Senior Dialogue Examines Framework of U.S.-China Relationship Officials discuss human rights, counterterrorism, nonproliferation, trade High-ranking U.S. and Chinese officials concluded their second round of "Senior Dialogue" meetings December 8. The talks are billed by the State Department as "strategic discussions" that are designed "to look across the spectrum" of the U.S.-China relationship, anticipate issues and discuss a conceptual framework for a "shared future."
According to a statement released the same day by Deputy Secretary of State Robert B. Zoellick, the Senior Dialogue grew out of a suggestion by China President Hu Jintao to President Bush at an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum meeting in 2004 requesting talks "to look over the horizon and discuss the strategic framework of U.S.-China relations."
The first round of discussions took place in Beijing in August. The topics Zoellick and Executive Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo explored at the second set of talks, held in Washington, included: Cooperative efforts for a secure and prosperous world that respects human rights and the rule of law; Ways in which China could work with the United States and others on challenges such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and North Korea and in Africa, Latin America and South and Central Asia; Overlapping interests in fighting terrorism, preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, building energy security and reducing the risks of pandemic disease; and Problems regarding trade imbalances and the protection of intellectual property rights. (Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State).