當地時間2月13日，應美國副總統拜登邀請，中國國家副主席習近平抵達華盛頓，開始對美國進行正式訪問。
這是美國常務副國務卿伯恩斯到機場迎接。 新華社記者 蘭紅光 攝
據新華社消息，在對美國進行正式訪問前夕，國家副主席習近平2月12日接受了美國《華盛頓郵報》書面採訪，就中美關係、中美經貿合作、兩國地方和人民交往、中美在亞太的關係、雙方在國際地區及全球性問題上的合作等提問作了回答。
在回答40年來中美關係發展歷程的問題時，習近平表示，40年前，中國和美國兩國領導人以政治家的超凡智慧和遠見卓識推開塵封多年的中美交往大門。40年來，中美關係雖然歷經風雨，但始終向前發展，取得歷史性成就，給兩國和兩國人民帶來巨大利益。中美關係成為當今世界最重要、最富活力和最具潛力的雙邊關係之一。
習近平指出，記得1985年我首次訪問美國時，兩國貿易額僅77億美元，人員往來大概1萬人次左右。去年，兩國貿易額已突破4400億美元，人員往來超過300萬人次。
習近平強調，40年的歷史告訴我們，中美關係健康穩定發展對兩國至關重要，對亞太地區乃至世界的和平、穩定、繁榮至關重要。胡錦濤主席去年1月訪美期間，兩國元首就共同致力於建設相互尊重、互利共贏合作夥伴關係達成共識。這充分體現了新時期中美關係的特點與要求，那就是在相互尊重原則基礎上開展互利共贏的中美夥伴合作。
關於中美經貿合作，習近平指出，中美經貿關係的本質是互利共贏。中美建交以來，兩國貿易額增長180多倍。過去10年，美國對華出口累計增長468%，為美國增加了300多萬個就業崗位。美國50個州中有47個州對華出口增幅達到3位數甚至4位數。中國產品為美國消費者節省了6000多億美元。中國美國商會去年一項調查顯示，2010年，在華美資企業85%收入增長，41%在華利潤率超過全球平均利潤率。美對華投資有力帶動了對華出口增長，加快了美產業升級，促進了美國內經濟發展。
習近平表示，在經濟全球化深入發展的今天，中美經貿關係已高度相互依存。假如這種關係不是互利雙贏、對美國也帶來巨大好處，就不可能持續、快速發展。絕大多數了解中美經貿關係實際情況的美國人、包括美工商界人士對此是很清楚的。
習近平強調，中美經貿交往過程中，難免出現一些摩擦和分歧。重要的是，雙方要通過平等互利、互諒互讓的協調，妥善處理分歧，不能讓摩擦和分歧幹擾整個中美經貿合作大局。
習近平表示，我們已經並將繼續採取積極措施解決美方在智慧財產權保護、貿易不平衡等問題上的合理關切，將繼續推進人民幣匯率形成機制改革，還會一如既往地為來華投資者提供公平、規範、透明的投資環境。同時，希望美方在放寬高技術產品對華出口管制、為中國企業赴美投資提供公平競爭環境等方面也能儘快採取實質性步驟。
關於中美在亞太的關係，習近平表示，亞太地區是中美利益交匯最集中的地區。近年來，中美在亞太經合組織、東協地區論壇框架下密切協調，就區域經濟一體化、反恐、防擴散、打擊跨國犯罪、防災減災、減貧以及有關地區熱點問題加強溝通與合作，有力維護和促進了亞太的和平與繁榮。
習近平強調，當前亞太國家最關心的是保持經濟繁榮、維護經濟增長和區域合作勢頭。在人心思安定、人心思發展之際，人為地突出軍事安全議程，刻意加強軍事部署、強化軍事同盟，恐怕並不是本地區絕大多數國家希望看到的。
習近平指出，寬廣的太平洋兩岸有足夠空間容納中美兩個大國。我們歡迎美國為本地區和平、穩定、繁榮發揮建設性作用，同時希望美方充分尊重和照顧亞太各國的重大利益與合理關切。
關於雙方在國際地區及全球性問題上的合作，習近平表示，近年來，中美在推動解決重大國際和地區問題、共同應對全球性挑戰方面開展了有效協調與合作，充實和豐富了中美關係內涵，鞏固和擴大了中美關係的戰略基礎。雙方同舟共濟，與其它國家一道，攜手應對國際金融危機，推動世界經濟復甦；協調哥本哈根、坎昆、德班氣候變化會議達成共識；推進朝鮮半島無核化和六方會談進程；反對中東任何國家發展和擁有核武器，維護地區和平與安全。兩國還就阿富汗、南亞、蘇丹、中東等熱點問題開展有效溝通。
習近平強調，當前，國際金融危機、歐債危機的負面影響仍在蔓延，地區熱點問題此起彼伏，非傳統安全與傳統安全威脅相互交織。在新形勢下，中美尤其要加強溝通、協調與合作，為維護和促進世界和平、穩定與發展共同發揮建設性、負責任的作用。
關於兩國地方和人民交往對中美關係的意義，習近平表示，兩國人民之間的相互了解和友誼是中美關係發展的堅實基礎和不竭動力。1985年我在河北省工作時曾訪問過美國艾奧瓦州，考察當地玉米種植和加工，有幾天還住在當地居民家中。美國的先進技術，美國人民的熱情友好、勤勞淳樸都給我留下很深的印象，使我親身感受到兩國人民之間加強交往的重要性，也增進了我對中美關係的了解和認識。
習近平指出，中美兩國都是偉大的國家，兩國人民對彼此抱有很大的好感和興趣，渴望交流互鑑、深化友誼、共謀發展。兩國沒有理由不友好、不合作。我相信，有16億人民共同支持的中美關係給世界帶來的將是更多和平、繁榮與發展。
以下為外交部提供的習近平接受華盛頓郵報書面採訪的英文全文
BEIJING, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping answered written questions from The Washington Post on Sunday in Beijing, prior to his visit to the United States。
The following is a transcript of Xi's answers。
ON U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS SINCE 1972
Forty years ago, leaders of our two countries, with extraordinary wisdom and vision of statesmen, reopened the long-closed door to China-U.S. exchanges. Since then, China-U.S. relations have forged ahead despite some twists and turns and made historic achievements, bringing huge benefits to both countries and peoples. China-U.S. relations have become one of the most important, dynamic and promising bilateral relationships in today’s world. When I visited the United States for the first time in 1985, our bilateral trade was merely US$7.7 billion, and only some 10,000 mutual visits were made each year. Last year, our trade topped US$440 billion, and mutual visits exceeded 3 million。
What has happened over the past 40 years tells us that a sound and stable China-U.S. relationship is crucial for both countries and for peace, stability and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large. During President Hu Jintao’s visit to the United States in January last year, the two presidents agreed to build a cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and mutual benefit. This decision fully captures the features and requirements of China-U.S. relations in the new era, that is, to develop mutually beneficial cooperation as partners based on the principle of mutual respect。
ON CHINA-U.S. BUSINESS COOPERATION
Mutual benefit is the defining feature of China-U.S. business ties. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China-U.S. trade has grown over 180 times. Over the past 10 years, U.S. exports to China have increased by 468 percent and created more than 3 million jobs for the United States. Forty-seven out of the 50 U.S. states have seen three-digit or even four-digit growth in their exports to China. And U.S. consumers have saved over US$600 billion by using Chinese products. A survey conducted by AmChamChina last year shows that 85 percent of the U.S.-invested enterprises in China saw their revenue grow in 2010, and 41 percent of them recorded higher profitability in China than their global average. The U.S. investment in China has boosted U.S. exports to China, accelerated U.S. industrial upgrading, and contributed to the growth of the U.S. economy。
As economic globalization gathers momentum, China and the United States have become highly interdependent economically. Such economic relations would not enjoy sustained, rapid growth if they were not based on mutual benefit or if they failed to deliver great benefits to the United States. The Americans who know the real picture of China-U.S. economic relations, including those in the business community, will echo this point。
Frictions and differences are hardly avoidable in our economic and trade interactions. What is important is that we properly handle these differences through coordination based on equality, mutual benefit, mutual understanding and mutual accommodation. We must not allow frictions and differences to undermine the larger interests of our business cooperation。
We have taken active steps to meet legitimate U.S. concerns over IPR [intellectual-property rights] protection and trade imbalance, and we will continue to do so. We will continue to press ahead with the reform of the RMB [renminbi] exchange rate formation mechanism and offer foreign investors a fair, rule-based and transparent investment environment. At the same time, we hope the United States will take substantive steps as soon as possible to ease restrictions on high-tech exports to China and provide a level playing field for Chinese enterprises to invest in the United States。
ON THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION
China and the United States have more converging interests in the Asia-Pacific region than in anywhere else. In recent years, our two countries have coordinated closely under the framework of APEC [Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation] and ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] Regional Forum, and enhanced communication and cooperation on regional economic integration, counterterrorism, nonproliferation, combating transnational crimes, disaster preparedness and reduction, poverty alleviation and relevant regional hotspot issues, thus giving a strong boost to peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific。
What the Asia-Pacific countries care most is to maintain economic prosperity and build on the momentum of economic growth and regional cooperation. At a time when people long for peace, stability and development, to deliberately give prominence to the military security agenda, scale up military deployment and strengthen military alliances is not really what most countries in the region hope to see。
The vast Pacific Ocean has ample space for China and the United States. We welcome a constructive role by the United States in promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the region. We also hope that the United States will fully respect and accommodate the major interests and legitimate concerns of Asia-Pacific countries。
ON ECONOMIC AND SECURITY COOPERATION
In recent years, China and the United States have conducted effective coordination and cooperation in addressing major international and regional issues and meeting global challenges. This has enriched China-U.S. relations and consolidated and expanded the strategic foundation of the relationship. China and the United States have joined hands and worked together with other countries to counter the international financial crisis and promote global economic recovery. We coordinated positions and worked for consensus at the climate change conferences in Copenhagen, Cancun and Durban. We advanced denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the Six-Party Talks process. We opposed the development and possession of nuclear weapons by any Middle East country in order to maintain regional peace and security. Our two countries have also had effective coordination in addressing such hotspot issues as Afghanistan, South Asia, Sudan and the Middle East。
We are at a time when the negative impact of the international financial crisis and the European debt crisis continues to spread, regional hotspot issues crop up from time to time and traditional and nontraditional security threats are intertwined. Under such new circumstances, it is all the more important for China and the United States to communicate, coordinate and cooperate more closely and work together to play a constructive and responsible role in upholding and advancing world peace, stability and development。
ON PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE EXCHANGES
Mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples provides a solid foundation and an inexhaustible driving force for the growth of China-U.S. relations. I visited Iowa in 1985 when I was working in China’s Hebei province. I saw local corn farming and processing and stayed with a local family for a couple of days. I was deeply impressed by America’s advanced technology and the hospitable and industrious American people. That visit drove home to me the importance of closer exchanges between our peoples and gave me a better understanding of China-U.S. relations。
China and the United States are two great countries, and the Chinese and American people are well disposed to and interested in each other. We all want to exchange views and learn from each other, deepen friendship and seek common development. There is no reason for our two countries not to engage in friendly cooperation. I am convinced that, with the backing of the 1.6 billion Chinese and American people, our relationship will bring greater peace, prosperity and development to the world。
ON SPORTS
I like sports, and swimming is my favorite. Doing physical exercises keeps one fit and healthy and helps one work more efficiently. I think we all need to strike a balance between work and relaxation. This can keep us energetic and help us do our job better。
NBA games are exciting to watch and have global appeal. They are very popular in China. I do watch NBA games on television when I have time。