Dialogue with Tao Wenzhao

• Source: Global Times
• [16:39 November 11 2009]
• Comments

Tao Wenzhao, researcher at the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Global Times:  Compared with his predecessors, Barack Obama is the first US president to visit China in the first year of his term. And high-level officials from both sides have interacted frequently in this year. Do you think it means that the US’ policy on China has changed? Or it’s Obama’s expedient measures due to the financial crisis?

Tao: I think neither. Obama inherits many policies from the Bush administration and the China policy is one of them. In the 2008 US presidential election, it was the first time within 30 years that there was no difference between the Democratics or the Republicans on their China policy. Stability is the most important element to Sino-US relations, which also fits for bilateral interests. Those unstable factors should not affect the normal development of Sino-US relations. We should not expect to improve Sino-US relations to a new level only by Obama’s upcoming visit. In fact, with the development of Sino-US relations in recent years, the two countries’ common interests are expanding.