Daily World Buzz: Obama, Hu Jintao and Chinese dishes

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Obama, Hu Jintao and Chinese dishes

Chinese President Hu Jintao went to see Obama. In diplomatic language this would mean that the American president is more important to him, but this time, things is not like that: it is only reciprocal Obama's visit to China by 2009. Between the two countries there are many issues at stake. Some are of vital importance, as the financial issue that arose in the G20 summit last November, when Obama criticized Hu Jintao to spend "an enormous mountain of money" to devalue the Chinese currency, so that goods imported into China from the United States become more expensive, while Chinese products are cheaper in foreign markets.

But the issue of Nike and Apple, talking about human rights, is not that Obama has the answer. Other questions of coverage, to save face. This puts us among the human rights: whispered very softly, almost silently, in fact, just to see how the U.S. is democratic. In reality nothing has been done in practical terms to help the Tibetan people or the Uighurs.

And Tibet was a free country, moving internationally as an independent state - before the Chinese invasion in 1950-51. Of course, I will say that China is a permanent member of UN Security Council and the room for maneuver is reduced, but this is really the reason for the non-interference in the issue of human rights in China, or the reasons are economic and financial? Why the U.S.

might even say a little word to defend the members of the Falun Gong, which, although totally peaceful, are persecuted since the birth of the movement, yet it does not. In fact, he never did, at least officially, although to be fair is home to many Chinese Falun Gong as political refugees, including Li Hongzhi, the founder, was awarded the International Religious Freedom Award for the advancement of spiritual freedom and by the powerful religious NGO, The Freedom House.

Then there are recent issues to be discussed, such as that of nuclear power in North Korea, on which, for once, I agree. The nations that have the capability to launch missiles with nuclear warheads by land, both by sea and air include Russia, the U.S., China and, tomorrow, probably, India.

Iran, North Korea and various possible and are asked to keep their place. But if Obama decides to do something more sanctions against Korea, I do not know if China would participate. So the talks, mutual visits, agreements, perhaps. But it has not escaped anyone the news, denied yesterday by Buckingham Palace, the 16,000 plates and porcelain from the wedding ceremony of Prince William of England come from China with Kate Middleton - and would also be very kitsch, between ourselves.

We are confident that we can still relegate China only silent business partner, or more often shared, and that China is much closer than we think and that, in addition to Chinese fashion, the Chinese culture, Chinese tools, no will also look at the gossip that comes from China? Not in the future, tomorrow.

Indeed, today.