President Barack Obama combined the Senior Dialogue and Strategic Economic Dialogue from Bush’s administration into the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue, which was held for the first time in July. The level of the dialogue went higher, as Beijing wanted it. Obama attended the opening ceremony and gave a speech, showing due respect for Beijing’s feelings.
Not long ago, Obama sent Commerce Minister Gary Faye Locke, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, and Legislative Director Chris Lu, to China. Obama wanted to use their Chinese origin to show his goodwill toward Beijing and to convince Beijing of the importance of working together in issues of environmental protection and trade.
Economy wise, the U.S. and China depend on each other, especially during the economic downturn. After Obama assumed office, he tried to improve US foreign relations by coming down off his high horse and treating the world, including China, amiably.
This is what is so good about democracy, every administration gets to have its own ideology and policies, and do what it takes to contribute to the country. The administration is replaced after a certain time so its mistakes can be corrected. A new administration can even completely reverse certain wrong decisions from previous administration.
“And those rights include the freedom to speak your mind, to worship your God, and to choose your leaders.”
Bush’s unilateralism certainly inserted democratic plates in Middle East and certainly changed international geopolitics. After Obama moved into the Whitehouse, he stirred back Bushism and adopted a flexible foreign policy to give the US a break. The relation with South America significantly improved after Obama assumed office.
Flexibility allows improvement and changes any time. It makes a country full of life and power. This country can continue to improve and stay strong. On the other hand, a totalitarian regime carries policies all the way through. It may be beneficial to accumulate experience but it can also stiffen a country. This country will lose its motivation to change and will gradually become corrupt.
While showing Beijing his goodwill, Obama quietly digs in Beijing’s wall. In July, the U.S. signed the Treaty Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia with Association of South Asian Nations (ASEAN). China, Japan and Russia have already signed the Treaty with ASEAN. The U.S. never acted on it. During Bush’s administration, the U.S. Secretary of State only attended the ASEAN Regional Forum once in three years. Obama started to pay attention to ASEAN. His Secretary of State Hilary Clinton clearly expressed his determination to return to southeastern Asia, “We believe that the United States must have strong relationships and a strong and productive presence here in Southeast Asia.”
Korea-card
Facing Kim Jong-il’s nuclear threat, instead of expressing fury like Bush, Obama seemed indifferent. He did routine protest through the UN platform. Beijing on the other hand seemed anxious. After a series of provocation, Pyongyang expressed its stand that it refused to rejoin the Six-Party Talks led by Beijing, but wished to talk with the U.S. alone. The Korea-card is no longer being played by Beijing alone, it is playing into the hand of the U.S.
At the same time, the China-U.S. quarrels in the South Sea and the China-Japan dispute over sovereignty of an island in East China Sea are heating up. While Obama is being modest and amiable with Beijing, he did not forget his strategic goal to keep China at bay.
The first U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue took place after the outbreak of the violent protest and suppression in Xinjiang. At the opening ceremony, Obama skillfully expressed his view, “For instance, the United States respects the progress that China has made by lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. Just as we respect China's ancient and remarkable culture, its remarkable achievements, we also strongly believe that the religion and culture of all peoples must be respected and protected, and that all people should be free to speak their minds. And that includes ethnic and religious minorities in China, as surely as it includes minorities within the United States.” Obama further stressed that the U.S. protects the basic rights of its people, “And those rights include the freedom to speak your mind, to worship your God, and to choose your leaders.”
The Obama administration seemed to dilute China’s human rights issues on the surface. However, it did not give up basic principles. Making concession and compromising is strategic and temporary. The ideological chasm between the U.S. and China still exists. When there is a change of circumstances, the U.S.-China relation may aggravate.
With permission of Radio Free Asia
Read original article in Chinese
