"In Conversation with C.H. Tung" is a new series by China-US Focus that features highlights of a conversation between Editor-at-Large James Chau and Tung Chee-hwa, Hong Kong's First Chief Executive.

In the final part of this interview, Mr Tung explains why he sees global peace as being attainable, and how the international community can achieve it through successful and collaborative U.S.-China relations. He emphasizes how the upcoming generation of leaders must be prepared to fight for, and work towards a more peaceful global community.

"In Conversation with C.H. Tung" is a new series by China-US Focus that features highlights of a conversation between Editor-at-Large James Chau and Tung Chee-hwa, Hong Kong's First Chief Executive.

In part five of this interview, James and Mr Tung tackle the highly disputed issue of intellectual property rights. Mr Tung puts forward that worries in the U.S. that China is leveraging American intellectual property is unwarranted, for China has improved and continues to improve itself, both technologically and in terms of its legal system. In consideration of the rapid advancements China has made since its reform and opening-up in 1979, Mr Tung explains the current state of IPR and why it should no longer obstruct peaceful U.S.-China collaboration.

"In Conversation with C.H. Tung" is a new series by China-US Focus that features highlights of a conversation between Editor-at-Large James Chau and Tung Chee-hwa, Hong Kong's First Chief Executive.

In part four of this interview, Mr Tung responds to the notion that China's market is not open to international businesses, and addresses the myth that the U.S. experiences mass job loss due to jobs being relocated to China. James and Mr Tung conclude by discussing the opportunities and benefits that exist for both countries vis-a-vis stronger U.S.-China economic cooperation.

"In Conversation with C.H. Tung" is a new series by China-US Focus that features highlights of a conversation between Editor-at-Large James Chau and Tung Chee-hwa, Hong Kong's First Chief Executive.

In part three of this interview, Mr Tung highlights the most notable moments of cooperation in the 40 years of the US-China relationship, from George W. Bush and Hu Jintao's collaboration over rebuilding the world economy after 2008, to Barack Obama and Xi Jinping's cooperation on renewable energy initiatives. He then explores how the two countries can continue on this path of collaboration to build a more sustainable future together.

"In Conversation with C.H. Tung" is a new series by China-US Focus that features highlights of a conversation between Editor-at-Large James Chau and Tung Chee-hwa, Hong Kong's First Chief Executive. In this highlight, titled “Opening Up”, James and Mr Tung discuss a period of time in which great progress was made for both China and U.S.-China relations.

1979 was the year not only in which China began its open-up and reform program, but also in which China and the US officially re-established diplomatic relations through the meeting of Jimmy Carter and Deng Xiaoping. Mr Tung explains why the coming-together of the U.S. and China was so significant for the two nations, including the U.S. winning the Cold War, and China beginning to open its market to US businesses. Through his analysis of this period, he shows how collaborative U.S.-China relations are healthy for the international community as a whole.

"In Conversation with C.H. Tung" is a new series by China-US Focus that features highlights of a conversation between Editor-at-Large James Chau and Tung Chee-hwa. While Mr Tung is most renowned for becoming the First Chief Executive of Hong Kong in 1997, his background reaches far beyond Hong Kong, and all the way to the United States.

In the first part of this series, Mr Tung discusses his experience of living in the U.S. for 9 years and how it inspired his life-long commitment to improving China-U.S. relations. With his deep understanding of both Chinese and American culture and lifestyle, Mr Tung explains what he sees as the root of the current disputes between the U.S. and China, as well as what can be done to resolve existing tensions.

One of the pillars holding up the American economy is its ability to trade with other countries. But because of the U.S.-China trade war, American consumers and businesses are suffering. Trump administration tariffs are threatening as many as 2.6 million American jobs, raising the cost of living, and inflicting damage on manufacturers, farmers, technology companies, and more.

After Trump slapped $250 billion in tariffs on Chinese imports, China decided to retaliate with $110 billion in tariffs on American-made products.

According to a recent study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the five states hit hardest by these retaliatory tariffs are California, Texas, Washington, Louisiana and Illinois. These states alone account for a whopping $42.7 billion in American-made exports to China that are under threat.

California, the world’s fifth largest economy, exported more than $16 billion to China in 2018. In the first five months of 2019, exports to China from California ports were down 9%.

One fifth of all the jobs in California, approximately 5.4 million, depend on international trade and investment. As a result of the trade war, California is facing stymied economic growth and potential job losses.

California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis testified at a hearing of the California Assembly Select Committee on Asia/California trade and Investment Promotion, saying that the impacts were "especially worrisome" given California’s deep integration into the global markets and supply chains.

In Texas, over 3 million jobs are supported by global trade. Across the Lone Star State, farmers worry that an escalating trade fight between the United States and China will damage their livelihoods. And it’s not just farmers that will suffer.

As China’s economy has flourished, its impact on the Texan economy has grown exponentially. Twenty years ago, Houston and China traded $1.1 billion worth of goods, whereas today that number is more than $20 billion, according to the Greater Houston Partnership.

Washington, Louisiana, Illinois and a host of other U.S. states also stand to lose jobs and economic growth in export sectors as varied as agriculture, automotive, and technology.

But the hardest hit of all? The American consumer. The trade war could cost the average American family of four up to $2,300 a year, according to a report on the effect of tariffs on the U.S. economy and workers.

Zeng Peiyan has served at high levels of state leadership: as Vice Premier of China, and as a Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. Born in Shaoxing, outside Hangzhou, in Zhejiang Province, he is a graduate of Tsinghua University. Today, he is Chairman of the China Center for International Economics Exchanges.

He was interviewed by Zhu Yinghuang at the US-China Trade and Economic Relations Forum in Hong Kong on 9-10 July, 2019.

Zhou Wenzhong was China's Ambassador to the United States during the administrations of George W Bush and Barack Obama. In this interview with James Chau, he discusses the gaps in understanding between the two countries and their respective approaches to the bilateral relationship. He says a containment policy is not effective with countries such as China and that instead a 'major power relations' could help steer their joint future.

This interview was recorded at the US-China Trade and Economic Relations Forum in Hong Kong on 9-10 July, 2019. 

James Chau:
Ambassador Zhou, you were serving in Washington during the periods of the George W. Bush presidency and also the Barack Obama presidency. Some people look back on that with some nostalgia saying it was a very distinct era to the one we have today under Donald Trump. Are they so different?

Zhou Wenzhong:
Actually, when George W. Bush took over, in the early years of his administration, his perspective on China was already that it was strategic economic competitor. So then, what happened was 9/11, so the number one priority for them was to deal with that problem. And so they needed China's support. So his view of China as a strategic competitor did not intensify. Then, since the war against terror has ended, I think their perception has been to focus on the so-called China threat again.

James Chau:
If 2001 and 9/11 was a turning point, not just for the bilateral relationship, but America's approached to the world at large, why not look also at other hallmark events? The 2016 climate change agreement in Paris, the 2008 financial crisis where we saw the countries come together again also with Ebola outbreak, when their support to those affected countries in west Africa really helped transform the response for the better. Are we shortsighted these days? Is the next generation not as long sighted or as visionary as the one that came before?

Zhou Wenzhong:
Let me put it this way. We want to be a friend of the United States as far as the US-China relationship is concerned because that's relationship is very important for China, for the United States and for the world. And so we hope the United States will not misjudge China's strategic intention. We have made it very clear to them that we don't want to challenge anyone and we don't want to replace anyone. So this is all very clear. So what we want is a stable sort of a relationship with the United States, which would bring benefits to both countries and both peoples. But then the problem is their perception of China and so, out of their sudden need for resolving the problem they are confronted with, they sometimes put an emphasis on cooperation and sometimes they try to shift to the emphasis of containment. So I think this is kind of a zigzag course the US-China relationship has been undergoing. So that's a problem.

James Chau:
What happens when you try to contain a culture like China? What has history in the past shown us?

Zhou Wenzhong:
I think they will never go anywhere. That has been their policy: containment, as well as cooperation. But containment has never really got anywhere because China is a major country, one of the major countries in the world, that they can not afford to neglect.

James Chau:
What would you like for the future? Obviously you've had this highly distinguished career in public service and diplomacy. What kind of a world would you like to see and where would this relationship fit within that, given what we see today?

Zhou Wenzhong:
We have made it very clear that we think our view is that the relationship should become a new type of a major power relationship. There should be neither confrontation nor conflict and a mutually respectful relationship. .That's our proposal and that's our hope for US-China relations. Of course, the two heads of state met in Osaka, Japan, and they agreed that the relationship should be based on stability, cooperation and coordination. And so I think now it's important for the two sides, particularly the US administration to implement that understanding between the two heads of state. So let's see what will happen.

James Chau:
Fundamentally, for those opposed this is a good place to close on. There’s always been gaps of understanding. Even back in the days of normalization under Deng Xiaoping and Jimmy Carter, perhaps due to different languages, different cultures, different histories or maybe just different styles of governance. Will there ever be a time where they could meet close enough for it to go forward in a way that perhaps is better than the 40 great years you've just had?

Zhou Wenzhong:
I hope the US-China relationship will renew with the understanding that two heads of state have accomplished. So that's our hope. But we'll see. The fundamental challenges here with us is that the United States really perceives China as a partner rather than a rival.

James Chau:
We can do all the talking, but in fact it will be the children and the grandchildren, those next generations that will really have to carry this mantle forward. They unfortunately won't necessarily have the experience or the 40 years gone by. They wouldn't know necessarily the history. So what would you tell them now, as an experienced diplomat yourself, who's had to explore tricky waters yourself as well? What would you say to a young person coming out of university right now, about what they can do to contribute not just to a stronger relationship with America and with Americans, but also for the world they’re in? China is a very different place right now.

Zhou Wenzhong:
Children are our future. So I think we should to give them the right education they need to learn. They need to learn from history. They need to learn from their teachers. And they also need to learn from their own experiences. And so that's very, very important for the US-China relationship. If we want to have a better future for this relationship, I think we should start doing this right now starting from our children.

James Chau:
Actually, that was the last question anyway, so all I have to say is Ambassador Zhou, thank you very much.