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CPPCC calls for less containment in Sino-US ties

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-03-02 16:28

BEIJING: There should be more cooperation and less containment in Sino-U.S. relations, which suffered a "spring chill" at the beginning of 2010, said a spokesman for China's top political advisory body here Tuesday.

Zhao Qizheng, spokesman for the third session of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), made the remarks at a press conference at the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing.

CPPCC calls for less containment in Sino-US ties

Zhao Qizheng (2nd R), spokesman of the Third Session of the 11th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, speaks during a news conference on the CPPCC session at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 2, 2010.[Xinhua]

Zhao said since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1979, the China-U.S. relations had developed rapidly with the volume of bilateral trade expanding more than 100 times as well as a lot of cultural, political and economic exchanges, which benefited both sides.

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U.S. President Barack Obama seemed to have some new thinking on the relations, but two events, which happened during the first 20 days of 2010, had chilled the China-U.S. ties, said Zhao, referring to the Obama administration's arms sales plan to Taiwan and Obama's meeting with the Dalai Lama despite strong opposition from China.

"These two events damaged China's core interests," Zhao told hundreds of domestic and foreign journalists. "Changes in the China-U.S. relations are like changes in weather, from sunny days to cloudy days, and this has aroused Chinese people's concerns."

He said Obama's meeting with the Dalai Lama "seriously disturbed" the Sino-U.S. relations, while the arms sales to Taiwan "seriously violated" three joint communiques between China and the United States and harmed China's national security and cross-Strait peace and stability.

"The responsibility of the setback of the Sino-U.S. relations lies with the U.S. side," he said. "This is like playing tennis, the United States served the ball and what China did was simply strike the ball back."

"For the sake of the interests of both countries, there should be more cooperation between China and the United States and less 'containment' from the United States," Zhao said.

"The Americans need to understand that the China-U.S. relation is like a car that have two drivers instead of one. The Chinese and Americans both have wheels and brakes, so they have to discuss with each other to drive the car forward on the right track," he said.

"Otherwise, the car will only spin around and stay where it is," he added.

The annual plenary session of the CPPCC National Committee will open Wednesday and more than 2,000 top political advisors are expected to make suggestions and proposals on state affairs.