From my first official visit to China in 1993 to my most recent in 2010， I have worked through economic 16）diplomacy to strengthen ties between the United States and China. I look forward to continuing that work to build a stronger， more 17）equitable economic relationship between our countries.
If confirmed， I hope to accomplish two overarching goals， goals that are critical to our relationship with China and help achieve our shared interest in a safer， more prosperous world.
First， to develop our economic relationship with China in a way that benefits American businesses and workers.
And second， to partner with China as it emerges as a global power and encourage it to act responsibly in resolving international disputes， respecting human rights， and protecting the environment.
W h e n I visited China in 2010， I met with President Xi Jinping， who was then the vice-president. We discussed a range of topics， including Chinese currency policies， its enforcement of intellectual property rights， i t s b a r r i e r s to U.S. exports. I remember President Xi stressing that the United States and China have more common interests than differences. In his words， cooperation between our nations could help drive peace and stability. In fact， he used that word—cooperation—repeatedly.
Leaders from both sides have recognized that we have much more to gain from cooperation than from conflict. I believe that as well， and I see many areas of our relationship where cooperation is not only possible， it is vital.
China must be fully invested in a global rules， global rules-based economic system. Its economy continues to expand rapidly—it grew 7.7% last year. And China is the world’s second-largest economy and one of our largest trading partners.
So how do we be， continue to bring China into the fold？ By engaging the Chinese through bilateral talks and regional forums. Engagement will allow us to identify shared goals. It will allow us to achieve concrete results.
As Finance Committee Chairman， I worked to bring China into the global trade community. I met with Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji in 1999， and pushed to extend permanent trade relations with China， and supported its entry into the World Trade Organization. The strategy has already paid 18）dividends.
Last year， China agreed to negotiate a bilateral investment treaty with the United States， one that adopts our high-standard approach to national treatment protections.
I look forward to visiting with the people of China. I would be honored to be a guest in their country—to listen and to learn from them.