In Beijing Obama Calls for Strong Dialogue.docx

In Beijing Obama Calls for Strong Dialogue.docx

《In Beijing Obama Calls for Strong Dialogue.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《In Beijing Obama Calls for Strong Dialogue.docx（8页珍藏版）》请在冰点文库上搜索。

InBeijingObamaCallsforStrongDialogue

InBeijing,ObamaCallsfor‘StrongDialogue’

窗体顶端

窗体底端

∙SignIntoE-Mail

∙Print

∙SinglePage

∙Reprints

∙ShareClose

oLinkedin

oDigg

oFacebook

oMixx

oMySpace

oYahoo!

Buzz

oPermalink

o

ByEDWARDWONGandHELENECOOPER

Published:

November16,2009

BEIJING—PresidentObamaandPresidentHuJintaoofChinametinprivateoffTiananmenSquarehereonafrigidTuesdaymorningtodiscussissuesliketrade,climatechangeandthenuclearprogramsofIranandNorthKorea,inasessionthatsignaledthecentralroleofChinaontheworldstage.

Skiptonextparagraph

EnlargeThisImage

StephenCrowley/TheNewYorkTimes

PresidentBarackObamatouredtheForbiddenCityinBeijing,ChinaonTuesday.

Multimedia

Video

ObamaWelcomesRiseofChina

Related

InChina,ObamatoPressforToughStanceonIran（November16,2009）

ChinaIsSendingMoreStudentstoU.S.（November16,2009）

AtWar:

China'sGrowingMilitaryMight

TheLede:

ObamaWalksChina's'GreatFirewall'

TimesTopics:

China

EnlargeThisImage

JimYoung/Reuters

Atthenewsconference,neitherPresidentObamaorPresidentHuJintaotookquestionsfromreporters.

TheleaderstoldreportersafterwardthattheUnitedStatesandChinawereinagreementonarangeofissues,buttheyspokeonlyingeneralterms.

Atanewsconferencewherebothpresidentsappeared,neithertookquestionsfromreporters,stayinginlinewiththeminutelystage-managedatmosphereofMr.Obama’sfirstvisittoChina.Theysaidinseparatespeechesthatthetwonationswouldworktogethertostabilizetheteeteringworldeconomy,containthedangersofclimatechangeandpreventnuclearproliferation.

Thepublicpronouncementswerefulloffamiliarrhetoric.Atthestartoftheirfirstmeeting,Mr.ObamatoldMr.Hu:

“WebelievestrongdialogueisimportantnotonlyfortheU.S.andChina,butfortherestoftheworld.”

TheleadersgreetedeachotheratthedooroftheGreatHallofthePeopleafterMr.Obama’smotorcadeslithereditswaypastthousandsofonlookerscrowdingaroundTiananmenSquare,infrontofthegiantportraitofMao,tocatchaglimpseoftheAmericanpresident.

Theleadersshookhandsandwalkeduptheredcarpet,Chinesemilitaryleadersfacingthem.Attheconferencetablewherethefirstbilateralmeetingwasheld,Mr.Obamasatflankedbyseniorcabinetmembers.

ThemeetingcamethedayafterMr.ObamatriedtoholdafrankandpublicdiscussionwithChinesestudentsinShanghai.Theeventwascalledatownhall,butMr.Obama’smeetingwithabout500studentshadlittleincommonwiththesometimesraucousexchangesthathavebecomeafixtureofAmericanpolitics.

Itwas,instead,anexampleofChinesestagecraft.MostofthosewhoattendedtheeventattheMuseumofScienceandTechnologyturnedouttobemembersoftheCommunistYouthLeague,anofficialorganizationthatgroomsobedientstudentsforfutureleadershipposts.

SomeChinesebloggerswhomtheWhiteHousehadtriedtoinvitewerebarredfromattending.Eventhen,theChinesegovernmenttooknochances,decliningtobroadcasttheeventlivetoanationalaudience—orevenmentionitonthemaineveningnewscastofstate-runChinaCentralTelevision.

ThescriptedinteractionunderscoredtheobstaclesMr.ObamafacesashetriestomanagetheAmericanrelationshipwithanauthoritarianChina,whosewealthandclouthavesurgedasitseconomyhasweatheredtheglobaldownturnfarbetterthantheUnitedStates’orEurope’s.

ItremainedunclearwhethertheUnitedStateswouldmakeprogressonseveralissuesonthistrip,includingonthemanagementofitstightlycontrolledcurrency,therenminbi,oronhowtokeepIranfromdevelopingnuclearweapons.ChinahasrejectedAmericanpressuretoallowtherenminbitofloatfreelyandhasopposedtoughersanctionsonIran.

ThedegreeofcontrolexercisedoverthemostpubliceventofMr.Obama’sthree-daystayinChinasuggeststhatChineseleadersarelesswillingtomakeconcessionstoAmericandemandsforthearrangementsofapresidentialvisitthantheyoncewere.

TheWhiteHousespentweekswranglingwiththeChineseauthoritiesoverwhowouldbeallowedtoattendtheShanghaitownhallmeeting,includinghowmuchaccessthemediawouldhaveandwhetheritwouldbebroadcastlivethroughoutthecountry.Intheend,Mr.ObamahadlittlechancetopromoteamessagetothebroaderChinesepublic.

OnestudentwhoparticipatedinthemeetingsaidshewastrainedforfourdaysbytheChinesegovernment,andtoldnottoaskquestionsaboutTibetorhumanrightsandtoberespectfulofPresidentObamaandconsidertheimplicationsanyquestionwouldhaveonU.S.-Chinarelations.Sheaskednottobeidentifiedforfearofbeingpunishedbyheruniversity.

TheeventinsomerespectssignaledaretreatfromthereceptiongivenatleasttwoearlierAmericanpresidents,BillClintonandGeorgeW.Bush,whobothaskedfor,andweregranted,theopportunitytoaddresstheChinesepeopleandanswertheirquestionsinalivenationalbroadcast.

OnelocaltelevisionstationbroadcastMr.Obama’ssessionlive.ButtheofficialXinhuanewsagencyofferedonlyatranscriptoftheexchangeonitsWebsiteinsteadoftheliveWebcastithadpromised.TheWhiteHousestreamedtheeventliveonitsWebsite,whichdidnotappeartobeblockedinsideChina.ButthatsiteisnotacommondestinationformostChineselookingforbreakingnews.

Althoughitwascarefullychoreographed,theeventgaveMr.ObamaalittleroomtoprodtheChineseauthoritiestowardmoreopenness.Inhisinitialremarksattheforum,Mr.ObamasaidtheUnitedStateswasnotseekingtoimposeitspoliticalsystemonothercountries,buthecalledfreedomofexpressionandworshipamongthe“universalrights”commontoallpeople.

∙1

∙2

NextPage»

DavidBarbozacontributedreportingfromShanghai,andJonathanAnsfieldfromBeijing.

Page2of2）

Hedid,however,steerclearofthemostdelicatehumanrightstopics,liketherecentunrestintheChineseregionsofTibetandXinjiang,andhefocusedmostofhiscommentsontheneedforChinaandtheUnitedStatestobecomepartnersinsteadofrivals.

Skiptonextparagraph

EnlargeThisImage

StephenCrowley/TheNewYorkTimes

PresidentObamaandPresidentHuJintaoaftermakingremarkstothepressattheGreatHallofthePeopleinBeijingonTuesday.

Multimedia

Video

ObamaWelcomesRiseofChina

Related

InChina,ObamatoPressforToughStanceonIran（November16,2009）

ChinaIsSendingMoreStudentstoU.S.（November16,2009）

AtWar:

China'sGrowingMilitaryMight

TheLede:

ObamaWalksChina's'GreatFirewall'

TimesTopics:

China

EnlargeThisImage

StephenCrowley/TheNewYorkTimes

PresidentObamagreetedagroupofabout500ChinesestudentsattheMuseumofScienceandTechnologyinShanghaionMonday.MostofthestudentsatthetightlycontrolledeventweremembersoftheCommunistYouthLeague.

EnlargeThisImage

StephenCrowley/TheNewYorkTimes

ChinesestudentsselectedbytheauthoritieslistenedtoPresidentObamafieldquestionsataforumonMondayinShanghai.

EnlargeThisImage

StephenCrowley/TheNewYorkTimes

About500studentswereduetobeallowedintoMonday’squestion-and-answersession,anditwasexpectedtobeagenerallywelcomingcrowd.

HistonereflectedthefactthatChinahadbecomethelargestforeignlendertotheUnitedStatesatatimewhenAmerica’stotalpublicdebtissurginganditseconomyisstilltryingtoclawitswayoutofadeepslump.Mr.Obamasaidthetwocountriescarrieda“burdenofleadership”onissueslikeclimatechangeandnuclearnonproliferation,andsaidtheyneededtoworkmorecloselyonmattersofmutualconcern.

“Iwilltellyou,othercountriesaroundtheworldwillbewaitingforus,”Mr.Obamasaidatthetownhallmeeting.HelaterflewtoBeijingforadinnerandfullstatevisithostedbyMr.Hu.

AttheShanghaiforum,Mr.Obamawasaskedonlyonequestion—“ShouldwebeabletouseTwitterfreely?

”—thatdelvedintoanareatheChinesegovernmentconsiderscontroversial.

HiscautiousanswerstoodoutasasignthathehopestoreachChina’syouthwithoutoffendingitsincreasinglyinfluentialleaders.HedeliveredanobliquecritiqueofChina’srigidcontrolsandrestrictionsontheInternetandfreespeechwithoutmentioningthatChinapracticesonlinecensorshipasamatterofpolicy.

“IhavealotofcriticsintheUnitedStateswhocansayallkindsofthingsaboutme,”hesaid.But,headded,“Iactuallythinkthatthatmakesourdemocracystronger,anditmakesmeabetterleaderbecauseitforcesmetohearopinionsthatIdon’twanttohear.”

Thatsnippet,atleastinitially,capturedtheattentionofChinesenetizens.ItwasatopicofdiscussiononWebsitesforacoupleofhoursafterMr.Obamaspoke,beforebeingdeletedorremovedfromprominentpositions.AccordingtoseveralWebsnapshotsinthehoursafterthemeeting,“What’sTwitter?

”and“ObamaShanghai”shotuptothelistoftop10ChineseGooglesearches.

“Iwillnotforgetthismorning,”oneChineseTwitteruserpostedontheInternet,apparentlyusingsoftwaretogetaroundthegovernmentfirewall.“Iheard,onmyshakyInternetconnection,aquestionaboutourownfreedomwhichonlyaforeignleadercandiscuss.”

ButmostofthequestionsappearedtoreflectthecarefulvettingofthecrowdbytheChinese.BeijingvetoedtheWhiteHouse’sattempttoinviteagroupofpopularbloggers,anaudiencecomponentthatadministrationofficialshopedwouldmakethesessionmoreauthentic,accordingtoseveralpeoplewhowereaskedtoparticipateintheforum.

“Iwasinvited,butthenafewdaysag