Editor's Note: US Commerce Assistant Secretary David Bohigian
has visited China several times in past five years. This time, he
is leading the second US Clean-Energy Trade Mission to China, which
comprises 17 American companies. In an interview with Zhang
Xiaogang, he talks at length about the prospects of clean energy
technology cooperation between the two countries. Following are
excerpts:
US Commerce Assistant
Secretary David Bohigian talks during an interview with China
Daily yesterday. He is leading the second US Clean-Energy
Trade Mission to China.
Q: What kind of result can you foresee if the
US and China work together to promote clean energy technology?
A: We're here to talk about how we can provide
more energy in a more efficient and cleaner manner so that we're
able to reduce the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions in the
decades to come.
I hope for two things. One is to continue the tremendous
discussions we've had as part of the Asia Pacific Partnership on
Clean Development and Climate, which includes China, India, Japan
and other countries in a series of multilateral meetings and task
forces to talk about deploying these technologies.
Another part of that discussion, in which China is
participating, is the major economies' meeting in Washington in
late 2007. It will be held again in Hawaii in just a few weeks. So
those policy discussions are taking place in Beijing, Hong Kong and
Guangzhou with central government officials, as well as provincial
and local officials.
(We) talk about things like market-based pricing for energy, how
to protect intellectual property rights so the most important
innovations can enter the market. We've got many policy goals that
we'll discuss, as we did this morning with the Ministry of Finance
and the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), and will do so with the
National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) tomorrow
morning.
We're happy to have had those discussions together often in the
US we say the government creates the climate for business or it
helps the environment for prosperity, and that's never more true
than when we're discussing the environment and climate issues.
Q: China, too, is very competitive in
implementing solutions. If China and the US join hands, do you
think they will set a good example for other developing countries,
especially those around the Pacific rim such as India and
Indonesia? Will it open the doors for US firms and Chinese
engineers, and perhaps workers, to implement solutions across the
world?
A: We're in no choice. If China and the US are
not working together, the problems will only get worse with air and
water pollution, and climate change. Our companies have the ability
to work together closely with your companies. Our last trade
mission in April 2007 was (incidentally) the first clean energy
trade mission the US government ever led. It resulted in hundreds
of millions of dollars in sales, and we believe each one of those
is a design and implementation solution for both countries.
Q: Will there be more trade missions? Or, will
it become more regular or institutionalized between the two
countries, or several countries? Can it be tied to a bigger
program?
A: Every American knows the Chinese saying that
a journey begins with a single step. Today we've taken two
important steps. First, having our companies here on the second
clean energy trade mission has helped our countries
institutionalize the process of our companies' coming
together.
The second step we've taken today is opening up a dialogue on clean
energy and energy efficiency. And that dialogue, along with our
partners at the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of
Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME), and our partners at the
NDRC and MOFCOM, we certainly hope will continue. The president has
prioritized working with the world through the major economies, as
well as the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and
Climate, and we certainly expect that to continue.
Q: Do you expect the initiatives you've taken
to continue beyond this year - after the presidential election,
that is?
A: I really hope it will continue in 2009 under a new president
and beyond because it really has become a generational issue. This
generation of policy makers and more and more voters understand the
importance of these issues. I believe it is bipartisan, Republicans
and Democrats seek to develop cleaner energy, and energy that
doesn't have the same carbon footprint that we've had in the past.
It's important that we show cooperation in trade and on clean
energy.
Q: Many US clean-tech companies don't have a
presence in China. Some have just come here looking for
opportunities. What kind of environment are they seeking? What
services do they expect China to provide? And what kind of
regulatory conditions they expect?
A: US, Chinese and global companies all will
benefit from some of the policy changes that China is undertaking.
I'll highlight just a few. One is the market-based pricing for
energy. People's ability to pay the right rate, the global rate for
energy, is probably the most powerful force creating energy
efficiency and new innovation opportunities in China.
Second, I would highlight the rule of law. Companies' ability to
understand what they have bargained for and get the support of the
court system is absolutely crucial.
And third would be intellectual property rights. But I do think
China remains an enormous opportunity for both the countries. We
are going to take a bus ride from Guangzhou to Hong Kong tomorrow.
During that ride, we are going to see one out of 20 factories in
the world (that has been) developing products. And we want to make
sure the Chinese and American peoples and those in the rest of the
world can use that prosperity to protect the world for their
children. So it's an enormous opportunity that our partners here
and the Chinese government, and with CCCME, have provided.
(China Daily January 10, 2008)
