Misblog

Originally Published November 13, 2009; Last Updated January 14, 2010; Last Republished January 14, 2010:

President Obama heads for Asia²—engaging China in a big and bold way is on his agenda—our White House is providing coverage¹.

Longtime China hand and specialist Orville Schell well summarizes the state of the current China-U.S. relationship:

"...so fraught with attraction and repulsion, love and hate, contempt and worship" that the two countries can perhaps never be truly relaxed partners. "But we are [at?] least co-dependents, or perhaps co-victims, because our common fate is more and more inescapable."--WP, quoting Orville Schell--

Web:

• UPDATED 01/14/2010 The Diplomat, China’s Not a Superpower.

• UPDATED 11/20/2009 NPR FreshAir, After Obama Visit, Assessing U.S.-China Relations. (mp3 download)

  NPR's Fresh Air, Terry Gross interviews Orville Schell from China—primarily focused on energy and energy emissions.

• UPDATED 11/20/2009 PBS NewsHour, U.S., China Redefine Relationship During Obama's Asia Tour.

  • UPDATED 11/20/2009 PBS NewsHour, U.S., China Explore Deeper Ties as Partners, Contenders.
• UPDATED 11/18/2009 WP, Obama pushes China on currency, human rights.

  • UPDATED 11/18/2009 WP, Photos of Obama travels to Asia.

    An American president arriving for an official visit will always know he's in a friendly country because protesters and the official welcoming delegation provide the greetings.

  • UPDATED 11/19/2009 CSM, Photos of Obama travels China
  • UPDATED 11/19/2009 WH, China through the Lens of the White House Photographer
• UPDATED 11/17/2009 UPI, U.S., China list joint clean energy plans.

• UPDATED 11/17/2009 Reuters, China hails U.S. reiteration of sovereignty over Taiwan.

  It’s time for both China and U.S. to stop reiterating and start jointly reacting to solve our serious global issues.

  Is there a serious thinker that believes either nation or our world will gain if China and America spend the next decade "gaming each other" while opaquely seeking too gain advantage? If so let's hear from them.

  Instead of America building 13 carrier battle groups let’s encourage and help China build one (use the Russian carrier as a trainer). See what they can learn to do with it and whether we can “get by” with just 12 carrier groups.

• UPDATED 11/17/2009 Reuters, Obama prods China on yuan but Hu silent on issue
• UPDATED 11/16/2009 People's Daily Online 人民网, President Obama's face-to-face with Chinese Youth.
  • UPDATED 11/17/2009 UPIAsia, Obama gets a taste of Chinese censorship
  • People's Daily Online 人民网, Pictures Obama talks with Chinese youths
  • NYT, Obama Pushes Rights With Chinese Students

• UPDATED 11/15/2009 Reuters, China-U.S. spar over currencies ahead of Obama visit.

  Our president hasn't even made it to Shanghai yet and already the discussions are focusing on the relevant issues—an encouraging omen for difficult, respectful, transparent, and direct discussions on many tough issues.

  "...So the United States does not seek to contain China, nor does a deeper relationship with China mean a weakening of our bilateral alliances. On the contrary, the rise of a strong, prosperous China can be a source of strength for the community of nations.

  And so in Beijing and beyond, we will work to deepen our strategic and economic dialogue, and improve communication between our militaries. Of course, we will not agree on every issue, and the United States will never waver in speaking up for the fundamental values that we hold dear -- and that includes respect for the religion and cultures of all people -- because support for human rights and human dignity is ingrained in America. But we can move these discussions forward in a spirit of partnership rather than rancor...."--Obama's Tokyo Speech--

Pod:

• UPDATED 11/14/2009 CFR, China 2025: Keynote I: China’s Rise: Strategic Implications for Asia (16M mp3 or stream). Keynote by Aaron L. Friedberg—be sure to listen to exchange between Simon Tay (primarily cooperative model) and Aaron Friedberg (primarily confrontation model) at the very end of the stream or mp3.

YouTube:

• Project 2049 Institute sponsored CFR China 2025 - Maryanne Kivlehan-Wise on Naval Power.

  Kivlehan-Wise is a teammate with the Center for Naval Analysis, China Studies. She comments on China leadership's pursuit of strategic maritime interests:
  

  "...When I think of China looking out into the future, I see something different. I think we're unclear about China's intentions, because even China doesn't know where China is going. China's national interests have changed profoundly in the last 30 years. Indeed, they've changed a great deal in the last 10 years for that matter. And the leadership in Beijing is still grappling with the implications of these changes...." --Kivlehan-Wise--

• Project 2049 Institute sponsored CFR China 2025; Minxin Pei appeared on one of a series of panels discussing various aspects of China:

  "The only thing rising faster than China is the hype about China." --Minxin Pei--

• 
  Other Project 2049, China 2025 symposium YouTube videos

Blog:

• White House:
  • UPDATED 11/17/2009 WH, Full Video and Photos: The President's Town Hall in Shanghai

  • UPDATED 11/15/2009 WH, Shanghai Town Hall / 欧巴马总统在上海与青年面对面.

    The White House will stream the November 16, 2009 Shanghai Town Hall live over the Internet.

    As you might expect China's leadership is not yet comfortable with the idea of steaming or broadcasting our president live and uncensored directly to the Chinese people (see also Xinhua, Xinhuanet preparing for live broadcast of Obama's dialogue with Chinese youth).

  • WH, Staying in Touch During the Asia Trip

    WH, Journal President's Trip To Asia

• UPDATED 11/16/2009 LAT, Text of Obama's [Shanghai] town hall.

  President Obama at a Shanghai town hall with students, as provided by the White House.

• UPDATED 11/16/2009 CDT, Obama China Visit 2009 Posts

-----notes-----

1. It would be wonderful (not to mention beneficial) if our White House used this opportunity to hold a "introductory symposium" on China's fascinating history, culture, and citizens—complete with video; audio; photos; informational downloads and links; multimedia presentation; news integration and analysis; and trip highlights.

2. Those interested in an overview of Asia issues from America's perspective may find a Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) conference call (16M mp3) on Obama's Asia trip interesting.

CFR speakers include: Evan A. Feigenbaum, Senior Fellow for East, Central, and South Asia; and Joshua Kurlantzick, Fellow for Southeast Asia; and Sheila A. Smith, Senior Fellow for Japan Studies.

• UPDATED 11/15/2009 In Tokyo, Our Common Future. Includes link to Obama's near perfect Tokyo speech with Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese Korean translations:

  ...So I want everyone to know, and I want everybody in America to know, that we have a stake in the future of this region, because what happens here has a direct effect on our lives at home. This is where we engage in much of our commerce and buy many of our goods. And this is where we can export more of our own products and create jobs back home in the process. This is a place where the risk of a nuclear arms race threatens the security of the wider world, and where extremists who defile a great religion plan attacks on both our continents. And there can be no solution to our energy security and our climate challenge without the rising powers and developing nations of the Asia Pacific...."--Obama Tokyo Speech--