Here is a picture of the meeting. That's Mr. Geithner on the bottom.
Posted on 10/25/2010 12:11:47 PM PDT by lbryce
The Obama administration, facing a vexed relationship with China on exchange rates, trade, and security issues, is stiffening its approach toward Beijing, seeking allies to confront a newly assertive power that officials now say has little intention of working with the United States.
In shift from its assiduous one-on-one courtship of Beijing, the administration is trying to line up coalitions — among China’s next-door neighbors and far-flung trading partners — to present Chinese leaders with a unified front on thorny issues like the currency and its territorial claims in the South China Sea.
The advantages and limitations of this new approach were on display last weekend at a meeting of the world’s largest economies in South Korea. The United States won support for a concrete pledge to reduce trade imbalances, which will put more pressure on China to allow its currency to rise in value.
But Germany, Italy, and Russia balked at an American proposal to place numerical limits on these imbalances, a step that would have further upped the ante on Beijing. That left the Treasury secretary, Timothy F. Geithner, to make an unscheduled stopover in China on his way home from South Korea to discuss the deepening tensions over exchange rates with a top Chinese finance official.
Administration officials speak of an alarming loss of trust and confidence between China and the United States over the last two years, forcing them to scale back hopes of working with the Chinese on major challenges like climate change, nuclear nonproliferation, and a new global economic order.
The latest source of tension is over reports that China is withholding shipments of rare-earth minerals, which the United States uses to make advanced equipment like guided missiles. Administration officials, clearly worried, said they did not know whether Beijing’s motivation was strategic or economic.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
It may very well be the pusillanimous weakness as ineffectual leader that O is, having to seek support of our allies regarding a whole host of economic issues that remain unresolved with China.
In another time, era, the issues vexing US trade, economic policy would have never even arisen so overwhelming were we as a nation, economic powerhouse, but today having failed in face-to-face negotiations with China, seeking support of our allies, I believe, only undermines the very weakness we have yet to come to grips with, one that demonstrates the apparent US inability to impose its will, foretelling a chilling new reality for us as world super power.
That the US has failed to sway China,China having resisted efforts by the US to impose economic policies regarding these issues is not at all lost on China in a way that I believe only strengthens their intransigence in having demonstrated China being on the rise as newly emergent economic super power to behold.
One of the LAWS, is that the one who borrows, is a slave to the one from whom he acquires his loans. IF HE OWES CHINA money, and needs them to keep their CD’s and not cash them in, he better tone down his attitude, speak softly, and kiss butt, and bow...he has helped us get the USA in this position.
Yup. If they don't 'straighten up and fly right' he's going to stop saying PLEASE when he grovels at their feet.
And China, Russia, Iran, etc know it.
The title says “Lines up Allies”.
The truth is in the article where it says, “Obama SEEKS allies.”
I don’t think he is having much luck. No one trusts him.
Riiiiight.
Losers always find it easy to gather allies.
Not!!
Here is a picture of the meeting. That's Mr. Geithner on the bottom.
This will come to nothing.
Its is Billary/Obama POSTURING in favor of immediate domestic populist sentiments, hoping to position the Dims, by their mere public-posturing alone, as “strong on China” by 2012.
However, actual U.S. policy toward China will not greatly change nor will they achieve any major “concession” from China nor will they alter the foreign policy goals and agenda of China - because China will see it is just posturing and Billary/Obama will not give any teeth to it.
It is no more than a giant global smoke-and-mirrors show that Billary/Obama will put on, which will actually wind up weakening the U.S. position in Asia while they huff and puff that they are doing the opposite (but it’s all huff and puff).
Oops, guess not.
In shift from its assiduous one-on-one courtship of Beijing, the administration is trying to line up coalitions — among China’s next-door neighbors and far-flung trading partners — to present Chinese leaders with a unified front on thorny issues like the currency and its territorial claims in the South China Sea.
Multilateral talks....gee, that worked SO well with the NorKorComs...../SARC!
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