Today, Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) and Rep. Charles Boustany (LA-07), chairs of the Congressional U.S.-China Working Group, met with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi to discuss the strategic issues facing the U.S. and China. After the meeting, Representative Larsen released the following statement:
"Foreign Minister Yang, Representative Boustany and I had a very positive and constructive dialogue about the issues facing the U.S. and China.
“Representative Boustany and I made it clear to the Foreign Minister that Congress must see results during the summit between Chinese President Hu Jintao and President Obama taking place later this month, particularly regarding North Korea and economic issues.
“We discussed the need for peace and stability in Asia and the importance of keeping the Korean peninsula free of nuclear weapons. China must do all it can to ensure North Korea renounces its recent provocative actions and takes immediate steps to eliminate its nuclear weapons program.
“Economically, the U.S. and China must continue to work together to improve access to the Chinese market for U.S. companies. At the top of the list is breaking the link between Chinese government procurement and domestic innovation. This puts U.S. companies at a disadvantage and unfairly tilts the playing field toward domestic Chinese companies. China must move forward on protecting intellectual property rights. Last year, the US software industry lost $8 billion as a result of China's lack of IPR protection, translating to as many as 60,000 U.S. jobs lost. Additionally, Congress will need to see continued appreciation in the value of the RMB. The Chinese currency has appreciated about 3 percent against the US dollar since June 19 – positive movement that must continue.
“Rep. Boustany and I also communicated that there is also great distrust within Congress of the Chinese PLA. Only through sustained and consistent military-to-military dialogue can this distrust be reduced. I am happy to see the resumption of the U.S. and China military – to-military relationship, and look forward to Secretary Gates’ visit to China later this month.
“The U.S. is committed to our relationships in the Pacific region, and look forward to working with our Chinese counterparts and our allies in the region to ensure the principles of regional stability, freedom of navigation, respect for international law, and unimpeded commerce under lawful conditions are respected.
"In my view, Foreign Minister Yang understands that Congress is watching this relationship very closely and is looking for results on many fronts."
