China Law Blog

Of course Lewis' both sketches of the China-related sentences Obama said and the will to overlook them is understandable at this time of the race; there is no need now to push on the candidates' perspectives on China excessively: they will have countless hours to spend on the issue once in office!

They (McCain & Obama) are still campaigning. It is important to stress the "still"; and history is willing to teach that during campaigns the candidates are ready to talk for hours and not loose balance, just skimming their real opinions (in this case, about China) because their political views are (party-wise) necessarily to remain unchanged until November.

But more over, aside from the appreciable demagogy (sometimes worringly a-la-Italienne!) I personally take those sentences Obama gave, as an incitement on national scale:

that is, to reawaken citizens and entrepreneurs of all sizes to believe in what they can still accomplish in domestic economy.

That is, in my view, both intelligently stimulative: he is not saying "don't go to china with your company" or "don't buy anything else from China", but he means good by trying to shake the people - from which everything usually starts! - not to lose faith in the economical splendor America can still come back for (someday).

By now we are accustomed to presidential candidates being hard on China during the campaign and adjusting to reality once in office. (The Chinese are accustomed to this as well -- not that they necessarily care for it.)

What's sad is that no president has yet been able to sell the idea of engagement with China to the American people. If they had been successful, then future candidates should have no need to say one thing to get elected, then reverse course once in office.

Isn't it ironic that the Western press makes a big deal about lip-synching little girls and gymnasts with forged passports, yet they just accept the fact that US presidential candidates can't be truthful about China.

You definitely shouldn't trust anything Obama says on the campaign trail - just look at Canada & NAFTA (publicly denouncing NAFTA during the primaries, privately staffer tells Canadian official not to worry).

I second those who say not to take anything said at the moment too seriously, the only thing I will say is that bet on Obama is looking pretty safe at the moment . . .

The fact that we are seeing these anti-China rhetoric (whether they materialize or not) every four years says something about America, doesn't it? The fact that getting tough with China pleases the American public says something, doesn't it? How come the usually analytical western media so far have not provided any analysis on the American state of mind etc.? If this were happening in China they would be scrambling to tell us how "nationalistic" and "xenophobic" the Chinese are.

Pfeffer: I agree on most you say but I feel I need to post additional explanation to your inquiries.

I live in Italy and there is anti-China rethoric on all social scales. This happens when a country is not busy enough and feels sort of endangered on competition, GDP, popularity, initiative etc. It wouldn't have happened in the Fifties to Italians for example: my relatives were probably way too busy to rebuild, replant, "re-hope!" while the US was taking the undiscussed lead of the world's rankings. And yes, it does please the hurt and the limping to criticize the ones who are better and go faster. This counts for all eras and most countries on the planet.

Third, I don't think the majority in the public opinion - at this state of the art - wants to read an inquiry about the American views of the Earth's issues.(...)

Right now China is - no matter what people write - feeling & acting nationalistic most of the time and one must deal with that. I personally envy their nationalistic (sometimes exagerated) attitude as much I adore the American way of patriotism: I wished more Italians had that kind of confidence in a healthy and productive patriotism.

Obama has enough problems winning over the voters of the rust belt. Labor unions sided strongly with the Clintons earlier this year. Obama won't stand a chance with them if he says anything positive about the country they feel has taken away their manufacturing jobs.

Between now and the election, I foresee Obama talking even tougher about China.

Riccardo,

Certainly China is the convenient punching bag for a lot of people these days. It is easy and convenient to blame China for many things (not that they are completely innocent).

What do you see the difference between China's "nationalistic attitude" and America's "way of patriotism" is? And what do you mean by "Italians had that kind of confidence in a healthy and productive patriotism"?

re: "I'm mostly willing to overlook what Obama is currently saying . . . , and hope that it is still just campaign rhetoric."

Wow, what a sad, sad state of affairs we are in when no one can trust that what a candidate says on the most basic of issues is what he means.