Premier Wen urges stronger Sino-US ties

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, December 09, 2003

Premier Wen urges stronger Sino-US ties

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Premier Wen meets Kofi Annan

Premier Wen Jiabao Monday expressed a strong desire for closer economic and trade relations between China and the United States. While he also warned Taiwan authorities not to use democratic procedures, such as referenda, as a cover for separatism.

He gave the warning on two occasions -- a meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and talking with groups of overseas Chinese.

Wen warned the separatist forces within the Taiwan authorities not to attempt to split the island from its motherland, saying the Chinese government will never tolerate such a move.

"We understand the aspiration of people in Taiwan for democracy. However, the essence of the problem now is that the separatist forces within the Taiwan authorities attempt to use democracy only as a cover to split Taiwan away from China. This is what we will never tolerate," Wen told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York after meeting with Annan.

Wen meets US bankers

"So long as there is a glimmer of hope, the Chinese government will not give up efforts for peaceful reunification and for the peaceful settlement of the issue," he stressed. "We believe this will serve the interest of both sides of the Taiwan Straits. This will also be conducive to peace and stability in Asia Pacific and the world at large."

He emphasized that the use of force does not target the Taiwan people, but those who wish to separate Taiwan from

the motherland. "No interest is higher than that of maintaining national reunification,'' said Wen in a speech to overseas Chinese representatives.

Wen, who arrived in New York on Sunday on the first leg of the four-day visit to US, took the opportunity here to have wide contacts with leaders of business circles to highlight the desire for closer economic and trade partnerships.

Premier Wen visits New York Stock Exchange(2)

He rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange, held talks with some well-known US experts on such topics as bilateral trade relations and the value of the Chinese currency, delivered a key-note speech to business leaders Monday and will later visit the General Electric Company.

The Chinese Premier also toured the site where the World Trade Centre was demolished in the September 11 attacks and laid a wreath there.

The two countries have stepped up their anti-terrorist co-operation and bilateral ties have improved steadily since.

Wen proposed five principles on fair trade and economic partnership between China and the United States in his speech entitled "Work Together to Open a New Chapter in China-US Trade and Economic Co-operation,'' which was made at a luncheon hosted by the American Bankers Association. Wen listed the five principles as following:

-- First, mutual benefit and win-win result. Thinking broadly, one should take account of the other's interests while pursuing its own.

-- Second, development first. Existing differences should be resolved through expanded trade and economic cooperation.

-- Third, greater scope to coordinating mechanisms in bilateraltrade and economic relations. Disputes should be addressed in a timely manner through communication and consultation to avoid possible escalation.

-- Fourth, equal consultation. The two sides should seek consensus while reserving differences on major issues, instead of imposing restrictions or sanctions at every turn.

-- Fifth, do not politicize economic and trade issues.

Wen said these five principles are based on the World Trade Organization framework and the existing norms of international trade. "They are essential for a correct understanding and proper handling of possible trade disputes or frictions between our two countries in the years ahead."

"The core elements of these principles are development, equality, and mutual benefit. Development is our driving force, equality the premise, and mutual benefit our goal. This, in my opinion, also serves the need for a constructive and cooperative relationship to which both sides are committed," he said.

Wen explained that "by putting development first, we mean to take a forward-looking approach that allows us to narrow the tradegap through continued expansion of two-way trade."

"We do not go after an increase of US trade deficit with China. But reducing Chinese exports to the US is no good answer, for so doing serves neither China nor the US in solving its unemployment problem. Instead, it will seriously harm the interests of millions of American consumers and US firms operating in China. A more realistic solution is for the US to expand its export to China," Wen said.

He said China on its part has demonstrated the utmost sincerity and made its greatest effort by substantially increasing import offarm products and machinery from the US, and placing more purchasing orders for needed American commodities.

He expressed the hope that the US will recognize China's market economy status, and lift its export restrictions on high-tech products. "I ardently hope that the relevant US departments will make a clean break with those obsolete concepts and anachronistic practices, and throw them into the Pacific Ocean, so as to boldly keep pace with the times," he said.

The scholarly Premier, who usually prefers to use poems to express his feelings, Monday quoted a famous Chinese

poem to encourage business leaders and politicians to give proper attention to problems between the two countries.

Depicting how climbers of the towering Mount Tai feel, an ancient Chinese poem goes, "I must ascend the mountain's crest; it dwarfs all peaks under my feet.'' "When approaching problems in China-US trade, we also need to take a strategic perspective of vision and foresight,'' said Wen.

Problems such as the US trade deficit with China, the renminbi exchange rate, and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) protection, concern many people in the US. But they are also problems that come along with expanded China-US trade, and they can be ironed out gradually since common understanding on them is entirely obtainable, Wen said.

"They should not, and will not, stand in the way of the larger interests of China-US trade. As whirlpools are sometimes found in a surging river, the flows of history can also be interrupted by some occasional setbacks,'' Wen added.

The premier predicted that by the year 2020, China's gross domestic products will reach US$4 trillion and in the next three years, China's volume of imports will surpass US$1 trillion, which will provide a huge number of business opportunities.

The Premier said he plans to make a proposal to President Bush to raise the level of the Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade, so as to better serve bilateral trade and economic co-operation. The two leaders are expected to hold talks in the White House on Tuesday local time.

By People's Daily Online

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