VERO BEACH — Around a hundred people in the local Vero Beach audience watched a live webcast that featured Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, during a China Town Hall at St. Edward’s School. The webcast and discussion afterward focused on the economy, pollution, and culture of China and its relationship with the United States.
Vero Beach was one of two locations in Florida out of the 66 venues where the webcast was broadcast. The other site was the State College of Florida in Bradenton. The event was sponsored by the National Committee on United States-China Relations and is the seventh year for the event.
During the webcast, moderated by Stephen Orlins, President of the NCUSCR, talked to Albright, who in 1997 was the 64th, and first female, Secretary of State of the United States. In 2012 President Barack Obama chose her to receive the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, in recognition of her contributions to international peace and democracy.
After the webcast, Erin Ennis, vice president of the US-China Business Council, gave a talk that touched similar issues that Albright discussed and included five brief points.
The United States and Chinese relationship is the key to peace in the world, stated Orlins. They will be the defining relationship of the 21st Century.
The key question Albright posed was whether or not the two could solve problems with our differences? Americans continue to raise concerns when it comes to China, said Albright.
“Our two societies are bound together,” said Albright. “Our relationship must continue to mature.”
Albright touched on issues that both countries face, such as terrorism.
“I believe the kinds of issues that are out there require us to have partners,” said Albright.
The pollution issue that China faces was brought up throughout the night.
“They know what their problems are,” said Albright. She then listed off emissions from factories, and too many cars that use leaded gas and the lack of pollution-reducing measures.
Ennis also addressed the pollution, saying it was like “the inside of a smoker’s lung.”
Cyber spying was also discussed.
“We have been concerned in what the Chinese have been doing in this area,” said Albright.
The main concern, stated Albright, was espionage in the industrial area.
U.S. companies are hesitant to do business there, fearing their product will be copied or stolen, said Ennis.
Ennis left the audience with “The Five Things You Need to Know about US-China Trade”:
1. China is the United States’ third largest trading partner.
2. China’s exchange rate has little effect on the U.S. trade deficit or U.S. employment.
3. Companies can protect their intellectual property in China but must be done before they do business in China, not after.
4. China is no longer the cheapest location to do business. (Then she remarked to find out which one is, check the tag of a T-shirt.)
5. China is not the United States’ largest creditor, U.S. citizens are, but China’s investments here means it has a significant interest in the United States’ economic success. (China has $1.2 trillion invested; Japan is the second largest foreign owner of the U.S.’s deficit, according to Ennis.)
