Posted on 02/17/2005 10:48:58 AM PST by inquest
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Robert Zoellick, tapped by the White House to become the number-two official at the State Department, told lawmakers that improving Washington's relationship with Beijing will make up a key part of his dossier once confirmed.
"I hope to expand and make regular our dialogue with China on regional and international issues, terrorism, trade and economics, and other topics," said Zoellick, President George W. Bush's pick to become the top deputy to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
"China is a rising force, both an economic force and now there are security implications," he told the US Senate's Foreign Relations Committee at a hearing on his nomination for the post.
"It is in our interest to try to integrate (China) into both the economic and security system that we've developed over the past 50 years," Zoellick said.
He said he will also try to coordinate and streamline disparate US diplomatic and trade initiatives with Beijing.
"One of the things that I think has been lacking in our relationship with China is some effort to try to integrate some of these items. We often deal with them in a piecemeal fashion," he said.
The question of intellectual property rights, which "remains an enormous problem" will be given particular attention, he added.
Zoellick, who has served for the past four years as Bushs United States Trade Representative (USTR), said "changing dynamics of the region" mean that greater attention will also have to be paid to other countries in Asia.
"As we work with China, we need to keep a good close working relationship with Japan, Australia and South Korea as well," he told the committee.
Zoellick has a long history of service under various US presidents. In four years as USTR under Bush, he concluded free trade agreements with Singapore, Chile, Australia, Morocco, and Bahrain, as well as CAFTA, a free-trade pact with five Central American countries and the Dominican Republic.
During an earlier stint at the State Department, he was the lead official involved in launching the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
He also played a leading role in "Two-Plus-Four" talks that helped bring about German unification, as well as US efforts to bring peace to El Salvador and Nicaragua.
Just damn.
Screw this twaddle. I hope Condi reigns-in this goofball.
...
"As we work with China, we need to keep a good close working relationship with Japan, Australia and South Korea as well," he told the committee.
It appears that Mr. Zoellick may prove to be as klutzy with respect to relations with Japan as his predecessor was.
Look, she and this guy go to the same Marxist organization meetings at the CFR, any conflict between them would be just political theater.
i guess we're selling the US to the highest bidder. i was under the impression that china was a communist country and doesn't grant its citizens human rights.....guess i'm mistaken.
does anyone know what W-H-O-R-E means?
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