Interview: U.S., China should focus more on cooperation, not single sensitive issue -- U.S. congressman

The United States and China, the world's two largest economies, should focus more on their broad cooperation instead of letting a single sensitive issue dominate the whole agenda, U.S. Congressman Rick Larsen said here.

"I think both countries need to keep reminding ourselves we have a lot of important work that we're working on together," Larsen, a House representative from the state of Washington, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Regarding the recent dispute over the South China Sea, Larsen, who also co-chairs the bipartisan U.S.-China Working Group in the U.S. Congress, said that "it won't end well" if this single issue becomes the main focus of the U.S.-China relations.

"Just focusing on one issue, I think, detracts from all the work that needs to be done," the congressman said.

Larsen also urged the two countries to "be patient" in seeking cooperation throughout the presidential election year, as current front-runners from both the Democratic and Republican parties are "more critical" of China than the Obama administration.

"While we're watching the debates in the presidential race as related to U.S. and China, I think it's important that candidates know we're working together," he said.

Moreover, the United States and China have maintained cooperation in major regional and international issues, including climate change, the Iranian nuclear negotiation and implementation of the UN Security Council resolution on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Larsen noted.

Larsen particularly praised the U.S.-China cooperation on climate change for the final adoption of the historic Paris Agreement.

"I think we have already shown that working together on climate change is providing long-term benefits to the globe and people on the Earth," Larsen said, adding that the two countries will do their parts to ratify the Paris climate pact.

As for the ongoing negotiation for an investment treaty between the two sides, Larsen said he believed the two countries would reach a treaty as long as the two sides keep working on it, while he also admitted that "there are a lot of issues that both countries have to sort out."

China's gross domestic product grew by 6.7 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2016. Though falling well within the Chinese government's targeted range, it is the slowest growth China has registered since 2009.

But in Larsen's view, the slowdown of China's economy also provides opportunities for the Chinese government to move forward certain reforms, such as moving away from heavy polluting industries to investing even more aggressively in renewable energy.

Companies in Washington State are ready to develop technologies in pollution cleansing as well as renewable energies, and aim to bring the technologies to China to help the Asian giant address its environmental issues, Larsen said on behalf of his constituencies.

Talking about the U.S.-China Working Group, Larsen, who has already visited China ten times, said he hoped to maintain constant communication and exchanges between members of Congress and Chinese officials so as to increase their understanding of China.

Fu Ying, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress of China, will come to the Capitol Hill in May, followed by a visit to Washington D.C. in June by another delegation of Chinese officials, according to Larsen.

Early next year, he will also bring a group of members of Congress to China, perhaps to focus on Chinese environmental issues, the congressman said. Endi