clayinaustin
Charter Member
WOW! Who here would think that the Chinese can see Obama for what he truely is. The Right hates him, the Left loves him, but the Chinese see him as just another politician.
In China, Obama will glimpse world's new center of gravity
Here are some excerpts...
SHANGHAI — When President Barack Obama lands here Sunday night in China's largest city, he'll find many of its 20 million people intrigued by him and welcoming, but hardly deferential, and some openly skeptical of his promises of change.
In this, the mainland's most Western-minded and economically dynamic center, where Obama will deliver remarks on Monday before moving on to the capital of Beijing , many Shanghainese see the global balance of power shifting: China is ascending, while America may have peaked.
"The U.S. is a very big and strong country, military-wise, economy-wise. It's still important," said Zhou Jun , 38, who runs a garment business in Shanghai . "But compared to before, China has a lot more influence on the world."
There's populist support for the American and Chinese governments working together to contain North Korea , clean the environment and save the world economy.
There's also mistrust.
On pollution and consumer safety, several Chinese asked: Doesn't American demand for cheap goods drive manufacturing? Don't Americans worry less when it's someone else's dirty air and water? On the economy: Why should Americans criticize the Chinese for how they manage their currency when the U.S. can print more money and expect China and Japan to prop it up?
Many Chinese like seeing Americans doing business here. While Obama talks about supporting free trade, however, they see his tariffs on Chinese tires as evidence that he'll usher in more protectionism if his political base demands it. Never mind the current trade imbalance that tilts a huge surplus China's way.
In China, Obama will glimpse world's new center of gravity
Here are some excerpts...
SHANGHAI — When President Barack Obama lands here Sunday night in China's largest city, he'll find many of its 20 million people intrigued by him and welcoming, but hardly deferential, and some openly skeptical of his promises of change.
In this, the mainland's most Western-minded and economically dynamic center, where Obama will deliver remarks on Monday before moving on to the capital of Beijing , many Shanghainese see the global balance of power shifting: China is ascending, while America may have peaked.
"The U.S. is a very big and strong country, military-wise, economy-wise. It's still important," said Zhou Jun , 38, who runs a garment business in Shanghai . "But compared to before, China has a lot more influence on the world."
There's populist support for the American and Chinese governments working together to contain North Korea , clean the environment and save the world economy.
There's also mistrust.
On pollution and consumer safety, several Chinese asked: Doesn't American demand for cheap goods drive manufacturing? Don't Americans worry less when it's someone else's dirty air and water? On the economy: Why should Americans criticize the Chinese for how they manage their currency when the U.S. can print more money and expect China and Japan to prop it up?
Many Chinese like seeing Americans doing business here. While Obama talks about supporting free trade, however, they see his tariffs on Chinese tires as evidence that he'll usher in more protectionism if his political base demands it. Never mind the current trade imbalance that tilts a huge surplus China's way.
