China Leader’s Limits Come Into Focus as U.S. Visit Nears

NYT ^ | 01/17/11 | DAVID E. SANGER and MICHAEL WINES

[TigerLikesRooster]

January 16, 2011

China Leader’s Limits Come Into Focus as U.S. Visit Nears

By DAVID E. SANGER and MICHAEL WINES

BEIJING — With President Hu Jintao at the helm, China has become a $5 trillion industrial colossus, a growing military force, and, it sometimes appears, a model of authoritarian decisiveness, navigating out of the global financial crisis and sealing its position as the world’s fastest rising power.

But as Mr. Hu prepares to visit Washington this week in an attempt to defuse tensions with the United States, Obama administration officials are grappling with what they describe as a more complex reality. China is far wealthier and more influential, but Mr. Hu also may be the weakest leader of the Communist era. He is less able to project authority than his predecessors were — and perhaps less able to keep relations between the world’s two largest economies from becoming more adversarial.

[screaminsunshine]

Thanks to Clinton Bush and Obama.

[glorgau]

Nah, this is just preparing the excuse for Obama getting owned again.

[quantim]

Considering how much the US owes China in national debt, Obama had damn well better bow to Hu Jintao.

[EagleUSA]

The byproduct of a dysfunctional Washington government.

And the U.S. electorate does not have the sense to fix Washington -— just make it even worse.

[Paul Ross]

Bogus NYT crap.

[sam_paine]

China is far wealthier and more influential,

Than what? The US? BS.