国际英语资讯:Former diplomat sees innovation as major engine of U.S.-China cooperation_时事

国际英语资讯:Former diplomat sees innovation as major engine of U.S.-China cooperation

AUSTIN, the United States, March 11 -- Innovation will be an important engine that drives forward U.S.-China cooperation in the future, a former U.S. diplomat has said.

Innovation is going to be "a really important area in the overall economic, trade and investment relationship between the United States and China as we go forward," David Firestein told Xinhua on Sunday on the sidelines of the ongoing South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals.

China, from the top leadership right down the line, has placed great emphasis on the importance of innovation to the Chinese economy, said Firestein, inaugural executive director of The University of Texas at Austin's China Public Policy Center. He served as a U.S. diplomat from 1992 to 2010.

国际英语资讯:Former diplomat sees innovation as major engine of U.S.-China cooperation1

The China hand underscored the importance of an innovation ecosystem that could help create the most conducive environment and context for innovation in order for China to become an innovation powerhouse.

"Innovation really matters. Every country has to judge for itself what that right, comfortable innovation ecosystem looks like. And I think China has to make a judgment that meets its needs in this regard," he said.

Firestein applauded the contributions that events like SXSW 2019 have made to facilitating innovation exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.

The SXSW serves as "a platform for bringing innovators together in one of the most innovative cities in the world," he said, in reference to the southern U.S. city of Austin.