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Hitting right note on foreign stage

By Brad Webber (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-11-18 09:38

The motorcade ferrying United States President Barack Obama to the Great Hall of the People on Tuesday paused before it rolled past the portrait of Chairman Mao Zedong at Tian'anmen Gate in Beijing.

Perhaps the entourage, en route to Obama's meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao, was admiring the iconic inspiration for the "ObaMao" T-shirt depicting the American leader wearing a Mao cap. After all, it's a big hit at souvenir stands in Beijing and Shanghai.

More likely, the convoy was following protocol, rightfully displaying respect - more for the Chinese people than deference to the helmsman long criticized by the West.

For a president who is pilloried by neo-conservatives and other would-be Republican rivals as the embodiment of the wishy-washy Democratic liberal, Obama has given away little territory on the core issues, primarily related to the sanctity of individual liberties that Americans hold dear.

For the time being, Obama and leaders of some nations will gently agree to disagree on a number of issues, while still holding esteem for partners and adversaries alike.

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Indeed, Obama's Asian trip might best be called the R-E-S-P-E-C-T tour (with due deference to soul songstress Aretha Franklin), a whirlwind tribute to the rising influence of China and its neighbors. If this concert had a set list, an ersatz "Diplomacy Rocks" would kick off the show.

Engagement and winning with charm are key elements of the Obama style.

The nice-guy approach pays dividends, and lessons learned in Chicago apply to the world stage, too.

On Tuesday, Obama and Hu toasted some two hours of "frank, constructive and fruitful" talks on issues both contentious (US tariffs on Chinese products, appreciation of the yuan) and undisputed (reining in the nuclear ambitions of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Iran).

Obama has acknowledged that China is stepping up as a global leader and as a country that has taken the lead in nudging the world from the brink of economic disaster and fighting climate change, among many positive deeds.

Strangely, Obama called that leadership a "burden", even as China embraces its heightened role.

"China's partnership has proved critical in our efforts to pull ourselves out of the worst recession in generations," said Obama, who hardly needed to note Beijing's patience as the biggest creditor of the US.

"The relationship between our two nations goes far beyond any single issue," Obama said, noting a new era of cooperation.

bradwebber@chinadaily.com.cn

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