Sino-US relations crucial to all mankind

As China's global English-language newspaper, China Daily has launched Vision China as a platform of communication. We invite renowned speakers from around the world to share thoughts on topics of international concern, and broadcast the event through our multimedia channels with millions of viewers tuning into the internet across the globe each time. Today's event coincides with the 40th anniversary of China-US diplomatic relations and the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China, which is days away; and therefore has special significance.

Needless to say, one of the important missions of Vision China is to help the world understand China. As you might agree, "deficit" is a hot word in the news now, and that's exactly where we want to focus our efforts. But I am not talking about the trade deficit despite the fact that it tops the agenda of the media at the moment. What I had in mind is a book published by Harvard University last year, titled The China Questions: Critical Insights into a Rising Power. In his introduction, Michael Szonyi, director of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies which put together the book, argues that "China matters, and therefore that understanding China matters", "China has always mattered and always will", "but today China matters not only to the Chinese people themselves but also to Americans and to the entire world". "Just as the United States has a trade deficit with China, it also has an understanding deficit". I might not agree with everything that is said in the book, but the analogy in the preface is interesting and enlightening.