America awakes to the China reality
http://stanfordreview.org/
Courtesy of the ever-insightful James Fallows, here is one of several money quotes from Clinton’s ‘Internet Freedom’ speech:
“On their own, new technologies do not take sides in the struggle for freedom and progress, but the United States does.”
Just in case anyone was in any doubt, China under CCP leadership are most definitely on the wrong side of this struggle for freedom, although Jackie Chan might disagree.
The Obama administration reached out to China on a range of issues – internet freedom among them – in an effort to shape a relationship of 21st century cooperation and engagement. This was apparently interpreted by Beijing as a sign of American weakness. As a consequence, the Chinese government have begun to strut with a troubling degree of arrogance in global affairs, and increased repression at home.
Most analysts predicted a bumpy immediate future for Sino-US ties. It might be bumpier than expected, especially if Beijing doesn’t learn to recognise a genuine American president when they meet one.
For now, a very one-sided honeymoon is over and the gloves are off.
So what next?
I would predict the usual nationalism-invoking rhetoric and belligerent posturing from Beijing, and a firmer stance from the Obama administration towards China that doesn’t include side-stepping a cordial invitation extended to the Dalai Lama.
Update
A very CCP response: ‘US guilty of internet imperialism’
It seems the Chinese government are really fine-tuning their sense of irony.