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Sino-US Relations on Right Track
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| FRI, OCT 19, 2001 |
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The meeting between the Chinese President and US President has attracted worldwide attention. Our reporter Han Bin looks at the relationship between China and the US and some of the prospects for its healthy development.
US President George W. Bush arrived in Shanghai ready for opening talks with the Chinese President.
Bush is here in part to seek more support for an international anti-terrorism coalition. China has strongly condemned the September 11 attacks on the United States, and that has helped transform relations between the two sides.
Mei Zhaorong, President of Chinese People's Institute for Foreign Affairs said: " The meeting between the two leaders during APEC has helped to exchange views and seek common understanding, and give a boost to the bilateral relationship."
Six months ago, the Sino-US relationship was at its lowest point after a US spy plane hitting a Chinese fighter jet off the coast of China. The new US administration took an even tougher attitude on the highly sensitive Taiwan issue. It announced the biggest arms sale to the island in a decade. Even now, missile defense and nuclear proliferation remain key stumbling blocks, and disagreement continues on human rights.
Still, the two sides hope to maintain their economic partnership. China and the United States are important trading partners and investment destinations.
Thomas Lee Boam, Minister-Counselor of US Embassy in China said: " We are very happy that our trade relationship is a sort of the foundation under our entire relationship, that allows us on the way through some of our political problems."
Beyond the bilateral relationship, how Beijing and Washington deal with each other affects regional stability as well.
Just after the September terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, President Bush cancelled his planned state visit to Beijing. So this visit to Shanghai was his only opportunity to talk with President Jiang Zemin. And while the two countries still have many issues to iron out, the short meeting here seems to have put Sino-US relations back on the right track.
Editor:Vicki CCTV.com
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