China Archive

The first hundred days is an artificial benchmark for assessing presidential performance. In foreign policy, Barack Obama has not had time to do much, and the moves he has made have yet to produce clear consequences. He has, however, set a tone. It is reminiscent of the approach George W. Bush proposed in his 2000 campaign debate with Al Gore when he said, “If we’re an arrogant nation, they’ll resent us. If we’re a humble nation . . . they’ll welcome us.” Whether Mr. Bush’s foreign policy would have embodied that prescription had Osama bin Laden’s minions not struck the […]

Throughout its history, America has experienced many kinds of bubbles. The 19th century brought us a railroad bubble, the 20th, an Internet bubble. Now, 100 days into a new presidency, America has replaced the housing bubble that opened the 21st century with an Obama bubble. But while bubbles usually convey negative connotations, the “Obama Bubble” is one that we in America — and the rest of the world — desperately need. When George W. Bush came into office, the United States was still perceived by most countries as an ascendant nation — one reviving the infrastructure of its post-World War […]

‘Tis the season of snap judgments on President Obama’s first 100 days in office, replete with scorecards, grading sheets, and cartoon thumbs pointing up or down. The temptation with such analyses is simply to generate a laundry list of accomplishments, as if a crowded agenda or a flurry of decisions connotes successful leadership. Under normal circumstances, the key measure tends to be “traction,” as in, Did the new administration hit the ground running on issues A through Z? But these aren’t normal times. America and the world are experiencing the sort of once-in-a-lifetime restructuring of international affairs that only a […]

Looks like the Chinese have been paying attention to U.S. counterinsurgency doctrine, because construction of this hydroelectric station as part of a poverty-relief program in Xianjing, home to a Muslim insurgency, is certainly sound “hearts and minds” practice. Looks like the U.S. military’s evangelical community in Bagram hasn’t been paying attention to U.S. counterinsurgency doctrine, because distributing Bibles and planning conversion strategies in Afghanistan, home to a Muslim insurgency, is certainly not sound “hearts and minds” practice.

I’m not sure exactly what went down at the side meeting between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Chinese President Hu Jintao at the London G-20 summit. But it seems like it must have been one wildly successful pow wow. Last week, the two countries signed a string of — yup, you guessed it — nuclear deals. This past week, former President Jacques Chirac — a noted sinophile who once corrected a Chinese museum curator about the details of an antique vase on display — visited Beijing, and was greeted with a Chinese call to “boost the China-France comprehensive strategic partnership.” […]