Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Obama in China

What is the relative significance of human rights and the cost of imported tires? Well those are the things that Pres. Obama of the USA and Chairman Hu of China, respectively, brought up, that upset the other in their joint meeting in Beijing. Apart from that they were careful to show a facade of good relations and unity on several topics.
They discussed the economic situation amicably, and the environment in relation to the upcoming Copenhagen Conference. But, it was those pesky issues of how China treats its own people, including the case of Tibet, and what the US does to protect its own industries, including tariffs on imported tires, that were the flies in the ointment.
Both China and the US are on their way out of the economic stagnation after the recession. But, both are still hurting, and since they are now the two biggest economies in the world there is certainly a need for cooperation between them. Whether China will revalue its currency the yuan as Obama would like remains to be seen. But, cooperation between the two giants is much better than conflict.
Does this meeting between Obama and Hu represent a downturn in American dominance of the world. Since the end of WWII and after the fall of Soviet communism, the US has been the only superpower. But, being a superpower means nothing if the leader is unlikely to use the hardware (guns) and the software (soldiers). Obama is the third US President to visit China since Nixon 37 years ago, and his going to Beijing can be considered symbolic of the change in US foreign policy under Obama and in the real relationship of the US and its most powerful rivals.
Whether Hu will ease up on the woeful treatment of individuals who dare to disagree publicly with the Communist Government is unlikely, and whether or not Obama would allow Chinese tires to flood the US market, thus putting Amercian companies at risk, is unlikely. But at least they both now know where they stand.

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