The contrast could hardly be greater with Americans voting in their millions while the Chinese process of selection takes place behind closed doors by a handful of people.
Being the largest foreign holder of U.S. debt, China seems to have manoeuvred itself into a good place, a decent reminder of the IOU's America has written the Chinese to the tune of $1.2 trillion is an amazing way to focus American minds when the temptation is to push the Asians a bit too roughly.
A favourite tactic of the West, not with China but with anyone we deem outside of the Western family, is to tell them how they should be like us, democratic, free and a guardian of human rights although the last point is highly debatable and not a point that is lost on the incoming Chinese President who described those attempting to meddle in Chinese affairs as: 'some foreigners who have eaten their fill and have nothing better to do then point their fingers at our affairs. China does not, first, spread revolution; second, export poverty and hunger; or third, cause trouble for you. What else is there to say?'
Little is known about Jinping but in a World tour earlier this year he stressed Beijing's desire for steady relations and to 'overcome obstacles that have long stood in the way of Sino-U.S. strategic mutual trust and impeded deeper cooperation' which sounds positive.
China will grow, it will become the economic power and a superpower alongside America who i suspect will try to re-run the Cold War with China in the place of the Soviets but while China holds onto those IOU's, America is in a weak position and it will be interesting to see if America are still be calling the shots on the World stage when Jinping hands over power in a decades time. I think they will be facing some very stiff competition from a country who does things very differently to them.
7 comments:
lucy, money is only as good as the army that backs it...
q
That's the point, America can't treat China like an Afghanistan or an Iraq, it is too powerful now. The only option is a cold war style stand off.
oh, i misunderstood. we agree. but china doesn't really have any leverage on the usa either. it is only imagined...
q
I may be wrong, i'm sure you will tell me if i am, but isn't it about credit rating and China being able to ruin yours if it set itself to?
and how does that matter?
q
I stand to be corrected but if the credit rating goes down it costs more to borrow money as the interest rate goes up. If not i completely misunderstood the credit rating scare in places like Greece, Spain & Italy a few months back
you only if have to follow the rules if you army is real little or stuck in the 19th century... i'm not syaing it is fair or ethical, just stating reality.
q
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