By Here is a good read from TIME magazine in regards to the three lessons that President Obama should have learned from his visit to China. Read the article for yourself, but I will go ahead and highlight a few of the pertinent passages from the article:
- As the Washington Post noted, when Bill Clinton visited Beijing a decade ago, the U.S. owed more money to Spain than it did to China. President Obama’s America owes China some $800 billion and counting. China’s economy is humming again, while America’s is likely to remain sluggish for years.
- Given its economic health and growing influence, Beijing is not simply able to rebuff U.S. demands; it is making its own demands of the U.S., in whose economy much of China’s own wealth is tied up. For example, U.S. officials traveling with President Obama faced detailed questions about how the U.S. planned to pay for health-care reform, with China increasingly alarmed at the ballooning deficit and the gloomy economic outlook.
- China’s response to Obama could be read as: “Running the world is your gig, we’re focused on running our own country, and ensuring security in our immediate neighborhood. We want harmonious relations with you, but don’t expect us to do anything that we deem harmful to our national interests.”
- President Obama‘s personal charm and charisma may be a national asset when dealing with many countries, but, through no fault of his own, China is not necessarily one of them.
To sum things up the President is limited by what he can accomplish with China because of the US’s massive debt which is only further growing at unsustainable levels. Plus the Chinese have pretty much politely told him in regards to issues like global warmng, human rights, Iran, and Tibet they could care less and finally the President’s personal charisma has no effect on the collective Chinese politiburo leadership.
As the Korean government knows all to well, the Chinese government plays hardball and the US government better learn to do so as well if they expect to get any concessions on any issues from the Chinese government.
1:08 am on November 22nd, 2009 1
Why should China change? They are successful, wealthy, a growing military power and, at least for the moment, peaceful.
Above all else they want stability. No matter the cost.
And they REALLY, REALLY hate being lectured too.
They have existed for a long time and don't need or want the 'big noses" to tell them how to run their affairs and considering the mess the US is in, i can't say I blame them.
2:15 am on November 22nd, 2009 2
Obama's visit was a total non event in China and Japan.
China – they ho hum-ed the visit, and Obama didn't dare to lecture the Chinese.
Japan – they basically told the US to go to hell.
Korea – probably the least problematic for Obama, but then again, nobody in the US think Korea is that really important.
More and more Asians, including Koreans do not have any respect left for the morally and financially bankrupt US.
It's really no wonder why there are so many "ESL teachers" in Korea, and the numbers will continue to rise. There are no jobs in the indebted West, while the power and the money are shifting from the West to the East. We'll see how much more lecturing on Koreans and bashings by the Western expats like JohnT, there will be in 15 years when they become permanent migrant workers in Asia.
3:02 am on November 22nd, 2009 3
TOM I can appreciate your view point.
Americans have a short memory. Even less tolerance for failure. Of course I speak of the people, not the political leaders. 15 years? That's three more Presidents!
Who knows about congress, which I view as a problem. Need term limits on them.
The only thing constant is change. Good today? Bad tomorrow! Bad today? Better tomorrow.
America has had some internal issues since 2006. Change comes.
I don't see America turning into Mexico anytime soon. But I could be wrong.
9:00 am on November 22nd, 2009 4
Actually, I think SNL captured the results of Obama's China visit quite nicely here:
http://msunderestimated.com/2009/11/21/snl-obama-…
9:33 am on November 22nd, 2009 5
I think SNL did a great job on this one:
http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/88813/
12:31 pm on November 22nd, 2009 6
Agree
12:45 pm on November 22nd, 2009 7
Awesome, an Asian trip that accomplished absolutely nothing. Speaks more to the truth than most congressmen/women.
2:25 am on November 23rd, 2009 8
What President Obama Should Have Learned from His China Trip
"I wonder why 45 years of Great Societty programs promoting socialissm and redistribution in American ghettos resulted in much less than a decade of China promoting capitalissm and the will to succeed through education and hard work. There must be something to this."
(So-shall-ism won't go through the spam filter unless misspelled yet penis enhancing pill will… makes me wonder if the spam filter has some kind of agenda other than protecting against spam.)
2:27 am on November 23rd, 2009 9
What President Obama Should Have Learned from His China Trip
"I wonder why 45 years of Great Society programs promoting sociaalism and redistribution in American ghettos resulted in much less than a decade of China promoting capitalism and the will to succeed through education and hard work. There must be something to this."
(So-shall-ism won't go through the spam filter unless misspelled yet penis enhancing pill will… makes me wonder if the spam filter has some kind of agenda other than protecting against spam.)