WASHINGTON - A senior US diplomat said on Saturday that Washington hopes the China-US Governors Forum can offer creative ideas to enhance bilateral economic ties and overcome recent friction.

Dozens of US governors have led trade missions to China and tried to attract investment, but there are "some issues" regarding investment relations between the two countries, US Under Secretary of State for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs Robert Hormats said at a Chinese embassy reception for the US governors and a delegation from Central China's Hunan province.

He hoped that the governors could help Washington draft better economic policies by providing positive examples from their own experience.

"In the US, in many cases many creative ideas about education and economic policy come from states and cities frequently they are translated to the national level," he said.

Hormats encouraged the visiting Hunan province delegation and other Chinese investors to continue investment in the United States.

"Let me make it clear: The US welcomes investment from China. We certainly have our procedures, such as the CFIUS (Committee on Foreign Investment in the US), and we will continue to do so. But the majority of Chinese investment in the US does not involve national security issues," he said.

China Daily

(China Daily 02/28/2011 page11)