Q&A: Interview with US health secretary
Updated: 2007-12-10 17:24
Li Xing: I know that you are known for your efforts, or your success, in transcending partisan boundaries. China and the US have different political systems. So how do you transcend these differences?
Michael Leavitt: Well, I think the principle here is different systems, common goals. And we need to build bridges. What I said earlier about interoperable systems: the systems can be different. You can have different operating systems, but if the right arrangements have been made, if the software's been developed, those two systems can communicate. Where there's a common interest and a common benefit, those bridges can be built.
To be more specific, as our countries' trade relationship grows, it will require that we have systems in place in both countries to help sustain that relationship. I'll be attending tomorrow, and Wednesday and Thursday, the Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) between the United States and China. The issues related to how we can create that kind of bridge-building is what we're talking about. In a global economy, China and the United States will become more prosperous by trading with each other, by having that kind of interoperable system, but the system doesn't always exist. We have to invent it, and have to figure out how to navigate the different political systems and the different sociology and the different economic interests. Sometimes we have to navigate all of those.
Li Xing: So what do you think the coming SED will achieve?
Michael Leavitt: Well, it will continue the dialogue helping us understand where the differences are. I believe it will also produce some important food safety, drug and device agreements, though the goal of the SED is not necessarily the signing of agreements. It's to understand each other better. But we're finding as we understand each other better, it produces opportunities like the one we'll be seeing come to fruition tomorrow.
Li Xing: Do you have anything in particular to say to the netizens? I think Chinese netizens want to know more about you.
Michael Leavitt: Well, they should periodically check my blog, and I'd be happy to interact with some of your netizens. Perhaps we could arrange a link with China Daily and I could periodically interact with all of the netizens. They can go to http://www.hhs.gov/. On the homepage they will see a little box that has my blog and I would love to hear from them directly.
Li Xing: China Daily regularly publishes people's blogs.
Michael Leavitt: Do they? Well, then I should get you to publish my blog. That's been an interesting and unique experience. I write them myself, and I try to review the comments that come in. I'm not able to respond to every comment, because of the time. I often end up writing the blogs late at night in a hotel room. Sometimes I even try to write them while I'm exercising, which is not easy. I don't write every day, but I write sometimes a couple times a week or more. I'll be writing about my trip. I may do a blog on my interview on China Daily.
Li Xing: Can we print it in China Daily? I'm the editor of the opinion page.
Michael Leavitt: Oh are you? I'd be happy to do that.
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