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Tom's Take
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/11/16/christianetom.jpg caption caption="Sr. Writer for Amanpour, Tom Evans, works on scripts with Christiane"]
On AMANPOUR. today, we focus on the rising tensions this year between the U.S. and China. As the U.S. enters a rough patch in relations with this rising power over arms sales to Taiwan, a much delayed meeting between President Obama and the Dalai Lama, and the Google censoring dispute, are we witnessing a realignment of global power? How should the rest of the world respond to the shifting tectonic plates in the U.S.-China relationship? China and the U.S. top our roundup of the top stories of the day. Here are some perspectives.
Tom Evans
Sr. Writer, AMANPOUR.
CHINA/U.S. – What lies behind the growing friction between Washington and China?
– Beijing today hits back at U.S. on trade and economic policy, saying its currency is at a reasonable level and American companies are not at a disadvantage in China
– Washington and China already at loggerheads over other issues, such as Tibet, arms sales to Taiwan, and censorship and hacking targeting Google
– China’s economy, which weathered recession far better than the U.S. and Europe, is poised to overtake Japan as the world’s number two this year
QUESTION: Is China’s growing assertiveness on the world stage the beginning of a new era in China’s relations not just with the U.S. but the rest of the world as well?
RUSSIA – Will Russia ever become a Western-style democracy?
– Think-tank set up by President Dmitry Medvedev calls for more democracy in Russia, end to censorship, and Russian membership of NATO
– Institute of Contemporary Development says Russia at a crossroads in its history, facing choice between becoming a modern country or losing its status as a great power
– Economic crisis has hit Russia hard, raising concerns about its dependence on energy sector and leading to increasing anxiety among Russian people about their future
QUESTION: Will recommendations of think-tank carry any weight given real power in Russia arguably wielded not by President Medvedev but Prime Minister Vladimir Putin?
AFGHANISTAN –Will new “pay-for-peace” plan for Taliban work any better than in the past?
– NATO Secy.-Gen. Anders Fogh Rasmussen says alliance plan to convince Taliban members to defect to the government is not a bribe, dismissing criticism of the proposal
– He said many Taliban fight for only small amounts of money. “What is on offer to them is a chance of a new life”, he added
– Critics say pay-for-peace plans have been on the table for many years, but have generally not worked and insurgency has expanded
QUESTION: What are the next steps in this much heralded plan, a plan that the Taliban leadership has already ridiculed?
@camanpour on Twitter
I have been living here in Japan, next to China for almost 20 years and about 20 years ago the Japanese had money to burn, while China was still just waking up, now the tables are turned. The Chinese, not all of them, but enough of them in Beijing, Shanghai etc...are the ones with too much money, their economy is only getting stronger and stronger while the economy in Japan is suffering from DEFLATION! Yes, we have had DEFLATION now for a few years! One country goes up, another goes down, simple economics. China is a peaceful but strong country, they do not want the Tibetans, Uigurs etc...to try and separate themselves from China. The USA needs China, China needs the USA. Should we be more careful with harmful Chinese products? Hell yes! Here in Japan many have stopped buying food from China. Something can be cheap, but if some idiot in China with a grudge against the Japanese poisons the food for export, why should we buy it? China must also learn to find all of its crazy folk and keep on executing them because they have too many people there and they are causing problems like air pollution and poisoning good food for exports etc...