WASHINGTON — Declaring that U.S.-China relations are at a “critical juncture,” the Obama administration said Friday that it wanted to deepen its economic and security ties with Asia’s emerging superpower but urged it to embrace political reform and respect human rights.
In speeches and in briefings, administration officials set the stage Friday for Chinese President Hu Jintao’s state visit next week with a mix of blunt talk, optimism and even a hint of gratitude as they described the complex relationship between the two giant economic rivals.
Visit could set tone
Hu’s visit comes as the United States looks to China to become a stabilizing economic and strategic force that benefits both Washington and Beijing. It also comes in the face of domestic mistrust in the U.S. and China over each country’s intentions.
Hu’s three-day visit starts Tuesday and will include a full state dinner at the White House. It is seen as important in setting the tone for a relationship that has been strained over U.S. claims that China’s currency has been undervalued and the secrecy in Beijing’s military buildup. China has been angered by U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and its support of the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
“History teaches us that the rise of new powers often ushers in periods of conflict and uncertainty,” Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday. “Indeed, on both sides of the Pacific, we do see trepidation about the rise of China and the future of the U.S.-China relationship. We both have much more to gain from cooperation than from conflict.”
Clinton also pointed to China’s human-rights record and called for the release of jailed Chinese dissidents, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo. Still, the top issues for Hu and Obama center on the economy and security.
Economic relationship
On Friday at the White House, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner stressed that economic ties between Beijing and Washington mean China will likely become the largest trading partner of the United States in the next decade. Canada is currently the top trading partner.
“It’s very important to understand that this is a relationship with very substantial economic benefits to the United States,” Geithner told reporters at the White House.
The U.S. has been pressing China to raise the value of the yuan, a step Beijing has taken incrementally since June. But Geithner said Chinese inflation has also helped improve the competitiveness of American businesses in China.
On security matters, the United States is looking for a sweet spot between its unease over a rapid build-up of the Chinese military and its desire to have China as an intermediary in controlling North Korea’s nuclear programs.
