Chinese President Hu Jintao arrives in Washington D.C. today. Tomorrow he will engage in a high-profile meeting with President Obama to discuss trade, currency and a host of other issues. The United States has a lot riding on its relationship with the rising super power to the East and, as a result, many eyes will be watching to see how the meeting between the two leaders goes.
Eliot Spitzer points out on the Parker Spitzer blog that the differences between the U.S. and Chinese economies are still vast; however, the gap is closing quickly:
"U.S.
GDP: $14.7 trillion
Population: 311 million
Per capita GDP: $47,123
China
GDP: $5.7 trillion
Population: 1.3 billion
Per capita GDP: $7,500
China’s economy is growing at a rate of 10%, while ours is growing at 3%, and their enormous surpluses are permitting them to acquire critical resources around the world. "
Kiran Chetry talks with Jamie Metzl, the Executive Vice President at the Asia Society and a former State Department and National Security Adviser, to discuss the relationship between the two nations. He says, "Any major issue that the United States or the world faces in the 21st century will need to be addressed by China and the United States working together." Hear more from Kiran's interview: