Obamas visit to China "Low Key"

[Sir Bandelot]

While in China, Obama keeps his distance

Low-key approach on human rights means no meetings with activists

BEIJING - President Obama has steered clear of public meetings with Chinese liberals, free press advocates and even ordinary Chinese during his first visit to China, showing deference to the Chinese leadership’s aversions to such interactions that is unusual for a visiting American president.

Mr. Obama held a “town hall” meeting with students on Monday. But they were carefully vetted and prepped for the event by the government, participants said. And the Chinese authorities, wielding a practiced mix of censorship and diplomatic pressure, succeeded in limiting Mr. Obama’s exposure to a point where a third of some 40 Beijing university students interviewed Tuesday were unaware that he had just met in Shanghai with their colleagues.

This is no longer the United States-China relationship of old, but an encounter between a weakened giant and a comer with a bit of its own swagger. Washington’s comparative advantage in past meetings is now diminished, a fact clearly not lost on the Chinese.

Human rights is the prime example...

Yes indeed it is, as far as human rights go let him who is without sin... you know the rest.

Obama shows that he is just as capable of grinning and shaking hands with countries, that are otherwise abhorrent to the concept of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, or basic human rights. Maybe while he's there he should start taking notes...

[Shady]

While in China, Obama keeps his distance

Obama shows that he is just as capable of grinning and shaking hands with countries, that are otherwise abhorrent to the concept of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, or basic human rights.

That's to be expected. He already snubbed the Dali Lama a couple of months ago at China's request. But at least we have a leader in government in Stephen Harper, who stood on principles and refused to attend the Summer Olympic games.