Global Challenges Require Robust U.S.-China Partnership

27 July 2009 By Stephen Kaufman Staff Writer

Washington — President Obama says the relationship between the United States and China is as important as any bilateral relationship in the world, and calls on both countries to work together to face common challenges such as the global financial crisis, climate change, nuclear weapons proliferation and violent extremism.

In remarks at the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Washington July 27, Obama told U.S. and Chinese officials, “We can't predict with certainty what the future will bring, but we can be certain about the issues that will define our times.”

The two countries share critical mutual interests, he said. “If we advance those interests through cooperation, our people will benefit and the world will be better off — because our ability to partner with each other is a prerequisite for progress on many of the most pressing global challenges.”

The current global financial crisis has shown the interconnectedness of the global economy and the need for bilateral and multilateral coordination. Obama said the United States and China can promote economic stability through “greater transparency and regulatory reform” and through free and fair trade. The latter especially would benefit from working to conclude an “ambitious and balanced” agreement on the Doha Development Agenda.

On the bilateral level, “As Americans save more and Chinese are able to spend more, we can put growth on a more sustainable foundation — because just as China has benefited from substantial investment and profitable exports, China can also be an enormous market for American goods,” the president said.

The two countries are also the largest energy consumers and emitters of greenhouse gases in the world. Obama said cooperation on energy and climate change is simply a matter of common sense. “Neither of us profits from a growing dependence on foreign oil, nor can we spare our people from the ravages of climate change unless we cooperate,” he said.

The president also said the United States and China need to work together against violent extremism around the world and to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, arguing that if more countries acquire such weapons, it is more likely that they will be used. He called for a strengthened Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty that would renew a basic bargain between nuclear and non-nuclear armed states.

“Countries with nuclear weapons will move toward disarmament; countries without nuclear weapons will not acquire them; and all countries can access peaceful nuclear energy,” Obama said, adding that in the 21st century, “a balance of terror cannot hold.”

The United States also hopes to engage China on human rights. The president praised China for lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty and expressed respect for China’s progress, achievements, history and culture. But he said the religions and cultures of all people, and their freedom to speak their minds, should be respected and protected inside China, just as the United States has similar responsibilities to its own citizens.

“These are not things that we seek to impose — this is who we are. It guides our openness to one another and to the world,” Obama said.

For additional information, see a transcript of Obama’s speech on America.gov.

What foreign affairs decisions should President Obama consider? Comment on America.gov’s blog Obama Today.