Australia: China stresses caution in ties with US

PJ: It is no wonder that the Chinese would view relations with the US with caution as they hear one thing from the Obama administration and very different and often hostile comments from the current crop of GOP presidential contenders.

Sydney Morning Herald

China's vice-president stresses caution in ties with US
By Philip Wen

BEIJING: China's president-in-waiting, Xi Jinping, has sought to bed down relations with the United States before a visit to Washington, saying the US should view China's strategic intentions in a "sensible and objective" manner to ensure ties between the two economic superpowers are not harmed.

"We hope that the US can view China's strategic intentions and development path in a sensible and objective way, and be committed to develop a co-operative partnership," Mr Xi said in Beijing on Monday night.

"Ultimate caution should be given to major and sensitive issues that concern each country's core interests to avoid any distraction and setbacks in China-US relations."
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Mr Xi's visit to the US, reported to be next month, will be closely watched for any clues of a shift in China's foreign policy. The Chinese Communist Party is changing its leadership later this year. Mr Xi, the vice-president, has taken on increasingly prominent public engagements and is considered almost certain to succeed Hu Jintao as president.

Beijing and Washington disagree on a number of political, military and economic fronts. The US has repeatedly complained about China artificially deflating the value of its currency, while Beijing, which holds vast sums of US treasury bonds, expressed its unhappiness over the Obama administration's economic management.

China has voiced its concern over Australia's decision to welcome US troops to bolster its presence in the Asia-Pacific region, and remains strongly opposed to the US's decision to continue arms sales to Taiwan. Tensions in the South China Sea also remain high due to overlapping territorial disputes with neighbouring countries.

Beijing and Washington also hold different views on Iran, Burma and North Korea. Another potential flashpoint was provided by the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, who decided last week to impose sanctions on China's state-run oil company Zhuhai Zhenrong for supplying Iran with refined petroleum. The US is building pressure on Tehran over its nuclear program.

"China is now going to have to come to grips with being a responsible stakeholder in the global economy as well as in the traditional areas of diplomacy," Mrs Clinton said late last year. "It is one thing to be a developing country and get cut some slack … We need new rules of the road."

The US's own presidential race could provide a test for US-China relations. The Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has expressed his desire to take a stronger stance on China if elected.

But Mr Xi emphasised the importance of maintaining healthy ties above all differences. "No matter what changes might take place in the international situation, our commitment to developing the Sino-US partnership should never waver for temporary development," he said in a 20-minute speech on Monday night to a gathering of officials and diplomats marking the 40th anniversary of the historic visit to China in 1972 of US President Richard Nixon.

http://www.smh.com.au/world/chinas-vicepresident-stresses-caution-in-ties-with-us-20120117-1q4kx.html