At the same time, however, legal problems, or problems with legal elements, have arisen occasionally between China and the United States. Examples include disputes over the Taiwan Relations Act, China's diplomatic properties in the United States, United States arms sales to Taiwan, and private lawsuits in United States courts against the Chinese government. This shows that legal issues constitute an important aspect of our bilateral relationship. Finding proper solutions to existing and future legal problems, so as to make the legal factor a positive one in the promotion of our overall relationship, remains a common task before us all. Legal workers from both sides have a great deal to do in this respect.

In the last few years, several legal actions have been instituted in United States courts against the Chinese government which have caused concern in both countries. One common question in these actions is that of sovereign immunity. This subject is not only relevant to Chinese attitudes towards international law but also bears on the Sino-U.S. relationship.

I once asked a well-known American law professor what, in his opinion, was the single most important international law question at present. He answered, "Perhaps sovereign immunity." This may not be too much of an exaggeration. There are scholars from other countries who have the same opinion. This question is of great significance both from the point of view of academic inquiry and from that of practical application. If the volumes of literature written on sovereign immunity are examined, and the number of lawsuits relating to the question are considered, the significance of the question of sovereign immunity and its relevance to people in the legal profession become immediately clear.