The Obama administration's decision to sell a robust weapons package to Taiwan is a positive step, and may indicate a welcome course correction in the Obama administration's China policy and even its strategic posture in Asia.
The first year of the administration's China policy was predicated on some assumptions that are now proving to be wrong, namely that conciliatory gestures by the U.S. would be reciprocated by China. This was not to be. Behind all of the murkiness of Beijing's decision-making lies a simple fact: The Chinese government will act in its own interests. So American steps such as downplaying human rights, elevating China's role in the G-20 by flirting with the "G-2" concept, agreeing to Chinese censorship of President Obama's Beijing visit, downgrading intelligence collection, and supplicating China to continue financing U.S. debt, brought little positive reciprocation from China.
Read Full Article »