Posted on 01/23/2011 11:29:12 AM PST by David DeGerolamo
This past week, Chairman Hu Jintao came to Washington, DC and was given a most lavish welcome by president Obama. This excerpt from an article outlines the stark contrast between two presidential receptions:
The lavish black-tie dinner at the White House on Wednesday night contrasts with George Bush’s workmanlike lunch in 2006. According to Chinese media reports at the time, Hu, saw Bush’s arrangements as insulting. Bush was unwilling to host a state dinner in part because he was conscious of US public concern over China’s human rights record.
The picture below also shows the Chinese flag at the same level at the United States flag. This is actually the correct protocol according to the U.S. Flag Code:
http://slapblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/chinese-flag-flies-white-house-1.jpg
When flags of two or more nations are displayed, they are to be flown from separate staffs of the same height. The flags should be of approximately equal size. International usage forbids the display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation in time of peace.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BjW1avGcuos/S8O5m27mQnI/AAAAAAAACJk/af---aFswVM/s640/capt.52d493edeb0243ef84cbfc87f58f4b6a-52d493edeb0243ef84cbfc87f58f4b6a-0.jpg
However, I do take exception to the commander in chief bowing to the Chinese chairman. This clearly shows a position of weakness to a nation which considers itself to be superior to every other nation. Chairman Hu's smile shows that the meaning of his bow was understood as a sign of subservience. Our nation's leaders have traded our national security to increase our national debt for over twenty years. Any country that is in debt to a foreign country is under their control. There is no doubt in anyone's mind what the consequences would be if China called in their debt to the United States. In human terms, being under the control of another individual because you have been bought is the equivalent of slavery.
The following article shows a severe breach of diplomatic protocol and a level of incompetence that reflects poorly on our nation's state department throughout the world.
Chinese Pianist Plays Propaganda Tune at White House US humiliated in eyes of Chinese by song used to inspire anti-Americanism Whether Lang Lang’s decision to play “My Motherland” was entirely his own is impossible to confirm. That his choice was known in advance to CCP officials is very likely. Cheng Xiaonong is a former assistant to former CCP General Secretary Zhao Ziyang. He now lives in New Jersey and is a commentator on Chinese politics.
Cheng said that “The White House had to report in advance to the Chinese delegation and so the Chinese delegation would have certainly known Lang Lang’s program.” Cheng believes, however, that the Chinese delegation would see no reason to suggest a change in the program. “The program is not against the interests of China. In fact, it is the opposite.” In addition to the Chinese delegation likely knowing of the program in advance, CCP officials connected to Phoenix TV would also have known.
Phoenix TV is based in Hong Kong and its signal may be seen throughout China by satellite. Its interview with Lang Lang was broadcast at 7 a.m. Beijing time on Jan. 20, which is 6 p.m. D.C. time on Jan. 19—shortly before the state dinner. The interview was not live—it was filmed on another day in advance of the broadcast.
Phoenix TV, nominally independent, is known to have very close ties to the CCP. The scholar Anne-Marie Brady, whose research focuses on China’s media and propaganda, has said that Phoenix TV is more loyal to the Chinese regime than the official state-run media.
At a minimum, the staff at Phoenix TV knew in advance that Lang Lang planned to play the song. Given the close ties between the network and the CCP and the sensitivity of anything broadcast about Hu’s state visit, CCP officials not knowing this in advance would be unusual.
At least General Electric was able to sign a few contracts after this humiliation. The same could not be said for Steve Ballmer of Microsoft. Ballmer used Hu's official visit as an opportunity to point out that 90% of Microsoft software users in China didn't pay for it. The comments were part of a discussion about intellectual property protection.
David DeGerolamo
Software piracy is certainly rife in China, however it’s also common for software companies to claim implausibly astronomical figures of piracy no matter where the customer is — most of which is technicalities of licensing rather than actually failing to get paid the going price for the software. If truth won’t fly in China, B.S. has even less of a chance.
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