China is committed to peaceful development that will contribute to the prosperity of China as well as other countries, Zhou Wenzhong, the Chinese ambassador to the United States, told an overflow crowd Monday at the Rackham Amphitheater.
“China does not seek to enhance development at the expense of other countries,” Zhou said. “Peaceful development is the one and only road to building a rich nation.”
Zhou’s lecture on “China’s Peaceful Development and U.S. China Relations” was part of the LSA ChinaNow Theme Year, an effort to broaden understanding of the emerging economic giant.
China expert Kenneth Lieberthal, Arthur Thurnau Professor of Political Science and William Davidson Professor of Business Administration, emphasized the importance of the U.S.-China relationship in his opening remarks, saying it is “the most important bilateral relationship in the world.”
China and the United States share broad strategic interests and since last year’s visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao to the U.S., dialogues and consultations between the two countries have reached “an unprecedented level.”
Because of the economic and political importance of the two countries — China and the U.S. are each other’s second largest trading partners — Zhou urged a stronger bilateral dialogue.
Zhou addressed concerns about the safety of some Chinese exports and the impact of trade on the Michigan economy, which has lost thousands of manufacturing jobs in recent years. He emphasized that exports from Michigan to China have increased 45 percent, making China the third-fastest growing market for the state’s exports. The state’s automobile companies also are setting up markets in China, he said.
Officials are working to address concerns about the safety of Chinese consumer goods and to increase imports from the United States. At the same time relaxing export controls against China and issuing more U.S. visas for Chinese travelers should be a priority for U.S. officials, Zhou said.
He urged the United States to work with China to oppose Taiwanese independence.
“Handling the Taiwan question appropriately is crucial to the stability and development of U.S.-China relations and a successful cooperation between our two countries in important areas,” Zhou said.
After his lecture Zhou answered questions on a wide range of topics including China’s role in stopping the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan and closing the economic gap between rich and poor in China.
Zhou challenged a member of the audience, who said China is not providing the United Nations and the World Health Organization with accurate statistics about environmental and public health problems.
“I think China is quite transparent in terms of making public all kinds of statistics,” Zhou said. “China is part of the global village. We are committed to a common prosperity and development of the world.”
Zhou’s visit was sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Government Relations, the William Davidson Institute, the Alumni Association, the Association of Chinese Professors and the Center for Chinese Studies.
