Chinese ambassador exhorts U.S. to keep strong free trade policies

China will be hoping that the lanes of free trade remain wide open under President Barack Obama, and that the U.S. returns to a foreign policy that involves more consultation with other world powers.

Ambassador Liu Zhenmin, China’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, told a Kansas University crowd Friday afternoon that America has much to lose if it begins to restrict free trade with his country.

“Restricting free trade will not only hurt your partners but also hurt your consumers,” Liu said.

Liu said it is important to note that America has not recently struggled with major inflation concerns like it did in the 1970s, and he said that is largely because the country has had access to affordable products from around the globe.

The diplomat, who is generally considered China’s chief authority on U.N. matters, spoke as part of the KU School of Law’s Diplomat’s Forum. A crowd of about 90 people attended the speech at the law school.

Liu said his country will urge the new administration to resist past suggestions that the U.S. should adjust its trade policy with China because of its record on human rights issues.

“We strongly reject any linkage of human rights standards with free trade,” Liu said.

He said China understands the importance of discussing the countries’ differences on human rights issues but believes they should be kept separate from trade policy.

The ambassador took much the same tack on the issue of U.S. jobs being outsourced to the Far East. Liu said his country expects the new administration to talk about job outsourcing issues, especially with Democrats’ historical support of labor unions.

But he said China and the U.S. have become so interdependent economically that such side issues cannot interfere with the larger issue of keeping trade free.

“We do not want the U.S. to use job issues as a pretext or an excuse for trade protectionism,” Liu said.

On other issues, Liu said:

l He hopes the new administration will “have a fresh start on multilateralism.” In particular, Liu said he hopes the new administration will take a more “generous” approach to dealing with the U.N.

l He see no easy answers in Iraq. “Peace and stability in Iraq are still problematic,” he said.

l The world expects an Obama administration to be more receptive to entering key international environmental treaties.

Members of the audience were mixed on Liu’s message. Dana Watts, a KU law student, said she heartily supported his call for multilateralism and placing a high priority on free trade.

“I’m all for it,” Watts said. “I hope that’s the direction the administration takes as well.”

Others, though, said the diplomat’s message didn’t add much new information to the table.

“It was a pretty predictable response,” said Lawrence resident Richard De George.