The
relationship that 'counts the most: Presidents Hu and
Obama
meet on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit.
Le Figaro, France
For U.S. and China,
the A-Bomb to Diffuse is Economic
"For
China to cease financing American debt would be a true 'atomic bomb' for the global
economy, which Obama and Hu Jintao have an interest in defusing on the
sidelines of the summit on nuclear security."
The undisputed star at the
summit on nuclear security being held in the United States is Chinese President
Hu.
Two weeks ago his presence
was uncertain. Due to Taiwan, the Dalai Lama, the Google case and the
undervaluation of yuan, the relationship that counts most in the world almost
derailed, so the head-to-head meeting between Hu and Obama last night was a
major event.
The summit is designed to put
rules into place by 2014 which will guarantee no nuclear material falls into
the hands of terrorists. This is a technical discussion that could have been
conducted at the level of experts.
Posted
by WORLDMEETS.US
The fact that so many heads
of state and government have moved is a sign that Barack Obama has recovered his
international aura, which was called into question for a time by his
difficulties in getting Congress to pass his health care reform.
In terms of nuclear security,
the most pressing issue is Iran's nuclear program. The debate in the U.N.
Security Council on sanctions is one of the main topics being addressed on the
margins of the Washington summit.
China has traditionally
opposed sanctions, but has taken a step forward by agreeing to discuss them. There
is little risk: measures that could be adopted won't go very far. The key is to
isolate the Ahmadinejad regime, and the Chinese contribution is essential to
this.
After the failure of the climate
change summit in Copenhagen, Beijing realized that it had to look after its
global image. Taking into account worldwide concern about China's rise, it had
to do so without sacrificing its interests. The financial crisis accelerated its
emergence and reinforced the interdependence between the two poles of the new global
governance in Washington and Beijing.
Posted
by WORLDMEETS.US
In Washington, Hu Jintao won’t
make any major concessions: he must ensure continued Chinese growth without
which the country risks a social explosion. Barack Obama, meanwhile, must
ensure that Beijing continues to finance increasingly high American deficits.
For China to cease doing so
would be a true "atomic bomb" for the global economy which Obama and
Hu Jintao have an interest in defusing on the sidelines of the summit on
nuclear security.
