Here's my maverick "3rd space" blog about the first state visit of Barack Obama to China:
My read of BARACK OBAMA (BO), after ten (10) months in the White House, is that his strength and forte is in the domestic front. And on the international arena, he is not up to par with say a Richard Nixon.
I gauge his international trips since he became President. There's quantity but little quality. He reportedly made more foreign state visits in the brief period since he took office at the White House than his predecessor, W. Bush.
Obviously, compared to Dubya, BO is a lot smarter and savvier; but that is a very low bar.
Compared to Bill Clinton, BO is less agile and nimble on the affairs of international politics and diplomacy. Bill Clinton can knock your socks off with his charisma and Southern bubba charm. Bill Clinton can drink your booze, steal your wife, undress her, go to bed with her, take your money, and you would still applaud him and yell, "Ding Hao ! Ding Hao."
In comparison, BO appears to be "over-programmed," stiff, professorial, and went by the teleprompter, and go by scripted plays.
He did not exude the "cool" or "folksiness" of a Bill Clinton, a real "charmer" who can look you straight in the eyes and say, I never had sex with your wife..." even though his hands are in her crotch. :-)
BO clearly needs to practice with foreigners, especially Asians, short of his limited experience as a Punahou High kid.
That Town Hall meeting in Shanghai, was designed more for the Amerikan domestic audience back home. It fell flat, not only because on the Chinese end, the pool of students selected to serve as the audience and the visual backdrop, were over-programmed, lack spontaneity, and worse, too dumb, timid, and "ke-qi" to be effective to ask the right overarching questions about US-China relations, some of which we have argued and debated here among us.
And unfortunately, by my experience doing "Amerika Watching," and astutely observing the nuances, demeanor, and symbolism, I think BO succeeded on this first foray into Asia-Pacific to the extent that he tried to project that he is ready to re-set the button in Amerikan international relations, yet could not come up with anything "concrete" by way of substantive change.
The following issues were unresolved:
1. The issue of Okinawa and removal of Amerikan troops from its forward base in that island.
2. The issue of Amerikan trade sanctions against Chinese tires and steel imports to which Chinese premier Wen Jiabao called "protectionism" which was placed at the front-burner.
3. The issue of colossal deficits that Amerika is strapped with, with no end in sight, and the reverberations and adverse consequences in the global financial system and its stability.
4. The issue of mutual respect, reciprocity, and comity to which Asia-Pacific nations, not just in APEC, ASEAN, but the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
BO went with the following priority issues on Amerika's plate, hoping for China's cooperation:
a. Help in the Korean peninsula to denuclearize North Korea;
b. Help in Pakistan and Afghanistan in Amerika's fight against Al Queda and the Taliban;
c. Help in Iran with respect to Iranian nuclearization;
d. Help in balancing US trade deficits with more and more Chinese goods entering Amerika than vice-versa.
e. Help in Climate Change in terms of China's carbon emissions and greenhouse gas problems.
f. Help in Myanmar, Darfur, with regard to the issues presented by the domestic Gweillo human rights lobby.
g. Help to re-start the dialogue with the Dalai Lama over the issue of Tibet/Zizhang.
On a. through g. above, BO got very little substantive during this trip.
In legal jargon, it means, "no go;" an agreement to "talk further" down the line.
All in all, it was a trip to appease the domestic constituency.
To me, what is really very revealing about the First Family is the following:
I. The absence of Michelle Obama as a presidential spouse in this first Asia-Pacific state visit, relative to Michelle's presence in the European trip, with two daughters in tow.
II. The relative brief visit, relative to other state visits. Already, many pundits have criticized BO and Michelle's state visit to Africa, especially Ghana, as being tepid, lackluster, and lacking in empathy. It was a whirlwind "PR" tour without the heart and the guts. Clearly, the First Family's "uppity" outlooke remains "Eurocentric," focused on the gweillo "white people."
Will BO change ? Let's hope he is as smart and agile as Bill Clinton.
I miss the guy Bill Clinton. Even though I won't trust my wife being present when he shows up. :-) Bill Clinton can charm the socks out of you.
