China, US sail in one boat amid global tides

• Source: Xinhua
• [01:12 November 16 2009]
• Comments

US President Barack Obama arrived in China on Sunday night for a four-day visit to the world's most populous country.

The visit by the leader of the largest developed country to th biggest developing one has roused great interest among observers as China-US relationship has always been one of the most important and complicated bilateral ties in the world.

During the first leg of his Asian tour in Japan, Obama said the United States welcomes China's appearance on the world stage, and  does not seek to contain China. He said that "the rise of a strong and prosperous China can be a source of strength for the community of nations," striking a positive keynote for his forthcoming China visit.

His Chinese counterpart President Hu Jintao has also said that China-US relations have significance and influence far beyond their bilateral ties, and a sound Sino-US relationship is not only in the fundamental interests of the two nations and peoples, but also conducive to peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia Pacific region and the world at large.

China has always maintained that, as the biggest developing and the developed countries, China and the United States share broad  common interests on the vital issues of peace and development, and shoulder great responsibilities.

During a media interview before his Asia tour, Obama said "on critical issues, whether climate change, economic recovery, nuclear non-proliferation, it's very hard to see how we succeed or China succeeds in our respective goals without working together."

The remarks, however, also hinted at the difficulty of bilateral cooperation on thorny issues.

For instance, the trade spats between the two countries have recently flared up, with the US government imposing anti-dumping duties on imports of poultry, tires and steel pipes from China. China criticized the measures as protectionist.