving beyond the Cold War mind-set and pursuing mutual benefit are prerequisites to the building of strategic mutual trust.
China has a clear intention to pursue peaceful development, which is a strategic option based on China's own interests and will never be swayed. We expect the US to honor its words welcoming China to play a bigger role in international affairs with actions in order to win the trust of the Chinese people.
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