Clinton to China: Economy Trumps Human Rights

Sometimes confrontation isn't best tactic, administration suggests

(NEWSER) - Human-rights workers had high hopes for the Obama administration after President Bush’s inconsistent, too-hot-too-cold policies—but so far, the Washington Post reports, activists think President Obama has let rights take a back seat to more pressing concerns. For example, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said pushing China on human rights “can’t interfere with the global economic crisis, the global climate change crisis, and the security crisis.” More»

(NEWSER) - President Obama and Hu Jintao of China met today at the G20 summit in London and agreed to close cooperation on issues ranging from the economic crisis to global security, Time reports. Obama will travel to China later this year. Meanwhile, high-level representatives will meet in Washington during the summer to launch a "strategic and economic dialogue.” More»

Protesters gather outside as talks begin in Washington

(NEWSER) - Chinese officials arrived in Washington today for a round of high-level talks, and were greeted with a light scolding from Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton for their government’s recent crackdown on dissent. “We have a vigorous disagreement in the area of human rights,” Biden said in his opening remarks, while Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan and State Councilor Dia Bingguo watched. “We have to be honest with each other.” Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, promised “candid discussions” about human rights, the Huffington Post reports. More»

American criticism just a 'political tool,' says Beijing

(NEWSER) - The US should take a hard look in the mirror before it criticizes other countries over human rights, China says. “The United States ignores its own severe human rights problems,” said a Chinese report, “treating human rights as a political tool to vilify other countries and to advance its own strategic interests.” The rejoinder comes after Hillary Clinton warned of “negative trends” in China amid the disappearance of activist artist Ai Weiwei, Reuters reports. More»

But government tries to tamp down drama

(NEWSER) - Google is a puppet of US foreign policy, Chinese state-owned media are reporting, calling the company's threat to pull out of China unless censorship is dropped a conspiracy by the US government to interfere in Chinese politics. One paper quotes a political scientist saying, "the Google incident is not just a commercial incident, it is a political incident"—a direct reversal of the Chinese government's previous response to the brouhaha and a move that threatens to escalate US-China tensions, CNN reports. More»