“And I want to suggest that there has been an evolution in China over the last 30 years since the first normalization of relations between the United States and China,” Obama said. “And my expectation is that 30 years from now we will have seen further evolution and further change.”
Now I can understand diplomatic language and all, but this idea totally fails the reality test. If anything the human rights record of China is worsening. Religious freedom is not progressing for the better. The recent act by China to ordain a bishop without Vatican approval and then force him as head of the conference there as basically their man wholly paid for was a turn for the worse. As for actual reproductive freedom a favorite word of the progressives, China still forcibly restricts family size – no evolution there. No evolution in the Great Firewall of China other than more restrictions. Nobel peace prize winner still in prison – check. Torture and imprisonment of political prisoners – no positive change there either. Freedom of the Press – well the Press is still free to print whatever the government allows them to.
The president said he mentioned some of these human rights abuses to Chinese President Hu Jintao and also said.
“History shows that societies are more harmonious, nations are more successful, and the world is more just, when the rights and responsibilities of all nations and all people are upheld, including the universal rights of every human being.”
Nice rhetoric, but giving a State Dinner to a leader of a country that imprisons and torture human rights advocates and tramples basic human freedom is not the way to go. Obama’s China policy of the carrot and the carrot provides no reason at all for the Chinese government to change their policies. Dialog is certainly important, it just doesn’t need official State Dinners and it certainly doesn’t need lies like saying things are improving.
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It’s all about the money.