Sino-U.S. joint statement takes ties into positive era: American scholar

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- A joint statement issued after the meeting between Chinese President Hu Jintao and U.S President Barack Obama may help take Sino-U.S. relations into a "totally new and positive era," a leading expert on China said Tuesday.

"The joint statement released on Nov. 17 is an extremely positive document -- filled with countless examples of tangible Sino-American cooperation on a large range of bilateral, regional, and global issues," David Shambaugh, a George Washington University professor and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said in a written interview with Xinhua.

Shambaugh, a senior visiting scholar at the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, spoke after Hu and Obama wrapped up their talks Tuesday.

The two presidents discussed a wide range of bilateral and global issues and held a joint press conference after their meeting. The two countries issued a joint statement after the meeting.

"In the document and the two presidents' joint press statements, there was a very positive emphasis placed on the overall goal of creating a positive, cooperative, and comprehensive relationship," Shambaugh said.

The most significant outcome of the meeting, Shambaugh said, lies in the details of the joint statement, as well as in the ability of both countries to frame their relationship in global terms.

"If all of the agreements and goals identified in the joint statement are actually implemented, it will take Sino-U.S. relations into a totally new and positive era," Shambaugh said.

He believed the joint statement indicated that China is moving in a direction to play a greater role in international relations.

Shambaugh described the atmosphere of the discussions as "mature, professional, and candid."

"This reflects the 30 years of hard work in building the relationship, as well as the growing strategic trust between the two sides," he said.

The professor said that both the U.S. and China must be very pleased with the joint statement.