Think tank chairman hopes U.S., China become important partners, peaceful competitors

by Xinhua writer Wang Jiangang

NEW YORK, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- The head of an important U.S. think tank told Xinhua Thursday the United States and China should become important partners and peaceful competitors while trying to solve all differences through talk.

George D. Schwab, co-founder and chairman of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP), expressed the view as U.S. President Barack Obama prepares for his first visit to China at the weekend.

Talking about the overall U.S.-China relationship, Schwab said:" I define it as being good. We see eye-to-eye on many issues."

"The two countries have many parallel interests," said Schwab, who admitted that differences still existed between the two.

Competition is "natural" if the two countries do not "see each other as enemies," Schwab said. "The United States and China should become peaceful competitors."

Schwab believed competition was normal unless the differences were politicized. The United States had differences with EU countries, Japan and other allies, he said.

Schwab seemed to echo the views of Obama, who told Reuters on Monday that the United States saw China as a vital partner and competitor.

The president said that, in a world full of complex economic interests, competition between and among countries was unavoidable. However, for the United States and China, the competition should be like that between friends, but not enemies.

Schwab said of Obama's China policy: "I think there is a continuity from the Bush administration," noting the former administration was "very favorably kind toward China," especially in the second term.

About Obama's upcoming China visit, he said: "I hope our relationship will become closer through these sorts of talks and exchanges" as parallel interests had surpassed the differences between the two countries.

Schwab was pretty sure that Obama would reaffirm the "one-China" policy since "it is in our national security interest," as well as in China's national security interest, to have a stable relationship across the Taiwan Strait."