Zoellick puts positive spin on China ties
(AFP)
Updated: 2005-08-03 17:32

Deputy US Secretary of State Robert Zoellick put a positive spin on Sino-US relations, playing down recent reports that Washington sees China as a rising economic competitor and military threat, the AFP reported.

Zoellick, who is in China for the first round of high-level strategic dialogue aimed at easing mutual suspicion and improving a shaky relationship, said he had "very useful" and "very open" discussions.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick (L) shakes hands with Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing in Beijing August 2, 2005. The U.S. and China launched bi-annual strategic talks on Monday to try to keep their increasingly complex relationship on an even keel at a time of tension over a range of issues. [Reuters]

While Washington is concerned about its ballooning trade deficit with China and China's rapidly rising military spending, Beijing fears the United States will try to limit its growing power.

Zoellick said the talks were useful in allowing each side to listen to the other's concerns.

"A general point that I made is that across some seven administrations, the goal of US policy is to integrate China into the world security, economic and political system ..." Zoellick said.

"And that has been accomplished if you consider China is a member of the UN Security Council, a member of the WTO ( World Trade Organization), a member of ozone-depletion treaties and non-proliferation arrangements and a host of others."

He said what was important now and in the future is for the United States and China to "work together to try to pursue common interests" and maintain and strengthen systems for cooperation.

Speaking to reporters after meeting Chinese officials, Zoellick said he emphasized the United States had a "strong interest in building deeper cooperation" with China.

Problems faced by the two countries and others could be tackled much more easily if the United States and China were working together to solve them rather than working against each other, Zoellick said.

Zoellick, who met Premier Wen Jiabao, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing as well as his counterpart Dai Bingguo, said he also discussed terrorism, economic development and trade and human rights.

Zoellick said the United States would also like to see more transparency in China's military spending.

China's recent decision to revalue its currency and end its decade-long peg to the dollar also came up for discussions, Zoellick said.

He opposed plans by some US lawmakers to punish China by imposing tariffs on Chinese goods if it does not further revalue its currency.

Zoellick said Washington sees China's action as "an important first step" and would "monitor closely the process to follow."

"In general, while we will continue to obviously present our view on why it's important to have currency adjustments to be able to deal with international imbalances, the idea of increasing tariffs to block trade and in the process violate the WTO commitments would not be a constructive way to address that," Zoellick said.

Zoellick is scheduled to leave Wednesday.

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