China

14 December 2011 USTR Cites Concerns over China’s Trade Policies  Ten years after joining the World Trade Organization, China has made major progress in strengthening its international trade ties, but the office of U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk says significant concerns about the country’s economic and trade policies remain.

12 November 2011 U.S. Committed to Positive, Cooperative Relations with China  A thriving China is good for the Chinese and is good for the United States, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says, but China must embrace political, economic and human rights reforms, which will provide “a stronger foundation for stability and growth both for China and for everyone else.”

07 November 2011 U.S., Chinese Officials to Co-Chair Commission on Trade Ties  U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, Commerce Secretary John Bryson and Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan will address critical trade, commerce and agricultural issues as co-chairs of the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade’s next meeting.

31 October 2011 State’s Burns Visits Beijing for Discussions on Crucial Issues  Deputy Secretary of State William Burns visited Beijing October 27–29 to review mutual priorities with top Chinese officials for upcoming international meetings and to discuss major bilateral, regional and global issues.

25 October 2011 U.S.-China Relationship Is Evolving, Diplomat Says  Today’s relationship between the United States and China is evolving in a period of extraordinary energy and change in international politics and economics, says Deputy Secretary of State William Burns.   “At the same time, we face emerging challenges unbound by geographic borders or political systems, from proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and cybercrime to infectious disease, piracy and climate change,” he said.

14 September 2011 Ambassador Locke Discusses Expanded U.S.-China Relations  The ultimate strength of the U.S.-China partnership and the degree to which the two nations build mutual trust depend on the investment, support and active engagement of the American and Chinese peoples, U.S. Ambassador Gary Locke says.  Locke, speaking to 400 students and faculty at the Beijing Foreign Studies University, said the United States unequivocally welcomes the rise of a prosperous and successful China that assumes a greater role in

21 August 2011 Biden Says U.S. and China Working for Economic Growth, Security  Vice President Biden told Chinese university students that China and the United States are working together to promote greater economic growth that is sustainable and balanced and trade that is free and fair.  A March U.S. Congressional Research Service analysis of the U.S. and Chinese economies says that the two trading partners are the largest and second-largest economies in the world, though the U.S. economy is three times larger than that of China.

18 August 2011 Biden, China’s Xi Discuss Range of Issues with Focus on Economy     Vice President Biden held talks with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping in Beijing on bilateral, regional and global issues, with a special focus on global economic recovery.

18 August 2011 Remarks by Vice President Biden and Chinese Vice President Xi 

17 August 2011 Biden to Meet with High-Ranking Chinese Officials in Beijing  Vice President Biden flew to Beijing August 17 for a five-day official visit as the guest of Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping and was greeted by a host of officials led by Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi. 

06 July 2011 U.S.-China Panel Aims to Improve Trade Opportunities  Representatives of the U.S.  and China explored trade issues and open-market opportunities to help both countries grow sustainably at a recent meeting in Washington.  The midyear review of the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade  allowed the nations to analyze their trade and investment relationship, identify key policy concerns and prepare for the 2011 JCCT plenary meeting hosted by China later this year.

03 June 2011  Message on 22nd Anniversary of Tiananmen Square "We encourage China to protect the universal human rights of all its citizens, including those who peacefully express political views. We also renew our call for the release of all those detained, forcibly disappeared, or placed under house arrest in recent months as China has taken actions that are inconsistent with universally recognized rights."

09 May 2011  Biden: U.S., China Relationship Will Shape 21st Century   As U.S. and Chinese leaders meet in Washington for the third U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue, Vice President Biden said that given the importance of the world’s two largest economies’ cooperation on trade issues, climate change, security and other challenges, their relationship will help shape the 21st century.

13 April 2011 U.S. Policy Toward the People's Republic of China  Statement by Daniel Kritenbrink, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, before the U.S.-China Economic & Security Review Commission.

12 April 2011 U.S.-China CPE Cooperation on the 100,000 Strong Initiative  Fact sheet by the U.S. Department of State

08 February 2011 United States, China Partner to Fight Nuclear Threats  The United States and China pledged to cooperate on combating nuclear proliferation and enhancing nuclear security during Chinese President Hu Jintao’s recent visit to Washington.

20 January 2011 Obama and Hu Work to Strengthen Economic Relations  During a one-day summit between President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao, the two leaders agreed to take further steps to liberalize global trade and investment and to oppose measures that could lead to protectionism.  Obama and Hu emphasized “their strong commitment” to engage in across-the-board talks to successfully conclude the World Trade Organization’s Doha Development Agenda, also known as the Doha Development Round, which would foster greater global trade liberalization, according to a U.S.-China joint statement. Negotiations to lower trade barriers among trading nations began in November 2001 but have stalled over tariff issues and trade remedies since 2008.

19 January 2011 Obama and China's Hu Work Toward Greater Cooperation   President Obama welcomed China's president, Hu Jintao, to the White House, calling for greater cooperation in security and economic relations and for greater respect in China for universal human rights. It is the eighth time the two world leaders have met face-to-face in two years. Obama visited China in 2009, and extended an invitation for a state visit, which the two leaders agreed to hold in early 2011. The last state visit by a Chinese president was in October 1997 when President Bill Clinton hosted President Jiang Zemin. Hu was greeted with an elaborate 21-gun salute, which generally is reserved for visiting heads of state.

18 January 2011 Obama, China's President to Hold Major Talks During State Visit  President Obama and President Hu Jintao of China will discuss global and regional security concerns, economic and trade issues, human rights and related bilateral issues during a one-day state visit January 19 at the White House.

13 December 2010 U.S., China Officials Focus on Military-to-Military Relations    U.S. and Chinese defense officials recently discussed how to develop more durable military-to-military relations, a senior U.S. defense official says.  Under Secretary of Defense Michèle Flournoy met with Chinese General Ma Xiaotian, the deputy chief of the general staff of the People’s Liberation Army, in Washington and discussed a range of security issues including North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, maritime security, and Iran’s efforts to develop nuclear weapons.

11 November 2010 Remarks by President Obama, China’s Hu Jintao Before Meeting

10 November 2010 China Pursues Green Energy   China will aggressively pursue clean energy policies for the foreseeable future, driven mostly by the desire to reduce its dependence on overseas energy supplies, according to U.S. experts. China's energy industries have been shifting away from small, inefficient coal-fired power plants toward larger, modern and cleaner units, and, with government support, have been investing in renewable energy sources and industries. The government also is phasing in stringent fuel economy standards to reduce petroleum consumption in transportation.

13 October 2010 U.S. Environment Agency Helps Shanghai Breathe Easier  A successful U.S.-China collaboration on air quality monitoring was witnessed firsthand by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson during a visit to the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai.

08 October 2010 Obama Calls on China to Release Jailed Peace Prize Winner   President Obama is calling on the Chinese government to release from prison dissident Liu Xiaobo, who won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize for his fight for democracy and human rights in China. Obama, whose commitment to nuclear arms control and nonproliferation earned him last year’s Nobel Peace Prize, praised Liu for sacrificing his freedom for his beliefs.

07 October 2010 No Desire for Direct U.S. Role in South China Sea Dispute   The United States is willing to lend its support to a process that will encourage dialogue between China and its neighbors over territorial disputes such as the ones in the South China Sea, but feels it is inappropriate to play a direct role, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell told reporters in Japan.

23 July 2010 Clinton Urges Legal Resolution of South China Sea Dispute Although the United States does not take sides in the territorial disputes in the South China Sea, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says the Obama administration wants claimants to pursue their disputes in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea rather than through coercion.

21 June 2010 Obama Praises Shift in Chinese Currency Exchange Policy  The Obama administration welcomed China’s decision to allow its currency, the yuan, to have more flexible exchange rates by allowing several foreign currencies to determine its value, rather than pegging its exchange rate solely to the U.S. dollar.

04 June 2010 Statement on 21st Anniversary of Tiananmen Square  U.S. urges China to release those serving sentences for peaceful protests.

25 May 2010 Chinese, U.S. Economies Complementary, Treasury’s Geithner Says At the close of the two-day Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Beijing, U.S. officials welcomed Chinese commitments to continue increasing domestic demand and consumption, to place currency exchange on their economic reform agenda and to move toward facilitating foreign business competition in China. In a prepared statement, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said May 25 that both countries are acting on commitments they made in 2009 to broadly rebalance economic growth in the wake of the global financial crisis. As a result, “Americans are saving and investing more and borrowing less from the rest of the world, and China is consuming and importing more.”
• Concluding Joint Statements at the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue
• Secretaries Clinton and Geithner Joint Press Availability in Beijing

24 May 2010 China, U.S. Look for Cooperative Economic Approach  At the opening of the second round of the China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the two countries can find “win-win solutions rather than zero-sum rivalries” as they discuss ways to expand their trade, investment and security relationships.

13 April 2010 U.S., China Share Concern over Iranian Nuclear Program  President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao have instructed their delegations to work with other nations and the U.N. Security Council in drafting potential sanctions against Iran over its nuclear development program, a senior presidential adviser says.

14 January 2010 Unrestricted, Secure Internet Access Critical, United States Says   The Obama administration is continuing its efforts to promote universal and uncensored access to the Internet around the world, viewing it as a critical element to modern economies and societies, said the State Department’s Alec Ross. Ross, who serves as senior adviser for innovation to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, told reporters in New York that Clinton has been “very engaged in helping to ensure that there is universal access to an uncensored Internet.”

23 December 2009 United States Criticizes Trial of Chinese Dissident Liu Xiaobo The Obama administration said the trial and upcoming sentencing of Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo is “uncharacteristic of a great country” and urged the Chinese government to transform its relationship with its people to keep up with the dynamism that is shaping the 21st century.

22 December 2009 Trade Rep. Praises WTO Decision Against China on Movies, Music  The United States praised a decision by an international trade appeals panel that many of China’s restrictions on imported movies, books and music violate global trade rules.

17 November 2009 Joint Statement by President Obama, Chinese President Hu in China  Obama welcomes China as a strong, successful member of community of nations.

17 November 2009 Statement on U.S.-China Energy Efficiency Action Plan  Plan emphasizes economy, energy security and combating climate change.
 • Announcements on U.S.-China Clean Energy Programs

17 November 2009 Statement on U.S.-China Shale Gas Resource Initiative  Initiative to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote energy security.

12 August 2009 Trade Panel Tells China to Allow More U.S. Entertainment Imports  A World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute-settlement panel upheld a United States claim against China, saying China has not acted consistently with its international trade obligations because it places restrictions on the import and distribution of U.S. films, music, books and other copyrighted products. The decision could reduce the market for counterfeit and pirated products in China.

28 July 2009 U.S. Tells China Climate Change Is National Security Priority  The State Department's top climate change envoy says U.S. officials meeting with their Chinese counterparts in Washington are conveying the importance of climate change for U.S. national security, and he predicts that, despite difficulties, the world’s two largest economies ultimately will reach an agreement.

27 July 2009 Global Challenges Require Robust U.S.-China Partnership  President Obama says the relationship between the United States and China is as important as any bilateral relationship in the world, and calls on both countries to work together to face common challenges such as the global financial crisis, climate change, nuclear weapons proliferation and violent extremism.

27 July 2009 United States, China Laying the Foundation for the Future  The United States and China are laying a foundation and a framework for future talks across a wide spectrum of issues from the global economic crisis to nuclear nonproliferation, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says. "We are laying brick by brick the foundation of a stronger relationship, improving lines of communication, increasing understanding, setting priorities and creating a work plan," Clinton said at the opening of the two-day U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Washington.

23 July 2009 Common Goals for U.S., China at Strategic and Economic Dialogue  Washington will host hundreds of high-level Chinese officials meeting with their U.S. counterparts July 27 and July 28, marking the beginning of a new strategy for closer ties between the United States and China. The first U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue will set the stage for ongoing cooperation on a range of bilateral, regional and global issues. The dialogue is expected to focus on the economy, climate change and regional security, according to five senior administration officials at a press briefing July 23, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

12 June 2009 China, United States Can Cooperate to Reduce CO2 Emissions  Representatives of China and the U.S. have completed open and candid discussions in Beijing "about what needs to be done on both sides to advance toward a successful outcome" at the U.N. climate change meeting in Copenhagen in December, U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern told reporters in Washington June 12.
 •  Remarks by Todd Stern, Special Envoy for Climate Change

03 June 2009 Message on the Twentieth Anniversary of Tiananmen Square  On this the 20th anniversary of the violent suppression of demonstrations in Tiananmen Square by Chinese authorities, we should remember the tragic loss of hundreds of innocent lives and reflect upon the meaning of the events that preceded that day.

01 June 2009 Treasury Secretary Announcement on Leadership Team for China  Geithner appoints David Loevinger as executive secretary and coordinator.

25 March 2009 China Modernizing Its Military Power, Pentagon Says  China's military modernization program has made considerable progress in building and fielding credible and capable military power with regional and strategic implications, a new Pentagon report says.

11 March 2009 Remarks by Secretary Clinton After Meeting With Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi

11 March 2009 U.S.-China Partnership Faces Formidable Agenda, Says Clinton  The U.S. and China face a formidable agenda, says Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, pledging to work with China to address common challenges and seize common opportunities.

February 2009

21 February 2009 Toward a Deeper and Broader Relationship With China  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton remarks with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi in Beijing.