REMARKS BY PRESIDENT
OBAMA
AND PRESIDENT
HU OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
IN JOINT
PRESS CONFERENCE
East Room
January 19, 2011
1:27 P.M. EST
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Good afternoon.
It is my pleasure to welcome President Hu to the White House and to
return the hospitality that he showed when I visited China last
year. This is our eighth meeting. Together we’ve shown that
the United States and China, when we cooperate, can receive substantial
benefits.
The positive, constructive, cooperative U.S.-China relationship is good
for the United States. We just had a very good meeting with the
business leaders from both our countries. They pointed out that
China is one of the top markets for American exports. We’re now
exporting more than $100 billion a year in goods and services to China,
which supports more than half a million American jobs. In fact,
our exports to China are growing nearly twice as fast as our exports to
the rest of the world, making it a key part of my goal of doubling
American exports and keeping America competitive in the 21st century.
Cooperation between our countries is also good for China. China’s
extraordinary economic growth has lifted hundreds of millions of people
out of poverty. And this is a tribute to the Chinese
people. But it’s also thanks to decades of stability in Asia made
possible by America’s forward presence in the region, by strong trade
with America, and by an open international economic system championed
by the United States of America.
Cooperation between our countries is also good for the world.
Along with our G20 partners, we’ve moved from the brink of catastrophe
to the beginning of global economic recovery. With our Security
Council partners, we passed and are enforcing the strongest sanctions
to date against Iran over its nuclear program. We’ve worked
together to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula. And most
recently, we welcomed China’s support for the historic referendum in
southern Sudan.
As we look to the future, what’s needed, I believe, is a spirit of
cooperation that is also friendly competition. In areas like
those that I just mentioned, we will cooperate -— forging partnerships
and making progress that neither nation can achieve alone. In
other areas, we’ll compete -— a healthy competition that spurs both
countries to innovate and become even more competitive. That’s
the kind of relationship I see for the United States and China in the
21st century, and that’s the kind of relationship that we advanced
today.
I am very pleased that we’ve completed dozens of deals that will
increase U.S. exports by more than $45 billion and also increase
China’s investment in the United States by several billion
dollars. From machinery to software, from aviation to
agriculture, these deals will support some 235,000 American jobs.
And that includes many manufacturing jobs. So this is great news
for America’s workers.
I did also stress to President Hu that there has to be a level playing
field for American companies competing in China, that trade has to be
fair. So I welcomed his commitment that American companies will
not be discriminated against when they compete for Chinese government
procurement contracts. And I appreciate his willingness to take
new steps to combat the theft of intellectual
property.
We’re renewing our long-running cooperation in science and technology,
which sparks advances in agriculture and industry. We’re moving
ahead with our U.S.-China clean energy research center and joint
ventures in wind power, smart grids and cleaner coal. I believe
that as the two largest energy consumers and emitters of greenhouses
gases, the United States and China have a responsibility to combat
climate change by building on the progress at Copenhagen and Cancun,
and showing the way to a clean energy future. And President Hu
indicated that he agrees with me on this issue.
We discussed China’s progress in moving toward a more market-oriented
economy and how we can ensure a strong and balanced global economic
recovery. We agreed that in China, this means boosting domestic
demand; here in the United States, it means spending less and exporting
more.
I told President Hu that we welcome China’s increasing the flexibility
of its currency. But I also had to say that the RMB remains
undervalued, that there needs to be further adjustment in the exchange
rate, and that this can be a powerful tool for China boosting domestic
demand and lessening the inflationary pressures in their economy.
So we’ll continue to look for the value of China’s currency to be
increasingly driven by the market, which will help ensure that no
nation has an undue economic advantage.
To advance our shared security, we’re expanding and deepening dialogue
and cooperation between our militaries, which increases trust and
reduces misunderstandings.
With regard to regional stability and security in East Asia, I stressed
that the United States has a fundamental interest in maintaining
freedom of navigation, unimpeded commerce, respect for international
law and the peaceful resolution of differences.
I welcomed the progress that’s been made on both sides of the Taiwan
Strait in reducing tensions and building economic ties. And we
hope this progress continues, because it’s in the interest of both
sides, the region and the United States. Indeed, I reaffirmed our
commitment to a one-China policy based on the three U.S.-China
communiqués and the Taiwan Relations Act.
I told President Hu that we appreciated China’s role in reducing
tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and we agreed that North Korea must
avoid further provocations. I also said that North Korea’s
nuclear and ballistic missile program is increasingly a direct threat
to the security of the United States and our allies. We agreed
that the paramount goal must be complete denuclearization of the
peninsula. In that regard, the international community must
continue to state clearly that North Korea’s uranium enrichment program
is in violation of North Korea’s commitments and international
obligations.
With respect to global security, I’m pleased that we’re moving ahead
with President Hu’s commitment at last year’s Nuclear Security Summit
for China to establish a center of excellence, which will help secure
the world’s vulnerable nuclear materials.
To prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, we agreed that Iran must
uphold its international obligations and that the U.N. Security Council
sanctions on Iran must be fully enforced.
Along with our P5-plus-1 partners, we’ll continue to offer the
government of Iran the opportunity for dialogue and integration into
the international community, but only if it meets its obligations.
I reaffirmed America’s fundamental commitment to the universal rights
of all people. That includes basic human rights like freedom of
speech, of the press, of assembly, of association and demonstration,
and of religion -- rights that are recognized in the Chinese
constitution. As I’ve said before, the United States speaks up
for these freedoms and the dignity of every human being, not only
because it’s part of who we are as Americans, but we do so because
we believe that by upholding these universal rights, all nations,
including China, will ultimately be more prosperous and successful.
So, today, we’ve agreed to move ahead with our formal dialogue on human
rights. We’ve agreed to new exchanges to advance the rule of
law. And even as we, the United States, recognize that Tibet is
part of the People’s Republic of China, the United States continues to
support further dialogue between the government of China and the
representatives of the Dalai Lama to resolve concerns and differences,
including the preservation of the religious and cultural identity of
the Tibetan people.
Finally, we continue to expand partnerships between our people,
especially our young people. Today, my wife Michelle is
highlighting our efforts to increase the number of American students
studying in China to 100,000. And I am very pleased that
President Hu will be visiting my hometown of Chicago.
Mr. President, you are brave to visit Chicago in the middle of
winter. I have warned him that the weather may not be as pleasant
as it is here today. (Laughter.) But I know that in the
students and the businesspeople that you meet, you will see the
extraordinary possibilities of partnership between our
citizens.
So, again, I believe that we’ve helped to lay the foundation for
cooperation between the United States and China for decades to
come. And Michelle and I look forward to hosting President Hu for
a state dinner tonight to celebrate the deep ties between our people,
as well as our shared hopes for the future.
President Hu.
PRESIDENT HU: (As translated.)
Friends from the press, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon.
First of all, I want to express sincere
appreciation to President Obama and the government and people of the
United States for the warm welcome accorded to me and my
colleagues.
Just now I have had talks with President Obama
in a candid, pragmatic and constructive atmosphere. We had an
in-depth exchange of views and reached important agreement on
China-U.S. relations, and major international and regional issues of
shared interest. We reviewed the development of China-U.S.
relations in the last two years. We positively assessed the
progress we made in dialogue, coordination and cooperation in various
areas. The Chinese side appreciates President Obama’s commitment
to a positive and constructive China policy, and to stable and growing
China-U.S. relations since he took office.
Both President Obama and I agree that as
mankind enters the second decade of the 21st century, the international
situation continues to undergo profound and complex changes and there
is a growing number of global challenges. China and the United
States share expanding common interests and shoulder increasing common
responsibilities.
China-U.S. cooperation has great significance
for our two countries and the world. The two sides should firmly
adhere to the right direction of our relationship; respect each other’s
sovereignty, territorial integrity and development interests; promote
the long-term sound and steady growth of China-U.S. relations; and make
even greater contributions to maintaining and promoting world peace and
development.
We both agree to further push forward the
positive, cooperative and comprehensive China-U.S. relationship and
commit to work together to build a China-U.S. cooperative partnership
based on mutual respect and mutual benefit, so as to better benefit
people in our own countries and the world over.
We both agree to strengthen exchanges and
cooperation in economy and trade, energy and the environment, science
and technology, infrastructure construction, culture and education,
counterterrorism, nonproliferation, law enforcement and other areas so
as to achieve mutual benefit.
During my current visit to the United States,
the relevant departments, institutions and enterprises of the two
countries have signed a number of cooperation agreements and reached
agreement on a series of new cooperation projects. These will
inject fresh momentum into our bilateral cooperation and create a great
many job opportunities for both countries.
We discussed some disagreements in the
economic and trade area, and we will continue to appropriately resolve
these according to the principle of mutual respect and consultation on
an equal footing.
The President and I agree that China and the
United States need to establish a pattern of high-level exchanges
featuring in-depth communication and candid dialogue. President
Obama and I will stay in close contact through meetings, telephone
calls and letters. The two sides believe that the expansion of
exchanges and cooperation between our militaries contribute to
deepening mutual trust between our two countries and to the growth of
our overall relationship.
We also agreed to encourage all sectors of our
society to carry out various forms of exchange activities. In
particular, we have high hopes on the young people, hoping that they
will better understand each other’s country and be more deeply involved
in the people-to-people exchanges between our two countries.
President Obama and I exchanged views on the
international economic situation. We believe the world economy is
slowly recovering from the international financial crisis, but there
are still a fair amount of unstable factors and uncertainties.
Both sides agree to strengthen microeconomic policy coordination and
actively pursue opportunities for greater cooperation in this process.
The two sides support the G20 playing a bigger
role in international economic and financial affairs. We agree to
push forward reform of the international financial system and improve
global economic governance. We champion free trade and oppose
protectionism, and we hope the Doha Round of negotiations can make
early and substantive progress.
President Obama and I exchanged views on major
international and regional issues, including the situation on the
Korean Peninsula, the Iranian nuclear issue, climate change and others.
We agree to strengthen consultation and coordination on major issues
that concern peace and development in the Asia Pacific region and in
the world.
China and the United States will enhance
coordination and cooperation and work with the relevant parties to
maintain peace and stability on the peninsula, promote denuclearization
of the peninsula, and achieve lasting peace and security in Northeast
Asia.
We will work with the United States and other countries to effectively
address global challenges, such as meeting the climate challenge,
terrorism, transnational crime, energy and resource security, food
security, public health security and serious natural disasters, so as
to forge a bright future for the world.
I stated to the President that China is firmly committed to the path of
peaceful development and a win-win strategy of opening up. China
is a friend and partner of all countries, and China’s development is an
opportunity for the world.
That’s all. Thank you.
MR. GIBBS: Ben Feller with the Associated Press.
Q Thank you very much. I’d like to address both
leaders, if I may.
President Obama, you’ve covered the broad scope of this relationship,
but I’d like to follow up specifically on your comments about human
rights. Can you explain to the American people how the United
States can be so allied with a country that is known for treating its
people so poorly, for using censorship and force to repress its
people? Do you have any confidence that as a result of this visit
that will change?
And if I may, on an unrelated topic, I’d like to know what you make of
the speculation that the gentleman in front of me, Ambassador Huntsman,
might run against you in 2012.
And, President Hu, I’d like to give you a chance to respond to this
issue of human rights. How do you justify China’s record, and do
you think that’s any of the business of the American people?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: First of all, let me
just say I think Ambassador Huntsman has done an outstanding job as
ambassador for the United States to China. He is a Mandarin
speaker. He has brought enormous skill, dedication, and talent to
the job. And the fact that he comes from a different party I
think is a strength, not a weakness, because it indicates the degree to
which both he and I believe that partisanship ends at the water’s edge,
and that we work together to advocate on behalf of our country.
So I couldn’t be happier with the Ambassador’s service. And I’m
sure he will be very successful in whatever endeavors he chooses in the
future. (Laughter.) And I’m sure that him having worked so
well with me will be a great asset in any Republican primary.
(Laughter.)
Let me address the other issue, and a very serious issue. China
has a different political system than we do. China is at a
different stage of development than we are. We come from very
different cultures with very different histories. But, as I’ve
said before and I repeated to President Hu, we have some core views as
Americans about the universality of certain rights -- freedom of
speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly -- that we think are
very important and that transcend cultures.
I have been very candid with President Hu about these issues.
Occasionally, they are a source of tension between our two
governments. But what I believed is the same thing that I think
seven previous Presidents have believed, which is, is that we can
engage and discuss these issues in a frank and candid way, focus on
those areas where we agree, while acknowledging there are going to be
areas where we disagree.
And I want to suggest that there has been an evolution in China over
the last 30 years since the first normalization of relations between
the United States and China. And my expectation is that 30 years
from now we will have seen further evolution and further change.
And so, what my approach will continue to be is to celebrate the
incredible accomplishments of the Chinese people, their extraordinary
civilization; the multiple areas in which we have to cooperate not only
for the sakes of our countries but also for the sakes of the world; to
acknowledge that we’re going to have certain differences and to be
honest as I think any partner needs to be honest when it comes to how
we view many of these issues.
And so that frank and candid assessment on our
part will continue. But that doesn’t prevent us from cooperating
in these other critical areas.
I apologize. I thought we had simultaneous translation there.
So I would have broken up the answer into smaller bites.
Q (Speaking in Chinese.)
PRESIDENT OBAMA: I'm sorry, I'm getting it in Chinese.
Q I’m from China Central
Television. There is an old saying in China that a good
relationship between the two peoples holds the key to a sound
relationship between states. We know that to further strengthen
the public support for the development of this relationship is also
very important to the sustained, sound, and steady growth of our
relations. So, President Hu Jintao, I would like to ask you the
question, what do you think that the two countries need to do to
further increase the friendship and mutual understanding between the
Chinese and American peoples?
At the same time, we have also noted that the U.S. side has been saying
that the United States is willing to see a stronger and more prosperous
China. So I would like to ask President Obama, that deep in your
heart, do you really think that you can live comfortably with a
constantly growing China? And also this question, that what do
you think that China’s development really means to the United
States?
PRESIDENT HU: (As translated.) I would like to take this
question from the lady journalist. I think that the exchanges
between our two peoples represent the basis and the driving force
behind the growth of our relationship. Ever since the
establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries, we
have seen more robust exchanges between our two peoples. And such
exchanges have also helped promote the steady growth of our
relationship.
The statistics I have show that each year we have about 3 million
people traveling between our two countries. In other words, on
every single day, about 7,000 to 8,000 will be traveling between China
and the United States. This is something hardly conceivable 32
years ago when we first established diplomatic ties.
In addition, we have also seen very
broad-ranging development of the exchanges at sub-national level.
So far, our two countries have already established sister relationships
between 36 provinces and states, and we have also developed 161 pairs
of sister cities between our two countries.
The Chinese government is supportive of the
friendly exchanges between our two peoples, and we have been creating
all kinds of conditions to expand the friendly exchanges between the
American and the Chinese peoples.
During this visit, President Obama and I
reached an agreement that both sides will take positive steps to
further increase the people-to-people exchanges. On one hand, we
will encourage the young people in our two countries to go to each
other’s countries to pursue further education and to learn more about
each other. And at the same time, we have also decided to put in
place dialogue and exchange mechanisms between different Chinese and
American provinces and states.
Besides, we are also going to further expand
cultural exchanges and develop tourism. We are going to use a
variety of means to further increase people-to-people exchanges.
I would like to particularly stress here that
the young people hold the future of this relationship. It is
extremely important to increase the exchanges between the young people
in our two countries. Through such exchanges, I hope that our
friendship can be furthered. And I also hope that they in the
future can serve as ambassadors of goodwill for our two countries, and
they can make even more positive contribution to the development of a
cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and mutual benefit.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Let me respond briefly
to your question. I absolutely believe that China’s peaceful rise
is good for the world and it’s good for America. First of all,
it’s good for humanitarian reasons. The United States has an
interest in seeing hundreds of millions of people lifted out of
poverty. We believe part of justice and part of human rights is
people being able to make a living and having enough to eat and having
shelter and having electricity.
And the development of China has brought unprecedented economic growth
to more people more quickly than just about any time in history.
And that's a positive good for the world and it’s something that the
United States very much appreciates and respects.
We also think that China’s rise offers
enormous economic opportunity. We want to sell you all kinds of
stuff. (Laughter.) We want to sell you planes. We
want to sell you cars. We want to sell you software. And as
President Hu and his government refocuses the economy on expanding
domestic demand, that offers opportunities for U.S. businesses, which
ultimately translates into U.S. jobs.
It also means that as China’s standards of
living rise, they have more purchasing power. I mean, something
that I think we have to remind ourselves is that the United States’
economy is still three times larger than China’s despite having
one-quarter of the population. So per-capita income is still very
different between the two countries. And as China’s per-capita
income rises, that offers an opportunity for increased trade and
commercial ties that benefit both countries.
And finally, China’s rise is potentially good
for the world. To the extent that China is functioning as a responsible
actor on the world stage, to the extent that we have a partner in
ensuring that weapons of mass destruction don't fall into the hands of
terrorists or rogue states, to the extent that we have a partner in
dealing with regional hotspots, to the extent that we have a partner in
addressing issues like climate change or a pandemic, to the extent that
we have a partner who is helping poorer countries in Asia or in Africa
further develop so that they, too, can be part of the world economy --
that is something that can help create stability and order and
prosperity around the world. And that's the kind of partnership that
we’d like to see.
And it’s more likely to come -- if China feels secure and itself is
doing well economically, they’re more likely to be an effective partner
with us on the world stage.
MR. GIBBS: Hans Nichols from Bloomberg.
Q Thank you, Mr. President,
President Hu. President Obama, with your respect and permission,
because of the translation questions, could I direct one first to
President Hu?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Of course.
Q Thank you.
President Hu, first off, my colleague asked you a question about human
rights, which you did not answer. I was wondering if we could get
an answer to that question.
And then also, on Capitol Hill, Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Speaker John Boehner are not
attending tonight’s state dinner. Many on Capitol Hill see China
as an economic threat. What can you do to allay their fears?
PRESIDENT HU: (As translated.)
First, I would like to clarify, because of the technical translation
and interpretation problem, I did not hear the question about the human
rights. What I know was that he was asking a question directed at
President Obama. As you raise this question, and I heard the
question properly, certainly I’m in a position to answer that
question.
President Obama and I already met eight
times. Each time we met, we had an in-depth exchange of views in
a candid manner on issues of shared interest and on issues toward each
other’s concerns. And on the issues we have covered, we also
discussed human rights.
China is always committed to the protection
and promotion of human rights. And in the course of human rights,
China has also made enormous progress, recognized widely in the
world.
China recognizes and also respects the
universality of human rights. And at the same time, we do believe
that we also need to take into account the different and national
circumstances when it comes to the universal value of human
rights.
China is a developing country with a huge
population, and also a developing country in a crucial stage of
reform. In this context, China still faces many challenges in
economic and social development. And a lot still needs to be done
in China, in terms of human rights.
We will continue our efforts to improve the
lives of the Chinese people, and we will continue our efforts to
promote democracy and the rule of law in our country. At the same
time, we are also willing to continue to have exchanges and dialogue
with other countries in terms of human rights, and we are also willing
to learn from each other in terms of the good practices.
As President Obama rightly put it just now,
though there are disagreements between China and the United States on
the issue of human rights, China is willing to engage in dialogue and
exchanges with the United States on the basis of mutual respect and the
principle of non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.
In this way, we’ll be able to further increase our mutual
understanding, reduce our disagreements, and expand our common ground.
As for the latter question about the
attendance at the state dinner by some Congress people, as to who will
attend and who will not attend, and for what reasons, I think President
Obama is certainly in a better position to answer that question.
(Laughter.)
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Is that the question
you want to pose to me, Hans? (Laughter.) You get one.
Q I have a question about
exports and jobs.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Okay.
Q You’ve just spoken about
some of the deals that you’ve sealed here, about the importance of
exports -- your own goal of doubling of exports to your job
strategy. At the same time you said there needs to be further
adjustment in the exchange rate and the RMB is undervalued.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Yes.
Q To what extent does
China’s depressing of its currency affect your ability to grow jobs in
this country and lower the unemployment rate?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, I think that it
is important for us to look at the entire economic relationship, and
the currency issue is one part of it.
The first time I met President Hu was in April
of 2009. And this was the first G20 summit that I attended, when
we were in the midst of the worst financial crisis that we had
experienced since the 1930s. And even as we were trying to
stabilize the financial system, what was absolutely clear was that we
couldn’t go back to a system in which the United States was borrowing
massively, consuming massively, but not producing and selling to the
rest of the world, creating these huge imbalances that helped
contribute to the crisis. And that’s why we pushed and why the
G20 adopted a framework that called for rebalancing the world
economy.
Now, that gives us some responsibilities. We’ve got to save more
in this country. We’ve got to cut back on these huge levels of
debt both in the private sector but also in the private sector.
It also means that there are structural reforms that we have to undergo
to make ourselves more competitive in the world economy. So,
making sure that we have the best education system in the world, that
we’re producing more engineers than lawyers, making sure that we have a
handle on our fiscal problems, making sure that we’ve got a world-class
infrastructure -- those are all important parts of us being competitive
and being able to export.
It does also mean, though, that we have a
level playing field when it comes to our trading partners. And
so, with respect to China, what President Hu and myself and our
delegations have discussed is how do we make sure that in fact our
trading relationship is fair and a win-win situation as opposed to a
win-lose situation.
Some of that has to do with issues completely
unrelated to currency. For example, we’re making progress on
making sure that the government procurement process in China is open
and fair to American businesses. And we’ve made progress as a
consequence of this state visit.
Some of it has to do with intellectual
property protection. So we were just in a meeting with business
leaders, and Steve Ballmer of Microsoft pointed out that their estimate
is that only one customer in every 10 of their products is actually
paying for it in China. And so can we get better enforcement,
since that is an area where America excels -- intellectual property and
high-value added products and services.
And the Chinese government has, to its credit,
taken steps to better enforce intellectual property. We’ve got
further agreement as a consequence of this state visit. And I
think President Hu would acknowledge that more needs to be done.
But the currency issue is a part of the
problem. The RMB is undervalued. The Chinese government has
intervened very forcefully in the currency markets. They’ve spent
$200 billion just recently, and that's an indication of the degree to
which it’s still undervalued.
President Hu has indicated he’s committed to
moving towards a market-based system. And there has been
movement, but it’s not as fast as we want. And what I’ve said to
President Hu -- and I firmly believe this -- is not will U.S.
businesses be able to export more to China if we have a market-based
currency, but it will also be good for China and President Hu’s agenda
of expanding domestic demand. Because if the RMB is worth more,
that means they can buy more products and services, and that will
contribute to China have greater purchasing power and a higher standard
of living.
So this is something that can be a
win-win. President Hu is concerned understandably about how rapid
this transition takes and the disruptions that may occur in its export
sector. But I’m confident that it’s the right thing to do, and my
hope and expectation is, is that President Hu’s resolve will lead to a
fully market-based currency program that will allow more effective
trade between our two countries.
Q (As translated.)
Because of the on-and-off interpretation from the simultaneous booths,
I would like to ask the Chinese consecutive interpreter to interpret my
two questions correctly and accurately. (Laughter.)
My first question for President Obama:
Many people do believe that the biggest problem in this relationship is
the lack of strategic mutual trust. Do you agree with this
view? And how do you think that the two sides should enhance
their strategic mutual trust? And how do you think that the two
sides should appropriately manage their differences and expand their
common interests?
My second question is for President Hu
Jintao. We’ve noted that both the Chinese and American leaders
have on various occasions stressed the fact that the influence and
significance of the China-U.S. relationship have gone far beyond the
bilateral dimension. China and the United States share broad
common interests and shoulder important common responsibilities in
addressing a variety of regional and the global issues. So my
question is, how do you think that the China and the United States can
step up their cooperation in a joint endeavor to tackle the increasing
number of global issues?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Certainly, the more
that we can build a baseline of trust -- as you called it, “strategic
mutual trust” -- the more likely we are able to solve the
friction or irritants that exist in a relationship between any two
countries in a more constructive way -- which is why I think it’s so
important that not only governments but people in both countries
understand the challenges that each country faces and not view every
issue through the lens of rivalry.
For example, I know that in China, many believe that somehow the United
States is interested in containing China’s rise. As I indicated
in the answer that I gave a previous questioner, we welcome China’s
rise. We just want to make sure that that rise is done -- that
that rise occurs in a way that reinforces international norms and
international rules, and enhances security and peace, as opposed to it
being a source of conflict either in the region or around the
world.
And these security and economic dialogues that
we’ve established are precisely designed to lessen suspicions, to
enhance mutual understanding. The more we understand each other’s
challenges, the more we can take advantage of opportunities.
PRESIDENT HU: (As translated.) As
the journalist who raised that question said, in today’s world mankind
faces more and more global challenges. And I would like to stress
here that no country can remain unscathed in the face of so many global
challenges. And no country can single-handedly tackle global
challenges.
For example, in the field of fighting terrorism, upholding the security
of humanity, or in tackling the international financial crisis,
promoting the growth of the world economy in addressing regional
hotspots, fighting transnational crimes, fighting piracy, and
preventing and treating communicable diseases -- in all these areas,
countries need to work together to meet the challenge.
China is the biggest developing country, and the United States the
biggest developed country. In this context, it is ultimately
necessary for China and the United States to strengthen their
cooperation to meet such challenges.
How can China and the U.S. do a better job in
working together to meet global challenges? I think there are
three points I would like to make, and these three points deserve our
serious attention and consideration.
Number one, our two sides have acted in the spirit of cooperation as if
we were in the same boat and we should row in the same direction when
we tackled previous international challenges, and I think we need to
keep up the spirit in future as we tackle challenges.
Number two, we need to increase our
communication and coordination. And number three, we need to
respect and accommodate each other’s interests and concerns. I’m
convinced that as long as our two sides continue to act in this spirit,
and as long as we continue to work together with other countries
concerned, we will be able to engage in cooperation in an even broader
range of areas to the benefit of world peace and development.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: All right,
everybody. Thank you so much for your patience, due to the
technical difficulties.
President Hu, once again, we appreciate your visit. We appreciate
the dialogue. And we are looking forward to having dinner with
you later this evening.
Thank you, everybody.
END
2:35 P.M. EST