To relieve tensions, ease up on mistrust and develop more respect. That’s a leading policy think tank’s prescription for the leaders of the US and China.
The two countries could make the world a better place by working in harmony, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) says in a new report.
“US-Chinese ties could have a greater impact on international affairs than any other relationship,” the report said.
Global financial instability, proliferation of weapons and terrorism could all be eased by US-Chinese cooperation, the report said, as well as the challenges surrounding climate change and energy.
“US-China partnership is indispensable for addressing many of the main challenges of the 21st century,” said the think tank’s commission on China.
While disagreements are unavoidable, they should be handled diplomatically and privately, the report said.
The commission recommended that Washington and Beijing expand the number of diplomats and young professionals in each other’s countries. It also recommended the creation of a joint public-private task force to promote technology exchanges, and initiate energy and climate projects.
US President Barack Obama last week signaled a need for more frequent and intense communications with China to avoid military confrontations that could upset a relationship crucial to solving global crises.
Obama spoke against the backdrop of lingering mistrust over a confrontation in the South China Sea involving an unarmed US ship.
A top US commander, Admiral Timothy Keating, testified to a Senate committee on Thursday that the run-in shows China will not behave acceptably.
On Monday, meanwhile, China’s chief climate negotiator, Li Gao (李高), said countries buying Chinese goods should be held responsible for heat-trapping gases released during manufacturing in China.
China has surpassed the US as the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases. But 15 percent to 25 percent of its emissions are generated by manufacturing goods for export, Li said.
In the worldwide economic slump, demand is weak in the US and China, which contributes to the global economic downturn and threatens to ignite already simmering trade tensions.
The report was co-chaired by former defense secretary William Cohen and Maurice Greenberg, former head of American International Group, who is now chief executive of CV Starr Co, a privately held company.
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