"There are real
differences between our two nations; differences in interests, differences in
values, differences in approaches to issues both at home and abroad," said
Ambassador Huntsman. "But more noteworthy are our common interests and the
increasingly common approaches that have developed with the maturing of our
relationship."
The United States, Ambassador Huntsman noted, can't address the challenges of
the world alone. Nor can the U.S. and China do it by themselves. Success, he
said, depends upon both the U.S. and China pulling together in the same
direction and jointly moving the global community to action.
For its part, the United States understands China core interests and takes
those interests seriously. China wants to develop as a stable, harmonious
community. Ambassador Huntsman said U.S. actions throughout its thirty-year
bilateral diplomatic history, from working on China's accession to the World
Trade Organization and promoting a peaceful Asia-Pacific community to promoting
energy conservation and efficiency and environmental protection, demonstrate
how aware the United States is of the importance China places on development
and enhancing the quality of life of the people of China.
With regard to Taiwan, Ambassador Huntsman stressed that the U.S. recognizes
"the strong feelings that the people of China have regarding
sovereignty." He also noted that the U.S. acknowledgement in 1972 that
"all Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Strait maintain there is but one
China and Taiwan is part of China," allowed the U.S. to resume a
relationship that had been estranged for nearly a quarter century.
"I commend China's leadership for building confidence between the people
of Taiwan and the mainland," said Ambassador Huntsman. "But I also
believe that U.S. policies during this time have played an important role in
helping create a better, stronger, and more confident cross-Strait dynamic and
a more peaceful, prosperous and secure Asia-Pacific region."
The U.S. and China, he said, "cannot, and must not, allow our
disagreements to negate aspects of our relationship that are so critical to the
region and the world. . . Improving the human condition for people in both our
countries should always drive the priorities on which our relationship is
based."
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