President Hu Jintao is turning on the charm as US companies roll out the red carpets, a leading expert on Sino-US relations told China Daily.

 

"His speech at the Boeing aircraft plant has delivered a very important message to the American people," said Wang Yusheng, a former senior official with Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. "The Chinese government and enterprises are very sincere about business cooperation with the US."

 

Describing Sino-US trade as a win-win deal, Wang emphasized that cooperation "not only benefits China but also helps the Americans."

 

Wang said each American family is estimated to benefit by US$625 each year from bilateral economic and trade cooperation, so for the US, "the positives far outweigh the negatives."

 

Any censure and fear of China is "groundless," he said.

 

Wang noted that Hu's tour to Boeing Co is a strong demonstration of the healthy development of the 34-year-old relationship between China and the American aircraft giant.

 

When former President Jiang Zemin paid a visit to the US in 1993, he also visited Boeing. Now it is Hu's turn and he has seen a significant growth in cooperation and friendship China has been buying many Boeing planes lately and there will almost certainly be more orders to come.

 

The huge Chinese market and the close ties between China and Boeing will no doubt greatly please Boeing's workforce, the former official said.

 

Wang said big orders with Boeing and Microsoft are not the only way to eradicate the bilateral trade deficit, and the US needs to take responsibility to ease the trade imbalance.

 

He called on the US to take steps to promote the export of US products to China and ease controls on high-tech exports.

 

"Courtesy demands reciprocity and this is essential in relations between countries," Wang said, adding that a comprehensive and step-by-step approach to resolving problems is the best way to develop the relationship.

 

"President Hu has showed his sincerity in addressing the bilateral trade imbalance and his determination to take serious measures on intellectual property protection. Now we are waiting for the response from the US side," Wang said, pining hopes on the summit meeting.

 

He urged Washington to act as a responsible country and respond to China's "gift" in a proper and serious way so as to treat the country as a "constructive and cooperative partner" rather than a "potential strategic rival."

 

(China Daily April 21, 2006)