2017年CRI Former US treasury chiefs highlight global impact of US-China ties

 

Werner Michael Blumenthal, Robert Rubin, Timothy Geithner and Jacob Lew have gathered in New York City at an event to discuss key economic issues between the United States and China. [Photo: qq.com]

Four former U.S. Treasury¹ secretaries have gathered in New York to discuss key economic issues between the United States and China.

Werner Michael Blumenthal, Robert Rubin, Timothy Geithner and Jacob Lew gathered in New York City for the event hosted by the National Committee on U.S-China Relations.

Looking back on the reforms made by China and a series of bilateral² cooperation deals during their terms in office, the guests agreed that China has become increasingly involved in the international community and is contributing more to global affairs.

"I think if the U.S and China had not moved forward together in the conversations on climate change, it would have been virtually impossible to get to the Paris Agreement and to have Paris go to effect. Remarkable³ bilateral cooperation, as Bob said, it was the U.S.-China relationship that pulled the world along," said Jacob Lew.

While U.S. and China have joined hands to tackle international problems of common interests, disagreements on issues such as the Renminbi exchange rate and concerns of trade protectionism still exist.

The guests agreed that the US must stick to a mutually beneficial economic and trade relationship, especially when China's investment in the United States has been on the rise in recent years.

"If the Chinese holders⁴ of capital want to provide enormous amount of capital to the United States, and therefore make capital more readily available to this country to promote economic growth. I think that's wonderful for us," commented Robert Rubin.

China's official data showed bilateral trade surged from 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in 1979 to over 519 billion dollars in 2016, an increase of more than 200-fold.

The discussion also involved the future prospects⁵ of bilateral relationships after U.S. President Donald Trump⁶ took office in January this year.

Werner Michael Blumenthal said healthy Sino-US relationships should be strengthened.

"Ever since, Richard Nixon in the early 70s, the importance of establishing a strong relationship between the U.S. and China, and working hard to make that happen, has been a bipartisan matter. Within that, a very important bipartisan understanding about the critical importance of the relationship between the two countries. And what that means and how that needs to be nourished and handled carefully, and with understanding, I hope that continues in the next four years," said Blumenthal.

"We have tough issues to work out together. They are very complicated issues, they require a lot of definiteness and patience, and there's going to be a lot of friction⁷, tension and that sort of things. So it's important to make sure you preserve space for a more subsumption and a deeper conversation," said Timothy Geithner.

Despite the frictions⁸ and differences between the two, the four speakers agreed that it is all the more important for China and the United States to communicate, coordinate⁹ and cooperate closely for the sake of global stability.

1 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

2 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

3 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

4 holders   

支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物

参考例句：

• Slaves were mercilessly ground down by slave holders. 奴隶受奴隶主的残酷压迫。
• It is recognition of compassion's part that leads the up-holders of capital punishment to accuse the abolitionists of sentimentality in being more sorry for the murderer than for his victim. 正是对怜悯的作用有了认识，才使得死刑的提倡者指控主张废除死刑的人感情用事，同情谋杀犯胜过同情受害者。

5 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

6 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

7 friction   

n.摩擦，摩擦力

参考例句：

• When Joan returned to work,the friction between them increased.琼回来工作后，他们之间的摩擦加剧了。
• Friction acts on moving bodies and brings them to a stop.摩擦力作用于运动着的物体，并使其停止。

8 frictions   

n.摩擦( friction的名词复数 )；摩擦力；冲突；不和

参考例句：

• Family frictions can interfere with a child's schoolwork. 家庭中的争吵会影响孩子的学业。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• As far as we are concerned, these frictions are not of our own making [have been imposed on us]. 就我们来说，这种摩擦是被动式的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 coordinate   

adj.同等的，协调的；n.同等者；vt.协作，协调

参考例句：

• You must coordinate what you said with what you did.你必须使你的言行一致。
• Maybe we can coordinate the relation of them.或许我们可以调和他们之间的关系。