Asia-Pacific Consultations

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell recently hosted Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai for the inaugural U.S.-China Consultations on the Asia-Pacific in Honolulu.

"The United States began the dialogue by highlighting that it is an Asia-Pacific country with an abiding national interest in peace, stability, and prosperity in the region," Assistant Secretary Campbell said at a news briefing after the consultation meeting. "[And] it welcomes a strong, prosperous and successful China to play a greater role in regional and world affairs."

The United States conducted open, frank, and constructive discussions with China to better understand each other's intentions, policies and actions toward the Asia-Pacific region.

The United States underscored the importance of its existing alliances, which are the cornerstone of its strategy in the Asia-Pacific region, and its efforts to build new partnerships in the region. The United States emphasized its support for strengthening the role of regional institutions. In that context, the United States and China discussed ways for both countries to promote greater cooperation on the challenges facing the region.

Assistant Secretary Campbell and Vice Foreign Minister Cui discussed each sides' objectives for the upcoming meetings of the Association of South East Asian Nations' Regional Forum, the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders Meeting that will be held in Hawaii, the Pacific Islands Forum, and the East Asia Summit.

The United States and China also had discussions about Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific, with particular attention on timely issues such as North Korea, maritime security in the South China Sea, and Burma.

The Asia-Pacific Consultations are similar to dialogues the United States holds with many other Asia-Pacific nations, and complements existing U.S.-China dialogues on other critical regions of the world. The two sides agreed to hold another round of talks in China at a mutually convenient time.