我认为，当前中美关系主要有以下四个特点：
As I see it, China-US relationship has the following four distinctive features:
一是两国利益联系日益紧密。40年前，中美两国经贸联系几乎为零。现在，两国互为第二大贸易伙伴，2010年双边贸易额达到历史性的3853亿美元。中国已连续10年是美国增长最快的主要出口市场。2000年至2010年，美国对华出口累计增长468%，同期美国对其他国家出口仅增长55%。美国是中国最大的外来直接投资来源国，中国是美国最大的债权国。
Firstly, the economic interests of China and the United States have been closely interconnected. 40 years ago, our trade and economic activities were almost nonexistent. We are now each other's second largest trade partner. Last year, bilateral trade reached US$385 billion. China has been the US's fastest growing export market for the last 10 years, and US exports to China increased by 468% from 2000 to 2010, while its exports to other countries increased only by 55%. The US continues to be the No. 1 source of foreign direct investment for China, and China has become the biggest foreign creditor for the US.
二是两国对话磋商不断深化。双方高层互访与交流密切，两国已建立起涵盖广泛领域的60多个对话磋商机制，包括近年建立的中美战略与经济对话、商贸联委会、人文交流高层磋商、战略安全对话和亚太事务磋商等机制。这些机制为促进中美互信与合作搭建了独特、有效的平台。
Secondly, dialogue and consultation at various levels have increased and improved. There have been frequent high level visits and exchanges. Over 60 dialogue and consultation mechanisms have been established covering a wide range of areas, including the Strategic and Economic Dialogue, the Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade, the High-Level Consultation on People-to-People Exchanges, and the recently established Strategic Security Dialogue and the Asia-Pacific Affairs Consultation. These mechanisms have provided unique and effective platforms for China and the US to build trust and expand cooperation.
三是两国民间交往快速发展。近年，中美两国每年往来人员总数超过300万人次，平均每天有9000人往返于太平洋两岸。中美已建立起38对友好省州、169对友好城市关系。目前在美国留学的中国人约13万，而在中国留学的美国人也超过2万。在中国，约3亿人正在学习英语；而在美国，学习汉语的人数也已达20多万。
Thirdly, there have been extensive and growing social interactions between our two countries. Every year, more than three million visits are made between China and the US. About 9,000 people are traveling across the Pacific each and every single day. We have 38 pairs of sister province/state relationships and 169 sister city relationships. As we speak, about 130,000 Chinese are studying in the US, and over 20,000 Americans are studying in China. Currently, about three hundred million people in China are learning English, and more than two hundred thousand people in the US are learning Chinese.
四是两国在许多重大地区和全球性问题上保持有效沟通与合作。从传统的安全与发展领域到反恐、防扩散、应对气候变化、能源、环境保护等新兴领域，从应对国际金融危机、推动世界经济复苏到实现联合国千年发展目标，中美合作的领域几乎无处不在，并在全球产生越来越重要的影响。
