I sat down with John King to discuss President Obama's nine-day trip through the Asia-Pacific region. In particular, we discussed Obama's policy towards China and Republicans' criticism of this policy. Watch the video above or read the transcript below and let me know what you think:
John King: Fareed, when President Obama is sitting across from President Hu Jintao, what is the single most important thing the United States President wants to walk out of that meeting with?
Fareed Zakaria: I think more than anything else, President Obama is trying to establish the kind of strategic dialogue with China where you can bring up things like the currency issue - the fact that the Chinese use their currency to artificially keep their goods low - in a way that doesn't trigger a trade war, that doesn't get the Chinese to storm out of the room, but gets them to do something about it.
Remember, China is now the second largest economy in the world. They're big boys. You can't brandish a stick and expect that they're going to jump. The key is using pressure effectively with China, which means developing a relationship and making them feel that the United States is in there with them as a partner - but we want them to do things that are in our interests as well.
John King: And the question is, who has the upper hand in the interdependency right now, if you will? China owns a lot of our debt. The Europeans just wanted China to help. That didn't happen in the first round. It could happen in the future.
But yet, then again, China's economy is struggling a little bit. Inflation is up. It needs Europe and the United States to get back on its feet, because they're the ones buying Chinese products. Who's on first? Bad pun.
Fareed Zakaria: For the United States and China, I think of it as essentially a kind of Mutually Assured Destruction situation, which is the Chinese could hurt us really badly by dumping a lot of U.S. Treasury bills, which make the dollar plunge. It would make our interest rates go up. But what would that do? It would mean we would stop buying Chinese goods. And we are still an enormous consumer of Chinese goods. And that would mean unemployment would rise in China. So they can only do something to hurt us by hurting themselves. It's Mutually Assured Destruction.
In the short run, however, you have to say: It's a pretty simple situation, as it with any scenario with a debtor and a creditor. The creditor has more power. The guy who has cash is, generally speaking, in a better position than the guy who needs debt.
The Chinese are sitting a little more comfortably these days.
John King: When you travel the country and you talk to people about what drives their economic anxiety, fairly or unfairly, right or wrong, China comes up a lot. When you ask people in manufacturing community and when you asked unemployed people, they view this global economic challenge and they view China as a threat, not as a friend.
Mitt Romney, at the moment the leading Republican candidate, has decided that bashing China is good politics. Mitt Romney said:
"China is almost on every dimension cheating. And we have got to recognize that. They're manipulating their currency and, by doing so, holding down the price of Chinese goods and making sure their products are artificially low-priced. It's predatory pricing. It's killing jobs in America."
He's pretty close to right, if not completely right, on the facts, but is that good politics at the moment?
Fareed Zakaria: Well, it's probably good politics. But I was struck by those quotes. This is a break with 40 years of Republican foreign policy. From Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon, if you look at what the Republican line on China has been, it has been towards integration. China is a strategic partner - cooperation, making sure that we have a win-win and no trade bashing, no protectionism, none of that.
Romney is doing something very interesting here. He has decided that public mood, even in the Republican Party, is so hostile to China that they don't care about free trade anymore. And he may well be right. I'm sure you've seen the same polls.
Support for free trade is down substantially in this country in both parties. The Democratic Party was always beat because of those strong labor unions and things like that. But it's now also weakened the Republican Party. What you now have supporting a kind of free trade and let's try and have a cooperative relationship with China, is an elite consensus at the kind of policy wonk level. But you go below that, and there's no support for it. And what Romney is doing, is he is the first guy to scratch that surface.
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We standy by the whole give us your tired your hungry your poor but we do take the rich too.
I wants ta free Jonathan Pollard from jail fer spying on America. So what ifs he's an American born traitor. So what if the information hes slipped to da dirty evil zionists in racist apartheid israel secrets resulted in the defs of several American CIA 'gents. It'all doesn't matter. What's matters iz that my zionist masta, bebe, culled me and boy did he holler ats me, tellin' me I better get my butts in ta gear and get JP out of jail real pronto, so thats jus what I's iz gonna do, by gully. Yup, jus what I's is gonna dos.
people like you make me regret the internet has given voice to every crevice of society; your crevice being the crack of society's derierre...
I have no idea what your comment means...
What are the parallels to the anxiety-led anti-free trade of the 1930s when the congress put in place Smoot-Hawley and today. I recall that at that time the congress took the low road which is why they had powers removed from them and elevated to the president. Only he stood for what was best for the nation. Is Romney heading in the Smoot-Hawley...depression and nationalism root?
Mitt Romney might be backfired for his China-bashing, especially if he would be elected one day. He didn't seem to know how to be tactful. "China is almost on every dimension cheating". That was strong rhetoric and the Chinese must have felt the slap in the face. That's what diplomacy is all about. You know the truth, but you don't blare it out!
agreed. He projected himself as a simpleton with that statement.
I just don't get it, why would Mitt want to be president, when all he has to do, is die and go to heaven where he can be GOD of his own world.
just don't understand his motives.
duh! Yup, just don't understand him much.
Demand to interview the Supreame Leader. Ask him if he cares about the worldly suffering that he is causing with his hidden agenda.
the world has formed a typical 3 dominant kingdoms, a romance that America, Europe and Russia but not China. China is just a poor developing nations with multiple social economic woes necessite immediate attention at home.
the past 30 years of upheaval does not reach single generation of mature development. China is not the largest creditor , it only own 6% of American fiscal debt. China is suportive of American dream in pursueing liberty and social mobility by investing in American AAA government paper, yet suppressing the urgent needs of developing its poor western province of Sichuan for decades.
It is time to start to think a balancing act of opening up the economies of west China for sustainable Eastern China growth.
American 2012 election year always targets China in its candidate campaign, by spearheading arrow outwards in order to garner support for candidancy support. that is outdated , as the entire world know China is not the cause of the problem in American debt abyss, it is war after war with overspending without sustanabnle growth within a decade post -9-11. China may be part of American solution into it deep debt abyss. China is the world kids American like to bully for its own nationalism campaign.
Yes, you are right. China is not a threat. America needs to look in the mirror and start working together instead of being extreme. Obama has tried to take a moderate position and been attacked by extreme liberals and conservatives. Huntsman is the only reasonable republican candidate. But it looks like he will not get the nomination, thus I will happily vote for Obama next November against Romney.
釣魚島問題專家、香港中文大學亞太研究所研究員鄭海麟從釣魚台列嶼的歷史地位切入，直指釣島隸屬中國毫無疑義。他指出，中日兩國大量歷史文獻表明，最早發現、命名和使用釣魚台列嶼的是中國人，而不是琉球人或日本人。釣魚島列嶼並不屬於「舊琉球王朝的勢力所及範圍」，該列嶼在明朝便被納入中國海防及行政管制區域。
一九五一年的《舊金山（三藩市）合約》根本沒有涉及釣魚台列嶼的主權問題。一九五二年美國託管當局將釣魚島列嶼劃入琉球列島地理境界的經緯度內，是極不適當和不合國際法的。因此，日本聲稱擁有該列嶼主權在國際法上不能成立。
中國大陸學者近年來對釣魚島議題的研究下了很大工夫。清華大學當代國際關係研究院副院長劉江永教授指出，事實證明日本早在甲午戰爭前十年已知釣魚台列嶼屬於中國。
日外務省當年編撰的《日本外交文書》第十八卷和第二十三卷中，對明治政府竊取釣魚島的決策過程有非常詳實的記載。換言之，釣魚台列嶼是日本乘甲午戰爭之機，未等簽署馬關條約而從中國竊取的。如今，日方稱其與馬關條約，即甲午戰爭無關，根本站不住腳。
二戰後釣島問題懸而未決與美國介入密不可分。劉江永指出，一九七一年美國擅自決定將釣島的行政管轄權交給日本政府，遭到全球華人的強烈反對，掀起保釣浪潮，迫使美國迄今迄未承認日本擁有釣島的主權，而希望中日雙方和平協商解決。然而，二零一零年以來美國政府多次明確表示，釣魚島適用於美日安保條約第五條，「這是造成日本政府在釣魚島問題上有恃無恐採取強硬做法的重要外部因素」。
事實上，東京法院曾經判定釣魚島屬於台北州。台灣光復前一年，台灣與琉球為釣魚島發生歸屬權之爭，當時該法院將釣魚台列嶼判決為台北州所有，更加證明釣魚島主權屬台灣。
此外，中國大陸學者、上海社會科學研究院法學研究所副研究員、海洋法研究中心主任金永明，上海國際問題研究院學術委員會副主任、上海市日本學會會長吳寄南等，也發表論文，探索釣島的國際地位，力證釣魚島主權屬中華民族。
台灣師範大學東亞系助理教授林賢參則從戰略意涵分析釣魚島問題的本質。他說，中國大陸追求成為「海洋強國」，企圖掌控西太平洋海域之制海權，會壓縮日本防衛之戰略縱深；政治大學亞太研究所副研究員李瓊莉，也提出國際經驗的比較。
政大外交系教授趙國材說，釣魚台列嶼問題迄今無解，指出釣島問題不論從歷史地位或法律地位探討皆無意義，因為國際政治乃強權政治，關於釣島主權誰屬是老大哥美國說了算。
趙國材又表示，台灣願意依聯合國憲章及國際法和平解決國際爭端的規範，從主權、戰略位置、海洋權益與維護資源等面向，以確保釣魚台列嶼領土主權完整，與日本談判，並保護台灣漁民權益。唯日方無意願與台灣談判主權問題，只願和台灣談判漁權，想透過台灣獲得漁權用來騙取釣魚台列嶼的主權。但保釣出身的總統馬英九並未上當，既要漁權也要主權。
台灣有人主張拉攏美國介入東海爭端，使日本、中國大陸、台灣、美國形成四方機制，能更有效解決釣魚台列嶼主權問題，並提升台灣之國際地位。趙國材認為，這種做法可能會引狼入室，不見得對台灣有利，因為美日在外交上皆承認北京，與台灣沒有邦交，且釣魚台列嶼附近之海域處於防衛美國本土的第一島鏈上，可能牽動東北亞安全情勢和美日的戰略布局，美國在釣魚台列嶼問題上一向表態中立，骨子裏其實偏袒日本。
台灣政治大學國際法學研究中心研究員邵漢儀首次全部全文公開日方釣島的新史料，掀起高潮。邵的父親邵玉銘當年留美時亦曾參與保釣運動，如今父子兩代同台參與釣魚島會議，傳為佳話。
日本外務省於一九七一年提出的《我國關於尖閣諸島領有權的基本見解》聲稱﹕「自一八八五年以來，日本政府通過沖繩縣當局等途徑再三在尖閣諸島進行實地調查，慎重確認尖閣諸島不僅為無人島，而且沒有受清朝統治的痕跡。在此基礎上，於一八九五年一月二十一日，在內閣會議上決定在島上建立標樁，以正式列入我國領土之內。」
為了調查日方說法的真相，邵漢儀曾親往日本查閱相關原件，包括仍未公開的明治時期史料。他從日本外務省外交史料館、防衛省防衛研究所圖書館，以及國立公文書館尋得近四十件原件，首次全部公開。他歷時兩年餘發現明治政府從未派員至釣魚島進行實地調查，所謂「再三」調查純屬捏造。
韓國外國語大學教授黃載皓認為，今年三月中國發表國防白皮書，確立戰略目標是國家現代化、力主防禦性國防、與他國建立軍事互信，他懷疑中日會爆發大戰，也不認為日本會放棄二戰後的現代化貿然掀起戰端。不過，另一位韓國學者國家安保戰略研究院研究員朴炳光指出，韓日兩國近年提出擴大交流合作關係的「新時代」理念，但對於韓國，獨島攸關經濟及軍事戰略國家利益，不可能讓步。
While trade with India is only a peripheral concern for India in this visit,it is a great opportunity for the leaders at the
summit to agree to cooperative measures to bring out black money stashed away in offshore accounts and to
require leaders to confiscate and levy penalties on income hidden from the Governments.A common fund could be
set up which will then deploy these resources to deal with the critical issues of health especially family planning
and the establishment of an agency to regulate the large scale misappropriation of funds to work under the
aegis of the United Nations.
OOps.That should have been "While trade with India is only a peripheral concern for the US in this visit".
Mr. Zakaria – you had an article in last week's TIME Mag. The same issue had a long article on China's horrific treatment of Tibet. Why can't our financial relationship with China hit harder on China's abysmal, murderous human rights record?
says the american whose country genocided a large portion of native americans, who went on bombing campaigns for fake WMD, who killed millions of muslims and arabs but saying that it's all ok because apparently killing millions is fine as long as it's for democracy, the same country who put dictators in south america and africa, the same country who genocided vietnamese because they didn't believe the same way, says the country who continuously arrest blacks and put them in prison for no good reason.
and you have the right to argue human rights?
LOOK AT YOUR OWN BACKYARD, hypocrite!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Grantonmino bay, the middle east wars that are killing innocent civillians ect... actially I can go on for 5+ pages but I won't.
But why don't you go to Tibet? You know western, especially US media uses propanaganda just like everyone else, right?
'
The difference is the US actually goes to war to bring justice and free people from dictators. China, on the other hand, isn't interested in justice or freedom.
That'snotTrue is a good moniker for you.
Free countries from dictators? Are you naive? Remember the people we installed in south america and the cartel being funded by the US? Iran regime was created by the US. The Taliban, Al Queda, and Hezzbolah were all created by the US.
and now obama helped an ex-al queda terrorist take over libyia. Guess what he did for a living the past 10 years? that's correct he was killing US soldiers in Iraq. But hey iran looks good. 9/11 was justified. Your ignorance knows no bounds
Justice, freedom from dictator !!!,
If US is care about this, why dun they invade North Korea and Myanmar ?
People in North Korea suffer more than afghanistan or libya.
Yeah, i know the answer, NO oil in North Korea and Myanmar...So.
US is very selective in deciding which nations need to be free from dictator.
Oil rich nation is the highest priority
That'd be nice. But China has the power at the moment.
Just think. When the GOP regain power, they will start a war with Iran (totally unfunded of course). Then they will draft all the poor people to fight(die) in the war (just like the GOP wants) and give "no bid" contracts to the rich people. Killing two birds with one stone!!! Then we can use Iran's oil to pay for the war. And when the war is over, Iran will sell us cheap oil!!! Just like Iraq........Oh wait........Never mind.
Put the hooka pipe down. You've had way too much.
Zakaria,
Why does the media not mention the elephant in the room? Should the Chinese Yuan raise so would the cost of goods in the US. Taxes are not be bourne 100% by the retailer; with an across- the board increase in prices you get inflation in the US market; which in turn means higher interest rates, less liquidity and more economic hardships.
For right or wrong, retail is 70% of the US economy. High inflation, combined with unemployment could easily tip this country into a depressive spiral. Why don't we think about micro and macro econ 101 before leaping to conclusions about the economy?
I'll ask again,what are the credentials of this goof-ball to be an expert on every subject.? I'v heard drunks that are much more intelligent than Clown Zakarizer.
At least Zakaria has a civilized discussion about serious issues whether he's right or wrong. You are uncivilized and are not a person worthy to waste time on in discussion.
Pres Obama is quietly doing all the right things, he is also gaining the respect of Asian leaders for his soft approach to oustanding and nagging trade issues.
I strongly believe Pres Obama will accomplish more positive things in the months ahead to get US economy moving faster. Any American who still believe in the old stereotype of China blaming and bashing will ionly hurt US instead of improving job creation.
The days of Republican leaders bullying other countries by force and arrongant rhetorics i s gone, it has got America nowhere particularly at a time where US unemployment rate is still high – and when Asia is galloping away in economy growth and prosperity.
Americans must behave like a poor nation now or it will have no business friends left in Asia Pacific.
It's far too late. Friends don't invade other countries for revenge and to seek out some supposed terrorists, nor do they behave dishonestly, thieves! unethically causing a global financial crisis , the world infected by their banking system and their greed. A billion hits of crystal meth consumed in the USA in any given year but let's not count the cocaine, all just to live in their country. they love wars, Korea, Vietnam, puppet dictators, Iraq, Thankfully they are too poor to tour Australia nowadays.
Goals are simple, US stimulus funds for Chinese jobs. Next.
Jeffery Imelt is China's best friend.
这是谁白痴扎卡里亚？
You just asked 'Who is this idiot Zakaria?'
Clearly, you didn't have anything better to say. Why couldn't you have used english instead? Don't be so pathetic, puhleaaase. Learn some culture.
I thought Obama will be visiting Australia and Indonesia as well in his upcoming trip – but there's no mention about either country in the conversation – why? Misleading heading – these appear to be China only issues.
Thank God he is staying only a couple of days. Americans are not that liked by many Australians.There isn't a lot to like, not much at all, of these glorious self appointed world rulers. At least they have to leave their hand guns at home.
Nonsense, Australians like Americans quite a lot. We have a lot in common.
Dan, i am an Aussie and i think you are all A ho les
Im aussie, i have no qualms with the people, just their government
hello, anyone home? the people are the government!!!! and seriously if you look a the fact that americans INVADED AND DECLARED WAR on an entire populace, because there are supposedly a small number of terrorists, it seems the americans can blame an entire people, even make war on their entire country. Those terrorists by the way might just be ordinary civilians who do not like the yankee military machine invading them. Of course, the yanks immediately declare them to be taliban instead of freedom fighters for their own country.
Stupid response Emmanuelle... Though Australia and America have differences, we are still very close. I just visited the US last week – still love the place and the feeling was very much mutual.
However, Emmanuelle (traditional Aussie name you have there), you may have misunderstood our badgering and name calling of Americans as serious... Australians tend to poke fun of their mates, which I thoroughly intend to do tonight at the pub.
Keep him Asia. At least until we can vote him out. Then he can go back to messing up Chicago with the other community organizers.
Obama has done quite a good job. Given the world wide economy, there is very little chance the American economy could do much better than it has done. Go ahead and blame Obama. But I blame you for America's problems. You have poisoned the discussion so that no compromise is possible.
what obama does, says, or even thinks means absolutely nothing at the moment. He's finished as leader of the most powerful country in the world. He had his chance and he missed it by a mile. He's not even close to having a clue as to how to put our country back on track. All he wants to do...typical socialist democrat...is tax the "evil rich" and spend that money on nothing productive. Nothing he proposes would create jobs...to the contrary...it would destroy jobs. He's hardly in the class of Clinton (Bill) or Mitt Romney. He just doesn't get it...and he must know that he will be shown the door along with his insufferable family in Nov. 2012.
Obama's goals for his Asia trip... #1 Smile Big because he got away with wasting more of our tax dollars #2 Repeat #1
Obummer's goal: Smile and kiss azz – he needs to borrow another trillion or two to keep his destruction of America on line!
Actually, it's "smile, genuflect, and then kiss kiss kiss."
Odumwa's biggest goal is to find a country that will accept him after November 2012
What's the best way ... What's the best way to muresae the square footage of a room, and what if the room we want to put the filter in is smaller than 700 or 800 square feet? Our grandson, who suffers from a, severe allergy to dust mites, and constant colds, sleeps in a bedroom that is very small, with not very good air circulation. His parents are thinking about getting one of these units. But is there a problem if the room is smaller than 700 sq. ft.?
Obama never accomplishes anything worthwhile.......so the best thing he can do is.......nothing.
John King, Romney was far from almost right. China may allow currency to float as US asked. It still owns billions of cheap labors who are willing to work for very little pay. In the end, chinese product will still be cheap. India is that example. US lost high tech market to them not becuase of currency. It's the labor force, willingness to sweat, and to get educated. Romney needn't be elected if he is determined with his stand on China issue. With his ruthless and simplistic views, the two countries will go hostile towards each other or both will go bankrupt . I can't believe he thinks his victory is based up firing up hatred among american people again other countries. How do I believe him being tolerant of racial differences? It is originated from the same piece of DNA, same string of nerve.
Zakaria, I found it disappointing that we are looking to other countries to take action first before we can find ourselves a way out. Surely we didn't get into housing crisis because of other countries. Then why can't we dig ourselves out of the recession? Where is our national pride? No business man who wouldn't cheat, just ask Wall Street. If we are waiting for that financial principle to change before anything else to happen, then we are hopeless!
If Romney calls out China for cheating, he should have done the same to Wall Street. I haven't heard anything in that direction. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a need for "occupy wall street". Oh wait, he needs to get elected by cheaters on Wall Street, NOT cheaters in China. He is quite selective as to which thief to catch.
And don't forget the goal of having Air Force One run out of gas midway across the Pacific on the way back
Have anyone noticed that China has revaluated RMB by 40 percent against US dollars over the past ten years. US did not gain any jobs in the work place from RMB revaluation. In fact, the past 12 months shows a direct correlation of US unemployment rate with RMB going upward. Clearly, US economic ills and high unemployment rate cannot be saved by RMB revaluation. Obama is blaming China for his own inability to find jobs for the Americans.
Okay, let's suppose the China currency rise again, since 3 years ago it has been rising 25% already. So let's suppose it rise another 20%. Then what, we subsidzing for the Labor Manufacture sector here in US. But we still have a fundenmental problem, our labor rate is still higher/med benefit than counter parts.
They will still able to produce more and lower labor rate. So you got to come up a solution for the fundenmental problems.
US Goods are still not a high Demenad products. So let's start from this Prospective. Make goods who demends for our prodcucts, that will solve all your issues with unemployement high rate and etc.
Can you proform?
... Obama should spend 10 times more talking about China... and 20 times less talking about Israel...
I think he should be planning what he's gonna do after he's no longer in office because that time is coming soon.
President Obama should work closely with China if we want to see the global economy improve expeditiously. And if he wants to see more jobs created for so many desperate Americans. It's very sad to note that 15% of Americans are living in abject poverty. Can you believe this?
China can provide a solution, but not just by giving money to financially troubled countries. It is more productive and important for China to assist and stimulate the global economy by increasing their imports.
US needs China cooperation to invigorate economies. Two way trades must increase volumously all over the world, with trade barriers removed, and if possible a new common global world currency being used for the exchange of goods and services, since too much energy and time have been wasted on the Yuan's strength.
Increasing unobstructed free trade is the best way forward and a strong immunisation for big economies like US and China.
Visit our website oil trading academy for you to witness the easiest way in oil trading and join our 2 days free trial. See you at trading room!
Weare sending a moron to imitate a president of the united states.
and you think you are a better person for it? where's the constructive view, as if you care. Name calling on anyone in any forum or discussion is basically low class and no class act. And it says alot about your mentality too.
It is what it is, johnny. Liberalism is a mental disorder. And if you don't believe that, turn on the news and look at the occutards.
Keep Obozo in Asia until after the 2012 election. Then he can go back to screwing up Chicago and leave the rest of us alone.
He's already done enough damage. People are splayed out on sidewalks and defecating in public.
So much for the hopey changey thingy.
" Zakaria: Goals for Obama's Asia trip" He left out a couple of things such as, Tell President Hu Jintao, how lazy the American people are,how he is doing his best to turn America into a socilaist dictatorship just like yours.
Americans owe Asian countries heaps of money. Obamas Goals, try to find a solution to that before Americans have to sell their homes and businesses to pay their debts. Oh some already have been sold.