Former US ambassador says US-China ties need improvement

NEW YORK -- Former US Ambassador to China Gary Locke on Thursday said the US-China relationship "needs to be improved."

"The world is looking for leadership from both the United States and China working together to solve many of the issues facing the globe," Locke said.

Locke made the remarks at a virtual dialogue organized by the Committee of 100 (C100), a non-profit organization of prominent and extraordinary Chinese Americans.

Locke, also former governor of the US state of Washington and former US secretary of commerce, said that the US-China relationship impacts not just the two countries, but the entire world.

The US should be smart in addressing its concerns with China, he said.

For instance, Americans "need to work with the Chinese on climate change, finding a cure for cancer, handling the pandemic, etc," he added.

Recently, Locke was elected as the next chair of C100 and will take over the role at the May 2021 Annual Meeting.

Born in 1950, Locke is an American politician and diplomat who served as the 10th US ambassador to China from 2011 to 2014.