OPINION/ANALYSIS:
Give former President George W. Bush some credit for getting the U.S.-China relationship right.
Considering the pressing global and domestic challenges the Obama administration faces, China is thankfully not one of them. Chinese leaders have grown concerned about the new administration and are becoming increasingly defensive and critical of American leaders who they otherwise genuinely respect.
Small missteps threaten to upset an otherwise positive relationship, increasing the risk of escalation and ultimately misfortune. Keeping the U.S.-China relationship on an even keel is vitally important for both countries and will be particularly tricky in the midst of a global financial crisis. The Obama administration will have to quickly establish the right mechanisms to guide and coordinate China policy and effectively engage Chinese counterparts.
In the second Bush term, the Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) emerged as an effective mechanism to address significant economic matters at high enough levels, particularly on the Chinese side, so that troublesome obstacles could be overcome. Complementing existing technical trade dialogues, the SED was a high-profile biannual summit that brought together the various economic bureaus from each side to hash out new agreements and resolve thorny differences.
Beyond new memoranda of understanding and joint statements, the SED’s true value lay in its ability to bring the two sides closer together and increase mutual understanding. The Chinese and U.S. bureaucracies do not always align perfectly in an organizational sense, so having multi-agency meetings helped create linkages between U.S. and Chinese agencies that otherwise would not have naturally sat across the table from one another.
For example, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Chinese transport ministry are both responsible for transport networks, but it is the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission that sets policy and determines budgets, making it an appropriate counterpart for the DOT to collaborate with on projects.
The SED also helped coordinate efforts among numerous agencies to address food and product safety concerns, injecting urgency into the negotiating process as each side hastened to reach agreement before the next round of meetings.
It is incorrect to assert that the U.S.-China “strategic dialogue” under Mr. Bush’s term “turned into an economic dialogue.” The SED is one of more than 50 dialogues between the U.S. and China. It is not the only one nor is it the lead dialogue, it is just the one that worked well and got noticed. However, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is absolutely correct that the China relationship should be broad.
The State Department leads an existing dialogue with China called the “Senior Dialogue” between the deputy secretary of state and a Chinese state councilor. Unfortunately, two respected statesmen can meet twice a year and discuss matters of mutual concern, but they cannot be expected to resolve complex challenges confronting the two countries. A consolidated, high-level dialogue between the U.S. and China covering trade and finance, energy, environment, climate change, food safety and public health should be maintained. Moreover, a new dialogue that brings other critical matters to the forefront should be introduced.
The issues highlighted by Mrs. Clinton need to be raised often and at high levels, with the right people from both sides in the room. A new and energetic mechanism needs to deal with all the issues that are in the U.S. national interest, but fall outside the economic agenda.
Chinese-made rockets sold legally to Iran but falling into the hands of Hamas is not China’s fault, but everyone’s problem. Clearly, the SED is an inappropriate venue to raise such a concern. Therefore, it is vital to have a regular high-level platform to discuss issues of mutual concern, such as Darfur, human rights, governance, non-traditional security threats and our respective foreign relations with third countries and regions.
Call it the “Global Dialogue.”
Leverage Mrs. Clinton’s star power and include other Cabinet members to ensure sufficient gravitas and reciprocity from the Chinese. Bringing senior Chinese leaders from the very top of their political system in addition to key ministers is necessary to effectively deal with these cross-sector and cross-border global challenges. Senior Defense Department officials and the Chinese Defense Department should also be at that table. Civil-military coordination in China is insufficient, so holding regular meetings that bring both Chinese civilian and military leaders together will help break through those thick stovepipes.
Furthermore, we are fortunate to have a vice president with such a firm grasp of foreign relations. As the Treasury secretary wrestles with domestic financial issues, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. is a good candidate to head a frequent, senior, multi-agency economic dialogue that puts the key Cabinet members across the table from their Chinese counterparts on a regular basis.
Successful elements of the SED can be incorporated and innovative components can be introduced, creating a new, effective mechanism to engage China to our own benefit. Furthermore, a broader strategic dialogue will complement the economic one and encourage China to be the responsible participant in the international community that we expect it to be.
• Drew Thompson is the director of China Studies and Starr Senior Fellow at the Nixon Center in Washington, D.C.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.