Xi (Jinping) says frictions shouldn't define U.S.-China ties: report

Reuters ^ | Mon Feb 13, 2012 1:43am EST | (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Ken Wills and Paul Tait)

[Olog-hai]

The United States should not let friction over economic and trade policies undermine the hugely important business relationship with China, Vice President Xi Jinping said in an interview published before a scheduled U.S. visit.

Xi, widely viewed as China's president-in-waiting, told the Washington Post via written answers to questions that China was of huge economic benefit to the United States.

"As economic globalization gathers momentum, China and the United States have become highly inter-dependent economically," Xi said, according to a transcript posted on the newspaper's website on Monday.

"Such economic relations would not enjoy sustained, rapid growth if they were not based on mutual benefit or if they failed to deliver great benefits to the United States," he said.

"The Americans who know the real picture of China-U.S. economic relations, including those in the business community, will echo this point."

U.S. politicians have repeatedly criticized China for artificially keeping its yuan currency undervalued to boost exports, for ignoring intellectual property rights and for unfairly subsidizing certain industries like solar power.

Xi, who visits the United States this week, repeated China's commitment to reforming the currency's exchange rate. …

[Olog-hai]

Here's the smooth-talker. Meanwhile, Hu Jintao's been surveying the military parades while wearing a Mao outfit . . .

[ponder life]

US-China relations will improve in the coming decades. To a point, where the two nations will be allies.

Unfortunately, for some Americans, better US-China relations is the problem in of itself.