The Banquet of Great Expectations
President Obama’s November 2009 state visit to China gave him a first hand opportunity to see the human face of China as he tried to convince Beijing that Washington is its partner, not its rival. It was the most important political “chewing the fat” banquet on earth as Obama’s low key approach promised to achieve a lot more than America’s traditional swaggered lectures. Bringing a carrot without the stick to stir up any contentious issues was sweet.
“The United States does not seek to contain China, nor does a deeper relationship with China mean a weakening of our bilateral alliances,” Obama said. “On the contrary, the rise of a strong, prosperous China can be a source of strength for the community of nations.”
What impressed the Chinese public the most about Obama was the report that he had insisted on paying for his own hamburger at a Washington restaurant and the fact that he carried his own umbrella when he got off Air Force One in Shanghai.
The unrealistic expectations, and unfair criticism, of Obama’s China November summit by the western media and American talking heads of all political hues, for its lack of concrete accomplishments, reflects America’s lack of understanding of the inherent distrust both countries have towards each other.
How can China trust the U.S. overnight when the U.S. National Intelligence Strategy 2009 identifies China as a “global challenger” on par with the so-called axis of evil to U.S. interests? This on the heels of U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates saying China’s ever-advancing arms would create a “new threat” to the U.S. army and weaken its military power in the Pacific region? America’s determination to sell more advanced weapons to Taiwan, coupled with its increased surveillance activities of China’s military expansion, as it increases the volume of its accusations that China is expanding its espionage activities in the U.S. ─ and protectionism ─ are not endearing gestures of trust.
The question on the Chinese minds is whether America was being capricious because of its economic difficulties, which force it to be nice, or is this a genuine change of U.S. attitude towards China?
“The United States does not seek to contain China, nor does a deeper relationship with China mean a weakening of our bilateral alliances,” Obama said. “On the contrary, the rise of a strong, prosperous China can be a source of strength for the community of nations.”
What impressed the Chinese public the most about Obama was the report that he had insisted on paying for his own hamburger at a Washington restaurant and the fact that he carried his own umbrella when he got off Air Force One in Shanghai.
The unrealistic expectations, and unfair criticism, of Obama’s China November summit by the western media and American talking heads of all political hues, for its lack of concrete accomplishments, reflects America’s lack of understanding of the inherent distrust both countries have towards each other.
How can China trust the U.S. overnight when the U.S. National Intelligence Strategy 2009 identifies China as a “global challenger” on par with the so-called axis of evil to U.S. interests? This on the heels of U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates saying China’s ever-advancing arms would create a “new threat” to the U.S. army and weaken its military power in the Pacific region? America’s determination to sell more advanced weapons to Taiwan, coupled with its increased surveillance activities of China’s military expansion, as it increases the volume of its accusations that China is expanding its espionage activities in the U.S. ─ and protectionism ─ are not endearing gestures of trust.
The question on the Chinese minds is whether America was being capricious because of its economic difficulties, which force it to be nice, or is this a genuine change of U.S. attitude towards China?
posted by Peter de Krassel's Custom Maid Politics at 12:30 AM
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