WASHINGTON -- The United States and China face similar energy challenges and
their cooperation will serve interests of both countries, a senior US official
said Friday.
The US has a long and fruitful history of engagement with China on energy
related cooperation since January, 1979, and under the current administration,
the U.S. has a robust engagement with China through bilateral and multilateral
mechanisms, Katharine A. Fredriksen, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of
Energy Department said in a testimony before the US-China Economic and Security
Review Commission.
"While there are notable difference in our approaches, cooperation between
our two countries will promote greater energy security in our respective
countries, as well as in the world," she said at the two-day hearing which
started on Thursday.
The U.S. engagement with China takes place in many bilateral mechanisms,
including the U.S.-China Energy Policy Dialogue, the US-China Oil and Gas
Industry Forum, the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Technologies Agreement, and the
Joint Coordinating Committee on Science and Technology, said the official.
"The Dialogue emphasizes that the US and China share many common challenges
and opportunities as the two largest energy consumers in the world and aims to
promote greater cooperation to address concerns," she said.
The U.S. actively engages with Chinas through multilateral fora and China is
an active member economy in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation's Energy
Working Group, said Katharine, adding the two countries also have been working
together though international science and technology initiatives.
"We plan to continue our engagement with China and work with Beijing in a
collaborative fashion to advance our mutual interests, " she added.
The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission was created in October
2000, to monitor, investigate, and submit to the Congress an annual report on
the national security implications of the bilateral trade and economic
relationship between the United States and China, and to provide recommendations
to the Congress for legislative and administrative action.
