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US, China end talks agreeing to disagree
(AP)
Updated: 2005-12-09 14:53
Two days of discussions between the United States and
China found common ground on contentious issues but the two sides agreed they
sometimes will use differing policies to reach mutual goals.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo is
welcomed by US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick in Washington,
December 8, 2005. Two of the world's most powerful nations have kicked off
a new round of strategic talks in Washington, to underscore their shared
responsibilities as "stake-holders" in the global economic and security
system and managing some frictions in their increasingly complex
relationship. [Xinhua] |
US officials emerged from the sessions seemingly convinced that the Chinese
government has made a policy decision to exercise its emerging economic and
political power as a "responsible stakeholder" in world affairs.
The phrase was used in a September speech by Robert Zoellick, the State
Department's No. 2 official, that laid out U.S. strategies in its future
relationships with China.
Zoellick headed the US side in the talks that ended Thursday. His
counterpart for China was Dai Bingguo, China's executive vice foreign minister.
"During this week's dialogue we discussed how China could work with the
United States and others on challenges such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and North
Korea," Zoellick said in a statement about the talks.
"Without always pursuing the same policies, we can still
pursue the same policy goals with complementary approaches. We discussed our
overlapping interests in fighting terrorism, preventing the proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction, building energy security and reducing the risks of
pandemic disease."
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