Thomas J. Christensen, Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs released his remarks February 2 before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (delivered by John Norris, Director of the Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs on Mr. Christensen's behalf). Below is a part of his remarks:
When I was before this Commission last August, I discussed the notion of China as a responsible stakeholder in the global system. Importantly, as I emphasized last August, our view is not that China currently is the responsible stakeholder we envision, but rather that U.S. policy should focus on urging China in that direction . . . Encouraging China to move in that direction continues to be the foundation of our policy; the question, as this Commission has correctly pointed out, is how we can most effectively do that.
Today I will address that question and provide an update on our diplomatic efforts to that end. We have made real progress in some areas, but much work remains to be done. We continue to work closely with China, engaging on an extremely broad range of issues, cooperating on issues in which we can find common ground, but also discussing in a frank and candid manner the issues on which we do not see eye-to-eye. In those areas in which we differ, we encourage China to understand our concerns and change its behavior in ways that will advance not only our interests, but also its own. The tone of our discussions with China is consistent and firm and based on what we know to be true: that the changes we encourage China to undertake-internationally and domestically-will benefit China as a nation and a member of the global community. U.S.-China relations are far from a zero-sum game. A strong U.S. regional presence combined with constructive and candid diplomatic engagement should serve to deepen areas of cooperation and reduce the likelihood of backsliding in the relationship.
It is important to point out at the outset what may seem obvious: China is an incredibly dynamic society, undergoing change at a breakneck pace. We are not faced with a choice between engaging with China or excluding it from the international system; China is already an integral part of the system, and China's rise is now influencing that system in myriad ways. We encourage China to use its growing influence proactively to help solve international problems that challenge the international community. As President Bush said when he welcomed Chinese President Hu to Washington in April 2006 last year, the U.S. welcomes the emergence of a China that is peaceful and prosperous and that actively participates in and contributes to international institutions.
We see many ways in which China's success can make important positive contributions to the global system. At the same time, China must decide whether or not it will use its rising influence to help bolster the global system and promote peace and security. U.S. policy does not simply assume that China will choose a benign path, but aims to help shape China's choices. We are prepared to work with China in positive ways to advance our common interests, but we are also prepared to respond appropriately, should China choose another path. Our continuing strong presence in Asia and our strong regional alliances make clear that the U.S. maintains critical interests in the peace, security, and prosperity of the region. Our policy on China is designed to encourage China to join us in support of those objectives, both in the region and around the globe. In this regard, our positive diplomatic agenda with China and our strong regional presence are not in contradiction with each other, as they are often portrayed. Both provide strong incentives for China to adopt cooperative strategies that will benefit China, the region, and the world. Allow me to offer some examples of our engagement with China and evidence of concrete progress in recent months.
Along with the Strategic Economic Dialogue, led by Secretary Paulson, one of our government's most important opportunities for broader policy engagement with China is the Senior Dialogue. The Senior Dialogue was established on the basis of a commitment made in 2004 between President Bush and President Hu to develop a regular forum to discuss "big picture" strategic issues. It is not primarily intended to address bilateral issues, but rather to provide a forum in which the U.S. and China can discuss how our respective policies, particularly on political and security issues, can help shape the global system on which we and many other countries depend. We have held three rounds of the Senior Dialogue, with Under Secretary Burns co-chairing the most recent meeting last November in Beijing. The State Department is committed to continuing this useful forum, which allows both sides not only to discuss the pressing issues of the day, but also to take a longer look at where our relations are headed five to 20 years down the road and what that could mean for the global system and our respective interests. In the meeting in November, Under Secretary Burns and his counterpart, Vice Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, had fruitful talks that covered a range of key global issues, including North Korea, Iran, Darfur, Burma, APEC, and UN reform.
[Then, he reviewed issues on North Korea, Iran, Sudan, Burma, and Lebanon]
Military Developments.
We continue to be concerned with China's program of military modernization and its lack of transparency, particularly when it comes to the buildup of forces across the Taiwan Strait. China has made large increases in defense spending in recent years and is developing increasingly sophisticated systems. The lack of transparency on the pace, scope, and direction of China's military modernization will continue to be of concern to us and to China's neighbors. China's successful test of an anti-satellite weapon in January is a disturbing development in China's military modernization. . .
We remain deeply concerned about the growing arsenal of missiles and other military systems arrayed against Taiwan, and note Beijing's refusal to renounce the use of force against Taiwan. We respond to those increases in accordance with our obligations under the Taiwan Relations Act and speak frankly to Beijing about our strong interests in a secure Taiwan and our insistence that cross-Strait differences be resolved peacefully in a manner that is acceptable to people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. We continue to press Beijing to reduce those threats and to increase cross-Strait dialogue, including direct talks with Taiwan's duly elected leaders.
Non-Proliferation.
This is an area in which the U.S. and China should have common objectives and strong cooperation. . .
Economic Relations.
I'd like to shift focus now to talk a little bit about the economic aspects of our relationship. . .. It is important to point out that since China's 2001 WTO entry, U.S. exports to China have grown nearly five times faster than have our exports to the rest of the world. The value of U.S. exports to China in 2006 was $50 billion as of November - almost triple what they were in 2001 - and we expect this growth in our exports to continue. . .
However, there remain substantial imbalances in our economic relations, and it is a top priority of the Administration to address these. . .
Strategic Economic Dialogue.
Recognizing the growing relationship between the U.S. and Chinese economies, President Bush
and President Hu agreed to raise our economic dialogue to an unprecedented level with the
Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED). Treasury Secretary Paulson is leading an interagency effort
to engage China broadly to discuss the entire range of our economic relations and how our
respective policies impact the global economy as a whole. . .
NDRC-State Dialogue.
Complementing the SED, as well as the USTR/Commerce-led Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) and Treasury-led Joint Economic Committee (JEC), the State Department continues to lead our ongoing dialogue with China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). . . Our annual dialogue with NDRC is a forum in which we can present our experience and understanding of the importance of open and competitive markets and suggest ways in which China can address some of the imbalances in its domestic economy . .
Global Issues Forum.
We also engage China actively on a wide range of global issues outside the traditional security
and economic framework. In our Global Issues Forum (GIF) with China, which meets once a
year, most recently in August 2006 in Beijing, a U.S. delegation led by Under Secretary of State
for Democracy and Global Affairs, Paula Dobriansky, discussed with China energy security and
clean energy, public health, humanitarian assistance, trafficking-in-persons, environmental
conservation and sustainable development, and international development cooperation.
Other Dialogues.
In December, in an expression of China's increased willingness to engage with the U.S. and international community, the NDRC organized and hosted a Five-Party Ministerial on Energy in Beijing, coinciding with the SED. It brought together the five largest energy consumers in the region - China, India, Japan, South Korea, and the United States - and provided a template for future energy cooperation. . .
Human Rights and Religious Freedom.
As I mentioned at the opening of my remarks, while we continue to make progress in the areas in which we can work with China, we acknowledge that there are areas where we will continue to have strong disagreements. We will not hesitate to protect our interests, promote humanitarian values, and urge China to bring its human rights practices into compliance with international standards. . .
Conclusion
As should be clear, we are engaging with China on an enormously wide range of issues in a variety of high-level dialogues, both bilaterally and multilaterally, to advance U.S. interests and encourage China to join us in taking responsibility to build and strengthen the global system. Throughout our engagement, our message is consistent: it is in the interest of China, the United States, the East Asia region, and the world for China to succeed and play a constructive role in the global system. China is a major stakeholder in that system, from which it has and continues to enjoy enormous benefit.
We must continue to build on the foundations of cooperation that we have established, broadening and deepening them, while engaging China in a frank and direct manner about those areas in which we believe China's policy or behavior is undercutting our common objectives of peace, security, and prosperity in the region and the world. I remain both realistic and optimistic about U.S.-China relations and look forward to continuing our work to encourage China down the path of becoming a truly responsible global stakeholder.