Chinese-U.S. relations strained despite vital economic bonds

The communist nation has had a string of embarrassments over the last year, from sending the U.S. dangerous pet food, toys and medicine to outrage over its treatment of Tibet.

The struggling American economy is combining with the dozens of product recalls to make a potent political argument against China, said Geoffrey Garrett, adjunct senior fellow and former president of the Pacific Council on International Policy.

“It was a real opportunity for anyone who was concerned about Chinese trade to say, 'We told you. Not only is it to take jobs away, they don't have appropriate standards,'” Garrett said.

The Chinese government is working hard to clean up its image and manufacturing system. And top economic officials from both countries are meeting next week in Annapolis, in a continuation of long-standing talks to confront the challenges facing their relationship, he said.

“The only place I would give the [Bush] administration lower marks on this, is they have not done a good job explaining to the public why this is the right approach, why more engagement is better,” Garrett said.

China is America’s third-largest trading partner, after Canada and the European Union, and a major buyer of U.S. bonds, giving it an important role that makes it both a vital economic ally and an attractive target for criticism, said Dan Griswold, director of the Center for Trade Policy Studies at the Cato Institute.

“On the whole our relations with China are productive and improving … but there are some real issues we have to work through. ... It's always better talking with the Chinese than making threats,” he said.

dgenz@dcexaminer.com