US, China must build trust to maintain positive atmosphere

Chinese President Hu, during the welcoming ceremonies on the South Lawn of the White House, declared the purpose of his visit was to “increase mutual trust, enhance friendship, deepen cooperation and advance the positive, cooperative and comprehensive China-U.S. relationship.”

The American objectives were more limited. They were to seek progress in the areas of security, the economy and human rights.

The importance of human rights was underlined by U.S. President Barack Obama when, in his welcoming remarks, he pointedly told the Chinese leader that “nations are more successful and the world is more just” when the “universal rights of every human being” are upheld.

Both sides are hailing the visit as a success. Certainly, short-term progress has been made.

China joined the United States in expressing concern over a North Korean uranium-enrichment plant. To strengthen protection of intellectual property, China agreed that government agencies at all levels would only use legitimate software.

Moreover, China said that foreign companies would not be excluded from government contracts because of its policy of favoring indigenous innovation.

And President Hu publicly declared that China “recognizes and also respects the universality of human rights” and acknowledged that “a lot still needs to be done in China in terms of human rights.”

It will take months to see if there is significant change in Chinese policy. Certainly, on human rights, little dramatic change is likely and, despite U.S. President Obama bringing up the case of Liu Xiaobo, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, he is likely to continue to languish in prison.

If any prisoner is released, it is likely to be Xue Feng, an American geologist who had gathered commercial information in China but who is now in prison on a charge of stealing state secrets.

The two sides again released a joint statement, following one in November 2009 during U.S. President Obama's visit to China, in which they “agreed to work further to nurture and deepen bilateral strategic trust to enhance their relations.”

However, fundamental differences remain and there are no signs that they have been overcome, or even narrowed.

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