Interview: Former ambassador expects positive development in U.S.-China ties

Special Report:

30th Anniversary of Sino-U.S. Diplomatic

Relations

by Chinese media writer Chen Yu

HOUSTON, March 2 (Chinese media) -- If the United States and

China want to work together to shorten the world economic crisis, they can do it

more effectively by cooperating, a senior U.S. diplomat said here on Monday.

The two countries can also achieve positive results

in a wide range of international and regional affairs as long as they build

their relations on enhanced mutual confidence, Stapleton Roy, who was twice U.S.

ambassador to China, said in an interview with Chinese media.

SECRETARY CLINTON'S VISIT

SENDS POSITIVE SIGNALS

The new U.S. administration is on the right track in

handling its ties with China, said Roy, a veteran diplomat with a 45-year career

with the U.S. State Department and currently director of the Kissinger Institute

on China and the United States.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's recent

visit to China is very positive and sends the right signals that the new U.S.

administration wants to move its relations with China in the positive direction,

he said.

"When she talked about China, she not only emphasized

the importance of the relationship but also used the language of wanting

positive, cooperative relationship with China. I think it's exactly what the

goal of our foreign policy should be," he said.

Both sides are pleased with the nature of the

discussions Clinton had with Chinese leaders and are very committed to trying to

move the U.S.-China relationship in the right direction, he said.

Clinton's selection of Asia for her first overseas

trip as secretary of state also underscored the importance the new U.S.

administration attaches to this important region as well as individual countries

there, according to Roy.

U.S., CHINA "IN THE SAME

BOAT"

Describing U.S.-China ties as the most important

relations in the world, Roy said the two countries are each other's most

important trade partner and this trade relationship is "very important."

China and the United States accounted for 40 percent

of the world's GDP. Statistics show that despite the global economic meltdown,

bilateral trade volume rose by 11.6 percent in the first eleven months of 2008

to 307.8 billion U.S. dollars.

The number one priority for both countries right away

is dealing with the financial crisis, and in this means, the two countries are

"in the same boat," Roy said.

The U.S. economy stays unhealthy, and if the Chinese

economy cannot generate growth necessary to provide employment for millions of

young people who enter the workforce every year, both countries are heading for

real difficulties ahead, he said.

What the United States and China can do is helping

themselves and helping each other. "Finding the way out of the financial crisis

is the number one priority for both countries," he said.

He also noted that both China and the United States

are enormous stakeholders in the financial system: China has been the supplier

of credit and the United States has been the consumer of debt.

"We need to act responsibly in the way we deal with

these (economic) questions. We have to understand that everything one does

affects the other, therefore, we need to be careful how we handle these things,"

said Roy.

He warned against trade protectionism in face of the

crisis. "If we end up with protectionism measures, then we will both make the

crisis worse and we will both suffer."

He said the signals emerging from the new U.S.

administration are that the United States is not going to move in the

protectionism direction. However, he said, there will be protectionism forces.

"So the question is will the government be able to

keep those forces under control so they do not push our policy in the wrong

direction," he said.

STRATEGIC ECONOMIC

DIALOGUE IS IN RIGHT DIRECTION

The U.S. administration is right to have strategic

dialogue with China, Roy said. "I am glad this administration is prepared to

talk about having strategic dialogue with China."

The previous U.S. administration used the term

"senior dialogue" to describe its talks with China, and that was wrong, he said.

The talks between the United States and China had

been strategic dialogues as "the word strategic means things that have long-term

impact and involve big and fundamental interests," he said.

However, he noted that any dialogue to be effective

needs to be between the right people on each side who have the responsibility

and have the understanding of the issues that have been done.

"I think Secretary Clinton understands this and I

think that's the approach she is going to take. I think the most important thing

is that they intend to continue this type of dialogue with China," he said.

Apart from the economic issues, Roy said China and

the United States also can cooperate on others issues including climate change,

energy, security, and nuclear proliferation.

But above all, Roy said, the two need to increase

mutual confidence and reduce strategic mistrust before having effective

cooperation.

"It's in the interest of both countries, for each of

us to act in a way that increases confidence in the other country," he said.