Tuesday
Nov172009
Human Rights, Iran, Clean Energy Top Obama Talks with China’s Hu
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at 10:52AM
By Paul Brandus - Talk Radio News Service
It has been a very busy day for President Obama on his first and only full day in the Chinese capital.
After a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao got right down to business, hitting on every single subject of importance; “Every single one,” emphasized Jon Huntsman, the American Ambassador to the People’s Republic - Iran, North Korea, the global economy, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
“We’re actually getting a little bit of traction” on these issues, claimed Huntsman, the former Republican Governor of Utah.
Observers have been speculating for weeks whether Obama, not known for being a confrontationist, would take up the issue of human rights with his hosts. It is a subject the President has avoided with Beijing, underscored by his recent decision not to meet with the Dalai Lama, the spritual leader of Tibet, for fear of offending the Chinese government. But Obama did, in fact, confront Hu, challenging him to protect the freedom of religion and the rights of ethnic minorities in the separatist region.
“The President was candid in describing human rights as a core, a fundamental, bedrock principle of U.S. foreign policy,” said Jeff Bader, senior director of the National Security Council for Asian Affairs. “This was as direct a discussion on human rights as I've seen by any high-level visitor with the Chinese.”
But Obama apparently stopped short of saying Tibet should be allowed to break away, an omission regarded by some observers as a de facto acknowledgement with Beijing that Tibet is legally part of the People’s Republic.
As for Iran and its nuclear program, Obama - who warned over the weekend that time is running out for Tehran to come to the negotiating table in earnest - failed to get much support from Hu, according to Bader. Obama has said that if Tehran doesn’t meet the so-called P5+1 negotiators halfway by the end of the year, then tougher economic sanctions may be inevitable. The President has also refused to rule out the possible use of force against Iran.
It seems unlikely that China, which like the U.S. holds permanent veto power in the U.N. Security Council, would ever back tough new sanctions against Tehran barring a dramatic change in the status quo, Bader said.
“The President did talk to President Hu about the possibility… that we will not reach resolution of this issue and we may have to go to track two and greater pressure. I would not say that we got an answer today from the Chinese, nor did we expect one on the subject.”
Hu seems more concerned with neighboring North Korea, which tested a second nuclear device earlier this year and taunted neighbors, and the U.S., by test firing more missiles.
“From the Chinese perspective, North Korea is a more immediate problem and a more immediate security concern, so it's not surprising that they would place more emphasis on that.” Bader added.
On climate change, the U.S. and China will join forces to, among other things, speed up renewable energy programs, develop electric cars and clean coal technologies. But both Obama and Hu have tacitly acknowledged that next month’s long-awaited global climate conference in Denmark will not result in a treaty to curb carbon emissions, a setback to supporters of rolling back emissions. Washington and Beijing now view Copenhagen as just another step along the way towards meaningful action on curbing emissions, as opposed to the kind of sweeping action that supporters say is already dangerously overdue.
“They agreed that the issue of climate change can't wait,” claimed Deputy National Security Advisor Mike Froman, who said the joint efforts to develop new technologies represents “an important step forward on climate change.”
The President also squeezed in a bit of sightseeing today, ditching his suit for a distressed leather jacket before embarking on a tour of the Forbidden City. Wednesday, it’s off to the Great Wall of China, an hour’s drive northwest of Beijing. Mr. Obama then heads to South Korea, the final stop on his Asian tour. He’ll return to Washington on Thursday.
Paul Brandus filed this report from Beijing
It has been a very busy day for President Obama on his first and only full day in the Chinese capital.
After a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao got right down to business, hitting on every single subject of importance; “Every single one,” emphasized Jon Huntsman, the American Ambassador to the People’s Republic - Iran, North Korea, the global economy, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
“We’re actually getting a little bit of traction” on these issues, claimed Huntsman, the former Republican Governor of Utah.
Observers have been speculating for weeks whether Obama, not known for being a confrontationist, would take up the issue of human rights with his hosts. It is a subject the President has avoided with Beijing, underscored by his recent decision not to meet with the Dalai Lama, the spritual leader of Tibet, for fear of offending the Chinese government. But Obama did, in fact, confront Hu, challenging him to protect the freedom of religion and the rights of ethnic minorities in the separatist region.
“The President was candid in describing human rights as a core, a fundamental, bedrock principle of U.S. foreign policy,” said Jeff Bader, senior director of the National Security Council for Asian Affairs. “This was as direct a discussion on human rights as I've seen by any high-level visitor with the Chinese.”
But Obama apparently stopped short of saying Tibet should be allowed to break away, an omission regarded by some observers as a de facto acknowledgement with Beijing that Tibet is legally part of the People’s Republic.
As for Iran and its nuclear program, Obama - who warned over the weekend that time is running out for Tehran to come to the negotiating table in earnest - failed to get much support from Hu, according to Bader. Obama has said that if Tehran doesn’t meet the so-called P5+1 negotiators halfway by the end of the year, then tougher economic sanctions may be inevitable. The President has also refused to rule out the possible use of force against Iran.
It seems unlikely that China, which like the U.S. holds permanent veto power in the U.N. Security Council, would ever back tough new sanctions against Tehran barring a dramatic change in the status quo, Bader said.
“The President did talk to President Hu about the possibility… that we will not reach resolution of this issue and we may have to go to track two and greater pressure. I would not say that we got an answer today from the Chinese, nor did we expect one on the subject.”
Hu seems more concerned with neighboring North Korea, which tested a second nuclear device earlier this year and taunted neighbors, and the U.S., by test firing more missiles.
“From the Chinese perspective, North Korea is a more immediate problem and a more immediate security concern, so it's not surprising that they would place more emphasis on that.” Bader added.
On climate change, the U.S. and China will join forces to, among other things, speed up renewable energy programs, develop electric cars and clean coal technologies. But both Obama and Hu have tacitly acknowledged that next month’s long-awaited global climate conference in Denmark will not result in a treaty to curb carbon emissions, a setback to supporters of rolling back emissions. Washington and Beijing now view Copenhagen as just another step along the way towards meaningful action on curbing emissions, as opposed to the kind of sweeping action that supporters say is already dangerously overdue.
“They agreed that the issue of climate change can't wait,” claimed Deputy National Security Advisor Mike Froman, who said the joint efforts to develop new technologies represents “an important step forward on climate change.”
The President also squeezed in a bit of sightseeing today, ditching his suit for a distressed leather jacket before embarking on a tour of the Forbidden City. Wednesday, it’s off to the Great Wall of China, an hour’s drive northwest of Beijing. Mr. Obama then heads to South Korea, the final stop on his Asian tour. He’ll return to Washington on Thursday.
Paul Brandus filed this report from Beijing