MFN, critical to strong U.S.-China relations



Good Morning ladies and gentlemen.

In advance to introducing to you Ambassador Robert B. Zoellick, acting US Trade Representative, I’d like to briefly talk to you about the importance of MFN to boost trade between the US and China.

Renewing China§s most-favored-nation (MFN) trading status is the best way to promote U.S. interests in China and is critical to building a long-term, stable relationship between the two countries

In testimony before the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade June 11, Ambassador Robert B. Zoellick stressed the importance of remaining actively engaged with China.

"We will never achieve China§s full integration into the international community by building walls that divide us," he said. "The most repressive periods in modern Chinese history did not occur in times of open exchange -- They occurred in times of isolation. President Bush believes we must remain engaged with China."

However, engagement with China does not mean ignoring our differences. It means we actively engage China to resolve our differences and it means protecting our interests when consultations are not fruitful