Today at Talk Radio News

Correspondent S. Dawn Jones is covering Amnesty International's exhibit of a replica of a Guantanamo Bay Prison Cell. Correspondent Meredith Mackenzie is attending an energy forum with Republican Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio). Legal Affairs correspondent Jay Goodman Tamboli will cover the Supreme Court.

In the House, the Washington Bureau will cover a full House Committee hearing on China's security developments, a hearing on the national security issues involved with climate change, and a roundtable on diversity. In the Senate, the Bureau will cover a hearing on satisfying energy needs while addressing climate change. Also, the Bureau will cover a hearing on U.S.-Pakistan relations, a discussion of gas price predictions, a hearing on home heating oil prices, and a hearing on the relationship between gas prices and the economy. The Bureau will attend think-tank discussions on Iraq and globalization, a briefing with Senator Barack Obama's (D-Ill.) campaign manager David Plouffe, and a news conference on the expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit.

Is China dropping the baton?

The summer Olympics and human rights in China were discussed at an event held by the National Endowment for Democracy. Panelists discussed a number of topics including China’s reluctance to permit an open media, response to opposition in Tibet, the Sichuan earthquake, and international pressure that calls for a more transparent Chinese government.

According to Sharon Hom, the executive director of Human Rights in China, assurances from Chinese officials that the Olympics would be a catalyst for increased democratization have largely been forgotten. Hom said that defenders of human rights continue to disappear or be jailed throughout China. She also added that the (International Olympic Committee) IOC has an obligation to oversee decisions made by an Olympic’s host country and should not buckle to the desires of the host as the IOC recently did in Athens by permitting the Olympic Torch Relay to pass through Tibet, an action she considers “provocative.” Sophie Richardson, the media director of Human Rights Watch, said that the numbers of dead from the earthquake in Sichuan province and riots in Tibet are still unknown due to the lack of a free press.

Richardson said China not only lacks democracy but also continues to support regimes that find little support worldwide. Richardson believes that governments in Zimbabwe and Myanmar still exist thanks to Chinese support. Richardson continued, saying that involving itself in foreign affairs contradicts China’s policy of noninterference.

Minky Worden, the editor of “China’s Great Leap: The Beijing Games and Olympian Human Rights Challenges” said that Olympic sponsors are unwilling to address human rights violations in China and thus contradict the actions of the Chinese government. She said the Olympic torch’s presence in Tibet is bad publicity for the three sponsors of the relay: Coca Cola, Lenovo, and Samsung. Richardson also said that defenders of human rights in China look outside of their country for support and that President Bush has an obligation to speak against certain Chinese policies.

Rice: "Replace old patterns of conflict with new patterns of cooperation"

The Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice discussed the United States’ policy towards Asia at the Heritage Foundation. Rice talked about the rise of Asia and how it is reshaping the world today. She explained that the United States is actually in a stronger position in Asia now than at any other time in the past.

Rice explained that the U.S. has been able to create good relations with both Japan and South Korea, and is continuing to work to establish good relations with both China and Russia by resting on common interests. The U.S. is trying to establish mutually beneficial cooperation rather than competition and at this present time has better relations with Northeast Asia than the countries in that region have with each other. Rice also said that the Korean Peninsula is the greatest source of conflict in Northeast Asia.

In order to solve the problem in North Korea, Rice explained that using the six party policy would be best. Each of the six parties has the same goal, ensuring the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Rice also explained that the six party policy has three different phases, the third phase ending with the abandonment and dismantlement of all weapons and nuclear facilities. The parties will not just trust North Korea, they will attain verification at each step therefore making it as hard as possible for North Korea to cheat.

Rice explained that though this policy is not perfect, it is the best among all other alternatives. She said that by working together and replacing “old patterns of conflict with new patterns of cooperation,” the six parties have the best chance of success.

Sovereign wealth funds may not be “a real problem”

The Senate Foreign Affairs Committee held a full committee hearing on “Sovereign Wealth Funds: Foreign Policy Consequences in an Era of New Money.” The Chairman of the committee, Senator Joe Biden (D-Del.), said that although rising oil prices and the housing crisis are top concerns, there is also cause for worry in the use of sovereign wealth funds to accomplish political goals. Biden mentioned Saudi Arabia and China as having huge sovereign wealth funds from their export economies. He said that the possibility of those funds being used to make political changes is “a real problem.”

Jagdish Bhagwati, professor of law and economics at Columbia University, said that Biden’s concern was not unwarranted. He explained that a rapid reversal of roles put the U.S. in a position of dependency on foreign funds, which is cause for anxiety. But, Daniel Drezner, professor of international politics at Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, said that sovereign wealth funds are generally benign in their effects and that most are only used for maximizing rate of return, rather than for political tasks.

David Marchick, managing director and global head of regulatory affairs at The Carlyle Group, said that investments through sovereign wealth funds should be welcomed, but that any investments that may be threatening to national security should be heavily scrutinized.

Ex-military men think it’s best to hold hands with China

Today a group of retired military officials met to discuss their experiences, activities, and interactions with Chinese military leaders. Known as the “Sanya Initiative”, the intention of visiting China was to foster better communication and understanding between the United States and China without necessarily promoting a political agenda.

Only three members of the group were present at the briefing: Gen. Ronald R. Fogelman, Adm. William A. Owens, and Gen. John M. Keane. Gen. Fogelman, former chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, explained that the idea behind Sanya was to have an open dialogue with China because it will be the single most important international relationship the U.S. will have in the 21st century.
The retirees were struck by the commonalities they found among their Chinese military counterparts. Adm. William A. Owens, former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recalled “open, friendly” conversations with other military professionals that had also travelled the world, fought for a cause, and trained for most of their lives. Adm. Owens said that although the other men came from different cultures, they had a bond because of their experiences in the military.

Another lesson the group took home with them is that miscalculation results from no dialogue. For instance, Gen. John M. Keane, former vice chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, found that although the men had great respect for the U.S., they were ignorant about how earth devastating 9/11 was to Americans. The group was surprised to find that the Chinese leaders did not consider China a “superpower”, Gen. Fogelman said.

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is deeply respected in China, but the PLA is not as mobile and efficient as the U.S. military, Gen. Fogelman said. The group stressed the importance of understanding what is important to China so that the U.S. does not make poor policy decisions. Gen. Fogelman suggested that the U.S. pay closer attention to events happening in Taiwan.