Brzezinski meets with Chinese students and calls for new model in Sino-US ties

Future China-US relations depend on developing a shared sense of global responsibility, a former US official told Chinese students on Wednesday night.

More than 150 Chinese students spent an hour with Zbigniew Brzezinski, listening to and talking with him about the Sino-US bilateral relationship.

Invited to give a keynote address on the opening day of the US Foreign Policy Colloquium in Washington, he shared his experiences of meeting former Chinese leaders, and his observations of the bilateral relationship, as well as the domestic and global challenges facing the two countries.

Brzezinski is a well-known figure in the history of Chinese foreign relations, principally for his efforts in the normalization of China-US relations in 1977-81, when he served as national security advisor to US President Jimmy Carter.

Based on his previous study of US-Soviet relations, Brzezinski said he was cautious about making predictions over the complicated US-China ties.

"But one thing is certain, that the outcome will be determined by how well, how intelligently and how farsightedly the two countries perform, both domestically and on international issues," he told the audience.

In addition to thorny domestic issues, the two countries are facing new global challenges, such as global warming, as well as the long-standing regional problems in the Middle East and Central Asia, he said.

Brzezinski encouraged young students in the US and China to learn from each other.

"We don't have to adopt each other's attitudes or preferences, but we can certainly develop a shared sense of global responsibility," he said.

"This is the key message I want to convey to you. We need a shared sense of global responsibility, which doesn't mean we have to agree on every aspect, but we try to reach conclusions jointly by a series of responsible discussions."

Started in 2003, the colloquium is an annual three-day seminar organized by the National Committee on US-China Relations.

It is aimed at Chinese graduates studying at American universities to help them better understand the complex forces that shape American foreign policy.

The students have an opportunity to meet current and former administration officials and members of Congress, as well as representatives from academia, the military, think tanks, the media, business and lobbying groups.

Zhang Yesui, Chinese ambassador to the United States, spoke at the opening of the colloquium about his observations on understanding China-US relations.

"The interests and well-being of our two countries have never been so closely interconnected," he said. "There is great scope and potential for enhancing mutually beneficial cooperation."

There are enormous opportunities for cooperation in areas such as expanding trade and investment, promoting world economic recovery and international financial stability, and in responding to many international and regional challenges, he added.

"The bilateral relationship is not, and should not be, a zero-sum game relationship. We both emerge as winners if we work together as true partners," he said.

"There is every reason to believe that if we manage our differences well, China and the US can establish a new model of relationship under which big countries can coexist peacefully and develop together."

Gao Zhenjia, a PhD candidate for civil and environment engineering at Rice University in Houston, Texas, said she was very interested in foreign affairs and how US foreign policy is shaped.

Over the following two days, participants will interact with speakers, such as former secretary of Labor Elaine Chao and former ambassador to China Joseph Prueher. They will visit the US Senate and House of Representatives, the State, Commerce, and Treasury departments, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

tanyingzi@chinadailyusa.com

(China Daily 06/01/2012 page1)