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David Firestein (L), inaugural executive director of the University of Texas at Austin's China Public Policy Center, speaks at an event during the ongoing South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals in Austin of Texas, the United States, March 10, 2019. Innovation will be an important engine that drives forward U.S.-China cooperation in the future, David Firestein has said. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

AUSTIN, the United States, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Innovation will be an important engine that drives forward U.S.-China cooperation in the future, a former U.S. diplomat has said.

Innovation is going to be "a really important area in the overall economic, trade and investment relationship between the United States and China as we go forward," David Firestein told Xinhua on Sunday on the sidelines of the ongoing South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals.

China, from the top leadership right down the line, has placed great emphasis on the importance of innovation to the Chinese economy, said Firestein, inaugural executive director of The University of Texas at Austin's China Public Policy Center. He served as a U.S. diplomat from 1992 to 2010.

The China hand underscored the importance of an innovation ecosystem that could help create the most conducive environment and context for innovation in order for China to become an innovation powerhouse.

"Innovation really matters. Every country has to judge for itself what that right, comfortable innovation ecosystem looks like. And I think China has to make a judgment that meets its needs in this regard," he said.

Firestein applauded the contributions that events like SXSW 2019 have made to facilitating innovation exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.

The SXSW serves as "a platform for bringing innovators together in one of the most innovative cities in the world," he said, in reference to the southern U.S. city of Austin.

The 10-day SXSW, which kicked off Friday, has gathered innovators and entrepreneurs from across the globe to breed and fund new ideas. Chinese companies, such as e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, have sent innovators to inspire others and get inspired.

In addition to innovation, Firestein said, energy is another area that is going to be "vitally important to helping get the United States and China back on track again."

"We will get back on track. And when we do, energy is going to be a really big part of that as well," he said.