A Telling Distance

Quite the news spectacle. The meeting, at the very highest level of the representatives of two economic powerhouses, the two countries of the world who, with their advanced, and their more basic levels of technologies remain the world's largest carbon-waste emitters. Both the acknowledged economic giant and the emerging one (with India and Brazil close behind) have met to hammer-and-sickle, stars-and-stripes out some areas of agreement. And it has been edifying to witness, at a remove, how Chinese President Hu Jintao, and American President Barack Obama, have related to the issues that both divide and connect them.

Obama: "I spoke to President Hu about America's bedrock beliefs that all men and women possess certain fundamental human rights. We do not believe these principles are unique to America, but rather they are universal rights and that they should be available to all peoples, to all ethnic and religious minorities."

In America, people have the fundamental right to go without needed medical attention, and to visit food banks when they are unemployed or under-employed. Where, in a continuing, unstoppable trend, unbridled, laissez-faire capitalism has resulted in a steadily rising gap between the wealthy and the indigent-poor. Where the United States Congress flexes its authority to invoke trade protectionist measures, while insisting that China (despite recent trade irritants) recognize the utility of free trade. Where the new U.S. administration strong- arms an ally to comport itself in a manner that reflects what America wishes, even though it may become inimical to the existence of that country, while it assures China it has no intention of interfering in its human-rights abuses, its crackdowns on the repressed Yuigers, the Tibetan Buddhists, Chinese Christians, and the Falun Gong. The U.S. must needs tread lightly with the sensibilities of a country that holds it to a heady new economic ransom through its U.S. investments.

Hu: "We will continue to act in the spirit of equality, mutual respect, and a non-interference in each other's internal affairs, and engage in dialogue and exchanges on such issues as human rights and religion in order to enhance understanding, reduce differences, and broaden common ground."

Clearly, in diplomatic-speak: back off. But the words sound very nice, don't they, don't you think? And, of course, in China, people have the freedom to protest civic inequities and local political corruption, and they will then be taken to municipally-operated black prisons where their protests against authority will avail them a distinguished prison term. Politically-driven protesters, delinquent in courtesy to their government are also respectfully given a hearing through the imposition of prolonged prison sentences. China is intent on ensuring that there is harmony among its various peoples with all their different languages, customs, traditions, heritage, and aspirations to proceed into the future. China reserves the right to defend its allies in North Korea, Burma and Iran. So, don't push, don't shove, stand back and quietly observe.

However, politics being what they are, Presidents Hu and Obama had no difficulty reaching agreement in a joint resolution to meet on energy efficiency, renewable energy, electric vehicles, shale gas and cleaner uses of coal. Cleaner uses of coal being especially dear to the heart of Chinese authorities, who like the citizens of the country deplore the off-putting results of coal-fired furnaces used universally, disrupting weather pattens and bringing horrendous environmental conditions to the country. You think you know smog? Visit Beijing, say I sent you. Not to mention the practise of dumping industrial chemicals in waterways, polluting the source of life for countless Chinese.

Unlike other parts of the world, it is fascinating to witness a decided lack of public enthusiasm over the state visit of this world-famous celebrity figure, the (relatively) new President of the United States of America. And it was a tad amusing to read the quote from President Hu: "I stressed to President Obama that under the current circumstances our two countries need to oppose all kinds of trade protectionism". Kindly repeat that slowly, President Hu, and add that it is your understanding that Mexico, Canada, the European Union - along with China are all rather vexed with the U.S. Congress over that issue.

And was it difficult for this human-rights defending president to promise not to support any possible attempts to separate Tibet from China? For China abhors splittists, (Canada has that problem too; they're called separatists there, and paid by government funding to sit in Parliament and vent their spleen officially) and splits a gut over any entities, governments, individuals who commit themselves to the defence of Tibet and criticize China. Perhaps not, for a president uniquely unavailable to meet in person, and deferentially, as equal-to-equal with the Dalai Lama.

But then, there is always the future....