US does not seek to contain China, says Kerry

Beijing, July 9 (IANS/EFE) US Secretary of State John Kerry Wednesday said his country does "not seek" to contain China and, on the contrary, welcomes "a prosperous, stable and peaceful country", while Chinese President Xi Jinping declared that confrontation with the US would be a "disaster".

Speaking at the start of the two-day annual Strategic and Economic Dialogue between the two countries here, Kerry called for a China "that contributes to the stability and development of the region and chooses to play a responsible role in world affairs".

"We differ on some issues, but these differences cannot be interpreted as a global strategy," he added.

Xi, who attended the inauguration, said "the way in which China and the US perceive each other's strategic intentions will have a direct bearing on the policies we adopt and the development of our bilateral ties", adding that any confrontation between the two powers would be "a disaster".

The Chinese leader recalled his meeting last year with his US counterpart Barack Obama and urged both countries to make a "correct judgment on their strategic intentions" and try to "minimise their differences".

The main topics at the talks between Kerry and US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew with Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang and State Councillor Yang Jiechi will include conflicts in the international arena, the fight against climate change, technological cooperation and participation in humanitarian missions.

Issues that have generated friction between the two countries will also be discussed, such as the US's stance on China's territorial disputes with its neighbours and the recent charges against five Chinese troopers for allegedly engaging in industrial espionage on US companies.

In his opening speech, Kerry said the US "is determined to choose the path of peace, prosperity and cooperation", adding that "it appreciates competition but never conflict".

In his address, he admitted that historically "there has been some rivalry" between developed and emerging nations, a hostility that "is not inevitable, but a choice".

The head of US diplomacy expressed his willingness to work to reach "a new model of bilateral relations" as advocated by Xi and Obama during their meeting in California a year ago.

Both countries will also try to further negotiations to establish a bilateral investment treaty and review the future of China's economic reforms.

--IANS/EFE

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