Improvement in Ties Offers Backdrop for Bush's China Trip

US President George W. Bush arrived in Beijing for a two-day visit to China Thursday, exactly 30 years after late US President Richard Nixon made an "ice-breaking" China trip.

February 21, 1972, Nixon's plane landed in Beijing airport and his subsequent handshaking with Chairman Mao opened a new chapter in Sino-US relations and made a profound change to the world political scenario.

During that historic visit, the two sides signed the Shanghai communique which calls for the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Incumbent US President Bush is paying his first state visit to China, which is made against the backdrop of overall improvement in relations between the two countries in the past year.

Although the ties between China and the United States suffered some setbacks in the early days of the Bush administration, the two sides signaled the desire to make things work, and they succeeded.

In the wake of the "September 11" terror attacks, the United States and China enlarged the scope of cooperation, especially in the field of mutual interests such as the combat against terrorism.

In the latter half of last year, the Sino-US relations turned up many new trends, such as seeking common ground while putting differences aside, solidifying economic and trade cooperation, promoting common economic development and prosperity.

The two sides increased exchanges of high-level visits or contacts. Chinese President Jiang Zemin exchanged views with Bush on many international issues by phone or through letters frequently. And they deepened mutual understanding last October on the occasion of the APEC Shanghai meeting, which contributed to keeping the momentum of constructive bilateral ties.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell met with Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan in July and September. Chinese Minister of Finance Xiang Huaicheng and US Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill co-presided over the 14th session of the China-US Joint Economic Committee (JEC) last September in Beijing. The two sides conducted extensive discussions on issues such as international and bilateral macroeconomic situations, economic policy, bilateral trade, and the financial market, and reached consensus on a wide range of issues.

Trade and economic relations between China and the United States are the cornerstone of bilateral relations as Sino-US trade expanded rapidly in the 1990s, benefiting both sides.

Chinese official data shows that Sino-US trade volume increased in 2001 by 8.1 percent over the previous year to US$80.5 billion.

There were 2,606 new US investment projects in China last year, with a total investment of US$7.5 billion. US Commerce Secretary Evans said contracts worth US$1.6 billion were signed by four Chinese airlines with Boeing last October, the first large-sum order the US company obtained since the September 11 terror attacks.

China's accession to the World Trade Organization provides a good platform for further development of Sino-US trade relations.

The decree signed last December by President Bush over the status of permanent normal trade relations with China signaled the normalization of trade relations between the two countries.

China and the United States have strengthened their exchanges, consultations and cooperation on the issues of anti-terrorism, arms control, non-proliferation and human rights.

Of course, divergence or differences still exist between the two countries on certain issues, of which the Taiwan issue is the most sensitive and important one.

At Shanghai APEC meeting last October, President Bush made it clear that his administration continues to pursue the One China policy and observe the three communiques guiding Sino-US relations.

During the past 30 years the proper handling of the Taiwan issue has always been the key to the stable development of bilateral relations between China and the United States.

China and the United States bear the responsibility of contributing to the peace, stability and prosperity in the Asian-Pacific region and the entire world as well. Their common interests outweigh the differences. As long as both countries make concerted efforts their relations will surely enjoy a healthy and stable development in the new century.

(Xinhua News Agency February 21, 2002)