Voices

"Asking for Chinese military transparency is ridiculous. The American military is the general drillmaster for all modern armies. It's like rich people asking poor people to compare their treasure. The poor one has nothing to show, so he uses secrecy as an excuse not to play the game."

"We learned that these workers returned in their prime: the average age of the Indian returnees was 30 and the Chinese was 33. They were really well educated: 51% of the Chinese held masters degrees and 41% had PhDs. Among Indians, 66% held a masters and 12% had PhDs. These degrees were mostly in management, technology, and science. Clearly these returnees are in the U.S. population's educational top tier, precisely the kind of people who can make the greatest contribution to an economy's innovation and growth. And it isn't just new immigrants who are returning home, we learned. Some 27% of the Indians and 34% of the Chinese had permanent resident status or were U.S. citizens. That's right, it's not just about green cards."

"I have a problem — a China problem. In fact, the problem is made in China. But I found it in Washington, D.C., where I raided shops to find nice gifts that do not feature the gold-plated note with the dreaded words: Made in China. It is a hopeless search, one that begins with my picking up a little something from the shelf, scanning it intensely, and quickly returning it.

"The disappointment that comes with failing to carry some memorable gifts for friends and family, especially if you are returning from a place called America, is necessarily great. But I can’t carry gifts with a despised tag.

"Do not get me wrong: Some of the collectibles I wanted to buy, or actually bought, are really beautiful products that, without any association with China, would be perfect gifts for the people I care about back home in Uganda. Remove the tag and what you have left is a stunning gift, without a hint of its provenance. That is what I have been doing in some cases — acts of dishonesty committed because I really loved the products and because it was easier to explain why a gift bears no tag than having to confront the disapproving stare of a dear friend."

"The accomplishments of China’s Communist Party in developing its government deserve the highest marks. The practical experience they have should be intensely studied."

"We've got the classic case of a Western government yet again conceding to Chinese pressure that is imaginary long after that Chinese pressure has ceased to exist.... The Chinese must be falling over themselves with astonishment at what Western diplomats will give them without being asked. I don't know what the poker analogy would be.

"'Please, see all my cards and take my money, too?'"

"The U.S. side has said that the last thing they want is a trade war and I want to believe them.... The test will be whether similar cases would be accepted. The worst thing would be if this becomes a precedent and other industries follow suit by filing one case after another."

-- Zhou Wenzhong, China's ambassador to the US, on Sept. 17, 2009

"The Chinese are trying to export their unemployment. That makes them a natural target."

-- Roger Schagrin, a lawyer representing U.S. steel pipe companies and one of those pushing for sanctions against Chinese producers, on Sept. 30, 2009

"We have these jumbo, juicy paws the Chinese really love, so I don't think they are going to cut us off."

"The President decided to remedy the clear disruption to the U.S. tire industry based on the facts and the law in this case."

-- White House statement

"It was a misuse of the special safeguard measures and sent a wrong signal to the world."

-- Chen Deming, PRC Minister of Commerce

"I think Obama has put himself into what will prove to be a very uncomfortable position."

-- Nicholas Lardy, Peterson Institute for International Economics

"The scandal has affected a whole generation of China's future... This day is a humiliation for all Chinese. It is a national disaster. We should have the courage to remember this day."

"[W]e will not see eye-to-eye on every issue. We have different histories, different experiences, different perspectives. But we must seek to talk honestly and openly even when agreement is not possible. And we are committed to doing so. In July, we had a very full and frank discussion about human rights, and we agreed to hold the next round of our Human Rights Dialogue before the end of the year, and to reconvene the U.S.-China Legal Experts Dialogue. We know that this is an important part of our engagement with China."