WASHINGTON – Two years after the Obama administration launched a charm offensive with China, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton could not say Wednesday whether Beijing was a friend or foe.
“The reason we’re rolling out the red carpet and having President Hu (Jintao) come for a state visit is we think we’ll be better to answer such a question as we move forward,” Clinton said in an interview with ABC television. “Well, my hope is we have a normal relationship,” the chief US diplomat said when pressed to answer whether China is a friend or foe. Clinton voiced hope for “a very positive, cooperative, comprehensive relationship, where, in some areas, we’re going to compete. There’s no doubt about that. But in many areas, we’re going to cooperate,” she said.
During a visit to China in Nov 2009, US President Obama declared that the US and China need not be adversaries. The Obama administration was at the time accused by US critics of playing down China’s poor human rights record in order to appease Beijing, as it sought a partnership to resolve the world’s economic crisis and fight climate change.
However, the administration has recently toughened its stance on human rights. In a speech on Friday, Clinton urged China to free dissidents and improve treatment of minorities, pledging not to shy away from disagreements when President Hu Jintao pays a state visit.
