Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi (R), special
envoy of Chinese President Hu Jintao, shakes hands with U.S. Treasury
Secretary Henry Paulson, special envoy of US President Bush, during the
opening of the second meeting of the China-U.S. Strategic Economic
Dialogue in Washington May 22, 2007. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin) Photo
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WASHINGTON, May 22 (Xinhua) -- China and the United
States began a key economic dialogue on Tuesday in Washington, aiming to address
outstanding issues in bilateral economic and trade relations.
In remarks prepared for the opening of U.S.-China
Strategic Economic Dialogue, U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said that an
open, honest economic relationship between the two countries is "pivotal to the
future of the global economy."
"The SED is a forum to manage that relationship on a
long-term strategic basis, for our mutual benefit, and to work towards near-term
agreements that build confidence on both sides," said Paulson, also as special
envoy of U.S. President George W. Bush.
He said the U.S. was supportive of a stable and
prosperous China and was not afraid of Chinese competition despite trade
disputes with the Asian country.
"The purpose of this on-going dialogue is to have
candid discussions and find ways to ease, rather than increase, these tensions,"
said the Treasure chief.
Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi, who was also as the
special envoy of Chinese President Hu Jintao, said in her opening statement that
the strengthening of strategic mutual trust and building of constructive and
cooperative relations between China and the U.S. serves the fundamental
interests of the two peoples.
"Equal consultation, cooperation and win-win have
become the overall situation and defining nature of China-U.S. relations, both
being stakeholders and constructive partners," she said.
Wu also noted that she admits that the two countries
still have obstacles to remove and problems, so that both sides "need to accord
each other with mutual understanding and trust to resolve these problems and
overcome barriers through dialogue and consultation."
She warned that attempts to politicize economic and
trade issues should be resisted.
"Politicizing economic and trade issues is absolutely
unacceptable, since it is of no help but will make the situation more
complicated, harm bilateral economic and trade relations or even cause serious
negative impact on the progress of overall China-U.S. ties," said the Chinese
leader.
"We should not easily blame the other side for one's
own domestic problems, or even force one's own views by imposing pressure on and
confronting with the other," she said. "Against the ever deepened economic
globalization today, confrontation does no good at all to problem solving, and
pressure imposition can only make the situation more complex."
This year is the 35th anniversary of former President
Richard Nixon's historic visit to China. Former Secretary of State Henry
Kissinger told the assembled delegates that now, as then, the peace of the world
and the progress of the world required close cooperation between the two peoples
of the United States and China.
"Our two countries can set a standard and a framework
for the rest of the globalized community," he said.
The second meeting of U.S.-China Strategic Economic
Dialogue, co-chaired by Wu and Paulson, was also attended by dozens of ministers
from the two countries.
China and the U.S. held their first strategic
economic dialogue last December. The dialogue mechanism has already become an
important platform for the two nations to discuss long-term strategic and
economic issues.
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