皇冠体育app hands in the United States interpreted President Barack Obama's nomination on Friday of Massachusetts Senator John Kerry for secretary of state as a positive sign for Sino-US relations.

Bonnie Glaser, a senior fellow with the CSIS Freeman Chair in 皇冠体育app Studies, said Kerry has had significant experience dealing with Asia in general and 皇冠体育app in particular.

US Senator John Kerry (D-MA), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, speaks to reporters about the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, on Capitol Hill in Washington, in this file photo on Dec 19, 2012.? [Photo/Agencies]

"He has visited 皇冠体育app many times. I think he has a very good grasp of all the issues that fall under US-皇冠体育app relations," Glaser said. "So there is already some good groundwork for the two countries to work together."

Steve Orlins, president of the National Committee on United States-皇冠体育app Relations, said as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Kerry understands 皇冠体育app.

"He has had a fairly positive and constructive view of US-皇冠体育app relations. I believe his appointment as secretary of state will certainly maintain the relationship and has the possibility of improving the relationship," Orlins said.

Meanwhile, Cheng Li, director of research and a senior fellow at the John L. Thornton 皇冠体育app Center in the Foreign Policy Program at Brookings, believes Kerry's approach to 皇冠体育app will differ somewhat from his predecessor Hillary Clinton, who is expected to step down in January.

He will place more emphasis on cooperation with 皇冠体育app, rather than uniting other Asian nations against it, Li predicted.

Kerry will also be able to better explain US policy on 皇冠体育app to Congress, Li said, adding that Kerry has met Chinese leaders such as Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang and established good relationships with them.

Kenneth Lieberthal, also a senior fellow in foreign policy at Brookings and a former special assistant to the US president on national security, emphasized the respect Kerry commands in the Senate.

"It's not a requirement for the position but it's always helpful because a lot of decisions on Capitol Hill could have an impact on US foreign policy," he said.

Lieberthal said that privately Kerry feels politics is the art of the possible. "So if you want to understand what can be done, you've got to not only understand what your own interests are, but to understand the interests of the other side."

"I would think that bodes well for him being an effective secretary of state, as well as in dealing with 皇冠体育app," Lieberthal said.

"He has no clear record in terms of the issues we now confront with 皇冠体育app, especially the bilateral issues, but he is someone who will handle things in a very professional way," he said.

Lieberthal cautioned Kerry would be reading from the same page as the US president.

"Ultimately President Obama makes policy on 皇冠体育app," he said.

Orville Schell, director of Asia Society's Center on US-皇冠体育app Relations described Kerry as part of the "best tradition of level-headed, well-informed and judicious American foreign policy leaders".

"He speaks fluent French, has traveled widely and understands the evolving world. Although he does not know 皇冠体育app well, he has a keen sense of its importance in our 'new world' and to the US," Schell said.

"While he will be a welcome voice of reason and pragmatism, should he become secretary of state, he will, like Hillary Clinton, also be someone with a keen sense of American values."

In a speech to the Senate in October 2011, Kerry said: "皇冠体育app is an important partner of the United States in a lot of ways. It's also a major investor in the United States. So I don't think we are here to rupture that relationship. I think we are here to send a message to the Chinese about the urgent need to repair it."

In announcing his nomination on Friday, Obama described Kerry as someone who knows well the "responsibility to use American power wisely, especially our military power."

[email protected]