US, China should develop 'better sense of strategic thinking' on cooperation: Former US official

NEW YORK -- The United States and China should develop "a better sense of strategic thinking" on bilateral and multilateral cooperation, a former official under the Barack Obama administration said.

"We Americans and Chinese need to figure out how we can develop a better sense of strategic thinking on how we can work together as we move into the 21st century," Robert Hormats, former undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy, and the environment, said to Xinhua in a recent interview.

In that sense, Hormats noted, the top two world's economies should not "stovepipe" bilateral issues like trade deficits and job displacement, instead the two great countries should have "very comprehensive mindsets" and look at things in a "holistic way."

"The trade deficit is an issue. I think it's important to have a dialogue on how to reduce that in a rational way, but I think it should be part of the dialogue, there are other broader issues that should be part of the dialogue as well," said Hormats, now vice-chairman of Kissinger Associates, a New York-based international consulting firm.

"There are a lot of common human, economic, social issues for the two sides, and they should be working together," Hormats said. "I keep thinking we should not get so tied up in some detailed trade issues and we need to exchange ideas on how we are doing about these things."

"And how do we work together on infrastructure, how to work together to make sure the global trading and financial order going to work, how to work together on dealing with terrorism. How we work together on the question of the new information economy and what it means to jobs. This to me is very important," he said.

Trump's eye-opener visit to China

Hormats pointed out that the upcoming China visit by US President Donald Trump is "very important" and it will be a "huge eye-opener" for the 70-year-old businessman-turned politician who has never been to the rising Asian power.

"I'm glad he's going. I hope the trips are success. I think it will help Trump understand the kind of country that China has become," said the diplomatic veteran, who has witnessed the ice-breaking trip of China-US relations.

"I have gone there in 1972, and I've been there 100 times, I have seen where China has come from and where it is today, it's remarkable, it is one of the greatest stories of human history," Hormats said. "China's role has dramatically increased, and China has an impact on everything that goes on virtually anywhere in the world."

"I think that will be a huge eye-opener for him (Trump), he'll see the dynamism, the energy, the innovativeness of the Chinese people," he said.

The trip will help Trump and his team understand "how the United States and China can work together," Hormats noted.

"It will help him understand that you can't get things from China by simply pounding your fist on the table and saying 'I want you to do what I'm telling you to do', that won't work for a proud country with proud traditions, and proud history and strength," he said.

"It's a great power, so you deal with the great power as one great power to another, in a respectful way," he said.