Hillary Clinton: Threatening China and Asia-Pacific Security

 

 

Hillary Clinton: Threatening China and Asia-Pacific Security

Much has been said about Hillary Clinton’s hostility towards Russia. The Democratic candidate attacks her Republican rival Donald Trump, accusing him of harboring sympathy for Moscow. But Russia is not the only country Mrs. Clinton is hostile to. China policy ranks very high in the presidential race. Neither Trump nor Clinton treats China as a friend in this campaign.

The Republican presidential candidate has no experience in foreign policy and it’s almost impossible to predict if his words will become deeds. Anyway, if Trump says he is ready for constructive relationship with Russia, it would be logical to surmise he could adopt the same policy towards Beijing. As a businessman, he is easier to negotiatewith. Besides, Trump may also be less tough on China over human rights than Clinton, who has frequently clashed with Beijing on the issue. In a 1990 interview Trump referred to the “strength” of the Chinese government in its putting down student-led protests in Tiananmen Square a year earlier. He has recently confirmed this view, calling the students’ protests “a riot”.

Now what about Clinton? She boasts more than two decades of high-profile engagement as first lady, senator, secretary of state and two-time presidential candidate. That is something to look back at. Suppose she wins in November, what will her China policy look like?

The Democratic runner has a long history of engagement with Beijing. Clinton has travelled to China many times in different capacities. She and the Chinese leadership know each other pretty well. The Democratic candidate has done enough to spoil the US relations with the emerging Asian giant. A dialogue with Beijing has never been on her priorities’ list. During her visit to Hanoi in 2010, she declared the South China Sea a “vital national interest” and asserted that the US would mediate talks on questions of sovereignty and maritime jurisdiction.

China saw it as an open challenge as it had been pursuing the policy of bilateral settlements with the neighbors. The speech was seen as a victory of those in America who called for confrontation with Beijing rather than accommodating its rise. Since that time, the South China Sea has been raised at all ASEAN meetings with China insisting it was not a proper venue for tackling the issue.

The Democratic candidate has many times publicly blasted China for alleged freedom and human rights violations…..more here

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