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Disarmament DocumentationBack to Disarmament Documentation US-China Relations: US Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly, Congressional testimony, September 11'US-China Relations, prepared statement by Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James A. Kelly before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, September 11. Thank you...for the opportunity to address the SFRC [Senate Foreign Relations Committee] on one of the most important bilateral relationships of the 21st century - the US-China relationship. As the world's most populous country, with a huge and rapidly growing economy, and a permanent seat in the UNSC [United Nations Security Council], China is well on its way to becoming a major force in global affairs. In some respects, it is already there; in others, it has aspirations to leadership that can complement - or potentially conflict with - our nation's objectives. Managing our relationship with this dynamic and evolving country and ensuring that the US-China relationship is a force for peace, security, and prosperity is a task as critical as it is complicated. Many have tried to sum up the United States' relationship with China in a catch phrase - friend or enemy, good or bad, strategic competitor or strategic partner. Such characterizations are neither useful nor accurate. Our relationship with the PRC [People's Republic of China] and its 1.3 billion citizens is too complex, varied, and fast changing to be reduced to sound bites. And so today, avoiding broad generalizations and overly simplistic judgments, I want to give you specifics on where we stand on a whole range of issues with the PRC after the first two years of this Administration. President Bush, Secretary Powell, and all of us in the administration have worked hard over the last two and a half years to forge a candid, constructive and cooperative relationship with China. In the spirit of dealing straightforwardly with our differences and building on common interests, the President has met with China's leader an unprecedented four times since taking office. He visited China twice in his first 13 months in office, hosted President Jiang Zemin in Crawford last October, and met the new Chinese President Hu Jintao in Evian, France this June. While not minimizing the differences that remain over human rights, nonproliferation, and Taiwan, I can report to you that the administration's approach to China has resulted in a US-China relationship that is, on some fronts, the best it has been in years. It is marked by complementary - and sometimes common - policies on a broad range of issues that are critical to US national interests: the war on terrorism and critical regional security issues are just two examples. Both China and America understand that what we need - what is in both of our interests - is a relationship that is pragmatic, based on mutual respect, and focused on furthering peace and stability in the world. By pragmatic, I mean that we maintain and strengthen our core interests or values. Yes, we have real and important differences with China and we must continue to encourage China's evolution as a responsible global power that contributes to the solution of global problems and respects its international obligations in areas such as nonproliferation, trade, and human rights. Our goal is to develop a relationship with the PRC that furthers bilateral cooperation on a range of critical issues while staying true to US ideals and principles. I was recently in Beijing for 6-party talks aimed at the complete, verifiable, and irreversible termination of North Korea's nuclear programs. China played a critical role in getting the DPRK to the table and arranging the talks, and in letting Pyongyang know that North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons is not simply a bilateral issue between the US and the DPRK, but is a matter of great concern to its neighbors in the region. It bears remembering that 50 years ago the US and the PRC were fighting on opposite sides of a conflict on the Korean peninsula. Today, by contrast, we share a common goal in preventing North Korea's further development of weapons of mass destruction. China's appreciation of the need to bring North Korea back into compliance with its international commitments is significant indeed. As PRC chair of the talks, Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi, said at the conclusion of the talks, China would continue to do its part to seek a peaceful settlement of the nuclear issue and a lasting peace in the Korean peninsula. We will continue working with the Chinese and our other partners to find a peaceful, diplomatic solution to this complicated and difficult issue. Today marks the two-year anniversary of the tragic attacks of September 11th. The swift Chinese condemnation of those attacks and the subsequent enhancing of our bilateral counter-terrorism cooperation have shown that we stand united in our fight against those who wish ill to the United States, and the security and stability of the world. The PRC voted in support of both UN Security Council resolutions after the September 11th attacks. Within two weeks of 9/11, we initiated a US-China counterterrorism dialogue to improve practical cooperation, and have subsequently held two rounds of those talks and are looking towards a third round. China supported the coalition campaign in Afghanistan and pledged $150 million - a significant amount measured against China's historical foreign aid commitments - to Afghan reconstruction following the defeat of the Taliban and our successes in disrupting and setting back al Qaeda. This July, China joined the Container Security Initiative, enabling joint efforts to target and pre-screen cargo being shipped to the US from Chinese ports. This means that Chinese and American customs officials will be working together on the ground in China to keep Americans safe at home. We have also had a useful dialogue on Iraq. China voted for UN Resolution 1441 authorizing renewed weapons inspections in Iraq, and publicly decried Baghdad's attempts to play games with the UN Security Council. We are looking for ways to engage China further in reconstruction and stabilization efforts in Iraq. Clearly, China and the US do not have identical perspectives on world affairs. Taiwan is one example. Our abiding interest is in a peaceful resolution of cross-Strait differences; we continue to tell China clearly that its missile deployments across the Strait from Taiwan and refusal to renounce the use of force are fundamentally incompatible with a peaceful approach. Let me assure you that this Administration takes seriously its obligations under the three US-China communiqués and the Taiwan Relations Act. We will continue to adhere to our "one China" policy. We will also consider the sale of defense articles and services at an appropriate level to allow Taiwan to maintain its ability to defend itself. However, we can say that on some of the most important international issues of the day, China and the United States have overlapping, if not identical, interests, and that the areas of shared interest and cooperation are growing in both scope and intensity. ... There are...steps that need to be taken with regard to nonproliferation. The Chinese have expressed their desire to stem the proliferation of missiles and WMD, and we are heartened by recent steps taken in the right direction. Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security John Bolton was recently in Beijing for the second round of a semi-annual security dialogue aimed at - among other key issues - halting the spread of these deadly weapons and technologies. Although China recently issued updated regulations on the export of chemical and biological agents, as well as missile-related export controls, full implementation and effective enforcement are still lacking. We continue to see disturbing cases of proliferation activities by certain Chinese firms. As you know, the Administration has not shied from sanctioning such activities, as required by US law. China must realize that this kind of proliferation not only damages its relationship with the US, but also ultimately hurts its own interests and security. ... I do not underestimate the challenges of our relations with China, and we must continue to speak frankly and forcefully on issues that concern us. A US-China relationship that is candid, cooperative, and constructive, is both necessary and possible today. It is also in the interests of our mutual prosperity and peace and that of Asia-Pacific region and the world. Source: Kelly, in Senate Testimony, Highlights US-China Cooperation, US Department of State (Washington File), http://usinfo.state.gov/usinfo/products/washfile.html, September 11. © 2003 The Acronym Institute. |