Frank
Ching commenting in the Japan Times gives some advice: recognize that “there is
no relationship more important to the U.S” than that with China. President
Obama will hopefully recognize this. But we have our part of this issue right
here in Oregon. Developing the US-China relationship will be a long term
effort. Our part in that effort is to expand our Mandarin and study abroad in
China programs.
From
Ching’s commentary “China key to U.S. foreign policy success” (here):
….But the next president must recognize that China is not just a
relationship to be managed. It is perhaps the key relationship that the United
States must sustain if Obama is to achieve success in virtually all his other
foreign policy priority areas.
In the 21st century, there is no relationship more important to
the U.S. This does not mean that Washington can give up its network of
alliances in Europe and in Asia. Those alliances are important. But Washington
must give greater recognition of China's role in the coming decades.
It also does not mean that the U.S. should no longer stand up
for democracy and human rights. In fact, the inauguration of Obama and the
shutting down of the Guantanamo detention center should help restore
Washington's moral stature and put it in a stronger position to support human
rights around the world since it should no longer be accused of hypocrisy.
An Obama administration will certainly understand that the
U.S.-China bilateral relationship is a complex web of relationships, and the
overall relationship cannot be held hostage to any one strand of it, no matter
how important.
This is because, in the 21st century, cooperation between
Washington and Beijing in vital, not just for those two countries but for the
rest of the world as well. Nuclear nonproliferation and climate change, for
example, cannot be tackled without Chinese cooperation while, with such
cooperation, there is real hope of progress.
China is already cooperating on the North Korean nuclear issue
and, to some extent, on the Iranian issue as well.
On climate change — something to which the Obama administration
is determined to give priority, reversing eight years of inactivity —
Washington badly needs the cooperation of Beijing, since China has overtaken
the U.S. as the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases.
China will not be blackmailed into cooperation. It can, however, be persuaded if the U.S. were to take the lead and unconditionally announce its own plans to reduce emissions. Hopefully, this is what Obama and his advisers are planning to do….
International strategist Tom Barnett agrees (here):
Obviously, in line with what I've been saying for several years now, just stated very clearly and succinctly.
So do I.
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