Sino-US economic and trade cooperation to soar

It was around 11 am of April 19, Chinese President Hu Jintao was addressing some 5,000 to 6,000 guests and Boeing workers at the widebody assembly plant in north Seattle in the United States of America. From time to time Hu received ardent applause and cheers from the audience during his speech.

"Today, I am very happy to get a chance to be here for a visit to the famous Boeing plant. Your modern plants, high-quality staff team, scientific and orderly production processes, and first-class technologies, especially Boeing's continuously innovative spirits, have made a profound impression on me."

"Boeing and China have enjoyed very good cooperation. Boeing is widely known among the Chinese people. Most of the Chinese take Boeing airplanes for traveling. I myeslef took a Boeing airplane for this visit, too." "In the next a few years, Boeing will deliver 320 aircrafts to China. I would say that Boeing's cooperation with China is a vivid example of the mutually beneficial cooperation and win-win outcome that China and the US have achieved from trading with each other," Hu said through an interpreter.

"I sincerely hope that the cooperation between Boeing and Chinese enterprises will be even more successful in the future and will further expand in scale," he said. "And I also sincerely hope that the economic and trade relations between our two countries in general will prosper further and fly higher, just like a Boeing plane."

Hu's featured and sincere speech received repeatedly applause by Boeing employees. The heartfelt applause reflects the commends of Boeing staff for Sino-US mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation and their aspiration for a further development of the constructive cooperation between the US and China.

After Hu concluded his speech, 17-year Boeing employee Paul Dernier went up to the platform and presented Hu a Boeing baseball cap. Hu received the cap and wore it in the head. He threw his arm around Dernier's shoulder as the two posed for photos in matching hats, then surprised the worker in the one less formal moment with a big American-style hug. Paul Dernier got moistening eyes. Thousands of workers were deeply touched by Chinese President's approachable style. They gave their warmest applause and hail.

Before the speech, Hu had gone on a quick tour of the Everett plant. He visited the 747, 767 and 777 production line, listening to the introduction of 787 features. He also went to the 777 production line, where another small team of workers took him through an airplane soon to be delivered to Cathay Pacific of Hong Kong.

President Hu's visit to Boeing is short but memorable. Just as Boeing's chief executive Alan Mulally said, Hu's visit is a "historic visit". The long-term friendly cooperation between Boeing and Chinese enterprises is a model of mutually beneficial and win-win Sino-US economic and trade cooperation.

Sino-US economic and trade relations are important basis of Sino-US state relationships. Mutually beneficial and win-win economic and trade relations play a significant role in developing an overall and healthy Sino-US relations in the new century. In 2005, Sino-US trade volume reached $211.63 billion, 86 times as much as the volume in 1979 when the two countries established formal diplomatic relations. From 2001 to 2005, the average annual growth rate of bilateral trade hit 27.4%. China has become America's fourth largest export market and third largest trading partner. The US has become China's second largest trading partner and third largest imported technology source country. The growing Sino-US trade has not only contributed to the economic development and employment growth of the two countries, but also has enhanced mutual understanding and communication between the peoples of the two countries.

On April 18, President Hu arrived in Seattle, kicking off his state visit to the United States. Both the Washington state government and the city government attached great importance to Hu's visit to Seattle. The general public and media also showed great enthusiasm. The Seattle Times have named Hu as "the most important foreign dignitary who entered Seattle in recent years".

Another important reason why Seattle residents pay close attention to China is that the Seattle-based corporation Microsoft has a very close relationship with China. As the world's largest computer software company, Microsoft has a broad and thorough cooperation with entering Chinese enterprises since 1992 in software development, technical training, business management, etc.

President Hu visited Microsoft headquarters in Redmond in early time. Right after he entered the conference center, Hu was surrounded by warm applause. Microsoft's Chinese staff greeted Hu with Chinese, "How are you, President Hu!" Hu smiled, waved his hands to them, then responded, "How are you!" In the conference room at the second floor, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates delivered a speech first, extended a warm welcome to visiting President Hu. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer made a brief introduction on Microsoft to him.

Then, Hu watched with great interest the "New Horizons Office" software demonstration. When a Microsoft technician was talking about the fingerprint and signature recognition technology of the software, Hu asked, "Everyone's fingerprints will not be changed, but the signature sometimes will be different. Can the computer always recognize the handwriting of the same person?" The Microsoft employee gave a positive answer. Bill Gates said with a smile, "Fingerprints are more accurate." Ballmer added, "There will be more sophisticated software in the future which can identify people by recognizing voice and iris." Hu nodded, said, "The information technology industry is not only changing the production ways of the human beings, but also is changing the life style."

Hu also visited Microsoft "Home of the Future", viz. Microsoft's demonstration of digital family life. Right after he walked out of "Home of the Future", eight children standing before several PCs attracted his attention. Hu walked forward and shook hands with them. The children said to Hu in Chinese, "We are students in John Stanford International School. Welcome to Seattle!" A little girl in red shirt asked Hu, "Can you write something for us?" Hu was pleased to write eight Chinese characters on the computer input screen which means "Sino-US friendship will last forever".

Upon his conclusion of the visit to Microsoft headquarters, Hu told Gates through translator, "I am so happy to see the good cooperation between Microsoft and some related Chinese enterprises. Because you, Mr. Bill Gates, are a friend of China, I'm a friend of Microsoft. I am dealing with the operating system produced by Microsoft every day. I wish Microsoft could expand its investment and cooperation with China". Gates responded that Microsoft has always been in a very good cooperation with Chinese enterprises. He said, "If you ever need advice on how to use Windows, I'll be glad to help." Gates then led a round of laughter.

Although his visit to Boeing and Microsoft is quite short, but president Hu's Seattle trip triggered enthusiastic responses which have clearly demonstrated that Sino-US economic and trade cooperation is mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation that meet the demands of both sides. The Sino-US economic complementarity is the driving force of the rapid development of Sino-US economic and trade relations. Sino-US economic and trade cooperation is of greater significance to the development of both countries.

By People's Daily Online