Trip diary from China by EPA

I strongly recommend everyone who is interested in the norm of current US-China cooperation on environmental issues to look at EPA administrator Stephen Johnson's "Trip Diary from China" web page at http://www.epa.gov/chinadiary/. From December 10 to 15, 2007, Stephen Johnson joins Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and other senior U.S. officials at the third Cabinet-level meeting of the U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue in the PRC. The SED focused on integrity of trade, balanced economic development, energy conservation, financial sector reform, environmental sustainability, and advancing bilateral investment. This diary is an account of the trip by Johnson and EPA's official delegation accompanying him to China.
What strike me most is the quick establishment of friendship between U.S. and China officials. Perhaps other than personality, the most important factor is that both countries share the most common interest on environmental protection and energy conservation. Some in China worried about possible U.S.-European alliance against developing world (particularly China) on environmental issues after the dramatic change of U.S. position in Bali. I tend to believe that the U.S. holds the same stake, shares the same possibility, and faces the same social support and resistance as China does. Hence, a better cooperation and coordination between the two will not only benefit the people of the two countries, but the whole world.
One of the ways in which U.S.-China alliance can help the world is through an African aid program: the U.S. providing finance and China providing cheap but effective energy technology. In fact, China has a number of such techs (efficient stove, boiler, floor heating system) and a lot more perhaps on the line waiting to be distributed. Meanwhile, India is making $2500 car with 30-35 hours power engine, which can also find broad market in Africa. Something has to be done to stop deforestation, environmental degradation, civil war, and terrorism there. And by working together, America and China can achieve a lot in that area. Unfortunately, the Defense Department created a new U.S. Africa Command headquarters, to be known as AFRICOM, to coordinate all U.S. military and security interests throughout the continent, with an special eye on the China expansion. I can only hope that mutual beneficial actions would happen to overcome the fear factor in Africa and African people could use both U.S. and China for a better end.