By Bill Smith Nov 17, 2009, 10:24 GMT
Beijing - Chinese analysts said they saw signs of progress in relations between China and US President Barack Obama's new administration and expected a 'smooth transition' to an improved 'bilateral strategic trust' promised by the two sides on Tuesday.
'Generally speaking the trip is successful,' Shi Yinhong, an international relations specialist at People's University in Beijing said of Obama's first-ever visit to China.
'The two sides got a better understanding of the importance of the concerns of each side, but I didn't see words like 'strategic partners' in the statements today,' Shi told the German Press Agency dpa following talks between Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao on Tuesday.
Hu and Obama appeared to have reached an 'improved consensus' on issues such as trade, and how to handle the nuclear programmes of Iran and North Korea, he said.
'On climate change issues, the two sides have reached a certain consensus but probably there is no big breakthrough,' Shi said.
In a commentary on Obama's visit, the official China Daily said both sides had 'worked hard and ensured a smooth transition and a good start in the relationship' since Obama took office in January.
Yuan Peng, an analyst at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, a government-run think-tank, said Obama's policy towards China was a continuation of the policy of the previous administration of George W Bush, 'but there are new ideas.'
'The new administration inherited the positive side from the last administration and pushed it forward,' Yuan told dpa following Tuesday's talks.
'The new definition in the new administration is 'positive, cooperative and comprehensive,' and now we are partners to combat big challenges,' he said.
Shi also said the Obama administration was a continuation of the previous one, 'but a much better continuation.'
David Shambaugh, a China expert at the Washington-based Brookings Institution, said in Beijing last week that the Obama administration had quickly embraced the Bush policy on China and 'tried to take it to a new level.'
In their joint statement Tuesday, the United States and China said they had an 'increasingly broad base of cooperation and share increasingly important common responsibilities on many major issues concerning global stability and prosperity.'
'The two countries believe that to nurture and deepen bilateral strategic trust is essential to US-China relations in the new era,' the statement said.
The US said it 'welcomes a strong, prosperous and successful China that plays a greater role in world affairs.'
Chinese officials and experts have said repeatedly that Taiwan is the most important issue for determining long-term diplomacy between Beijing and Washington.
'I hope Obama abandons the policy of trade protectionism and stops selling arms to Taiwan, and also does something on the North Korea nuclear issue, such as agreeing to disagree,' Shi said.
The joint statement said the two sides 'underscored the importance of the Taiwan issue in US-China relations.'
'China emphasized that the Taiwan issue concerns China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and expressed the hope that the United States will honour its relevant commitments and appreciate and support the Chinese side's position on this issue,' it said.
China's ruling Communist Party sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that must 'reunify' with mainland China eventually, even if that requires the use of force.
Since Washington switched its formal diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to the People's Republic of China in 1979, the Taiwan Relations Act has required the United States to help Taiwan to defend itself although Washington would not necessarily intervene if China attacked the island.
After the first Sino-US military talks under Obama's administration in February, China said it had made little progress, mainly because of continuing differences over Taiwan.
On Tuesday, Hu said the two sides had agreed to promote 'greater progress in the growth of military-to-military ties,' while the joint statement said they would discuss cooperation in space exploration 'based on the principles of transparency, reciprocity and mutual benefit.'
But Obama failed to respond directly when questioned about continuing US arms sales to Taiwan by a student in Shanghai on Monday.
He said his government 'fully supports a one-China policy,' which entails no diplomatic recognition for Taiwan.
'We don't want to change that policy or that approach,' Obama said.
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