It's never good to dip into one's savings just to live large. Gluttony and largess - when one can ill afford it - is foolish ... and a sign of decadence. To me, the U.S. so-called pivot to Asia - emblemized by President Obama's trip to Japan - represents just that. The New York Times - even with its usual spin PR in over-drive - already calls the trip a "setback." In an … [Read more...] about Obama Asia tour: US-Japan treaty ‘covers disputed islands’ – A Case of Dipping into One’s Savings to Live Large?
Barack Obama
A rare Xi Jinping interview from year 2000 translated
Having just read an interview (translated by Nordic Institute of Asian Studies) of Xi Jinping when he was still governor of Fujian Province back in 2000, I am struck by the differences between the current Chinese political system versus the American. Think about Obama before becoming president. The largest budget he's ever managed was probably his 2008 election campaign. … [Read more...] about A rare Xi Jinping interview from year 2000 translated
Elizabeth Economy’s Wish List for the upcoming Romney-Obama Debate on China and Foreign Policy
Elizabeth Economy (of Council on Foreign Relations) made a list of topics for the upcoming Romney-Obama debate in hopes for a better American public discourse on China. With both of their campaigns almost competing to see who can be more harsh in criticizing China, Americans are polarized more than ever on this critical relationship, and Economy is right that there needs to be … [Read more...] about Elizabeth Economy’s Wish List for the upcoming Romney-Obama Debate on China and Foreign Policy
“Blame-game players should apologize” by China Daily USA’s Chen Weihua
Henry Kissinger recently told his audience at a Wilson Institute forum that Romney's and Obama's campaign rhetoric against China were 'deplorable.' Some expat bloggers suggest that China should accept that this is a election phenomenon as if this sort of behavior is 'normal' and 'proper.' That's wrong and Americans should take the China-U.S. relationship more seriously - … [Read more...] about “Blame-game players should apologize” by China Daily USA’s Chen Weihua
A simple take on the Hu Jintao U.S. visit with respect to Western media
I am sure many of you have been following Chinese President Hu and U.S. President Obama's speeches and Q&A's with the media over the last couple of days. The governments are absolutely trying to be constructive in their relations. For that, it's been refreshing to see. After hearing them speak directly, I must say though, the nuances in the Western media are largely lost. … [Read more...] about A simple take on the Hu Jintao U.S. visit with respect to Western media