McCain and Obama on China

How will our next president handle U.S.-China relations?  Both Barack Obama and John McCain have published their perspectives for the monthly magazine produced by the American Chamber of Commerce in China./span>

While the two candidates agree on many of the issues, they take vastly different approaches on others.  Here's a brief overview on the essays:/span>

Areas of Agreement: /span>

• Chinaspan style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial"> and the U.S./st1 :country-region> can and should partner together, especially on areas of common interest (shocking) /span>
  • McCain: The US shares common interests with China/st1 :place> that can form the basis of a strong partnership on issues of global concern, including climate change, trade and proliferation. /span>
  • Obama: We know that Americaand China/st1 :place> can accomplish much when we recognize our common interests. . . Cooperation on the key, enduring global challenges, such as climate change, can deepen understanding and enhance confidence. /span>

• China/st1 :country-region> still has to deal with some issues, like human rights, political freedom, etc. in order to reach its potential /span>
  • McCain: Some of China’s economic practices, combined with its rapid military modernization, lack of political freedom and close relations with regimes like Sudan and Burma, tend to undermine the very international system on which its rise depends. /span>
  • Obama: China/st1 :country-region> must make some basic adjustments if it is to continue sustained, shared economic growth. China must develop practices that are more environmentally sustainable and less energy intensive, that boost domestic consumption as an engine of growth, that enhance the social safety net, and that encourage indigenous technology innovation. /span>

• Chinaspan style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial">'s domestic policies aren't just limited to China/st1 :country-region>, and China has an international obligation to protect human rights /span>
  • McCain:  China/st1 :country-region> has signed numerous international agreements that make its domestic behavior more than just a matter of national sovereignty. To be a responsible stakeholder in the modern international system, a government must also be responsible at home, in protecting the rights of its people.    /span>
  • Obama: Greater progress in protecting the human rights of all its people and moving toward democracy and rule of law will better enable China/st1 :country-region> to achieve its full potential as a nation, domestically and internationally. /span>

• China/st1 :country-region> needs to revalue its currency (Obama has placed greater emphasis on this point) /span>
  • McCain: China/st1 :country-region> has obligations as well. Its commitment to open markets must include enforcement of international trade rules, protecting intellectual property, lowering manufacturing tariffs and fulfillment of its commitment to move to a market-determined currency /span>
  • Obama: Central to any rebalancing of our economic relationship with China/st1 :country-region> must be change in its currency practices. /span>

Nuances:/span>

• Obama wants more dialogue and engagement with China/st1 :country-region>'s military: "We also need to deepen high-level dialogues on a sustained basis on economic, security and global political issues. Our militaries should increase not only the quantity of their contacts but the quality of their engagement." /span>

/span>

• McCain wants more transparency regarding Chinas rapidly growing military: "China/st1 :place> could bolster its claim that it is "peacefully rising" by being more transparent about its significant military buildup and by working with the world to isolate pariah states." /span>

• Obama favors trade with China but also has concerns about Chinas regulations and infrastructure: "I know that Americaand the world can benefit from trade with China but only if China/st1 :place> agrees to play by the rules and act as a positive force for balanced world growth. . . . Beijing/st1 :place> will have to improve substantially its social safety net and upgrade its financial services sector."/span>

/span>

• McCain heavily favors free trade, and took a jab at Obama on the issue of protectionism: "Unfortunately, in what has become an all-too-predictable pattern, some American politicians — including the Democratic candidate for president — are preying on the fears stoked by Asia’s dynamism; rather than encouraging American innovation and entrepreneurship, they instead propose throwing up protectionist walls that will leave us all worse off. The United States/st1 :country-region> has never won respect or created jobs by retreating from free trade, and we cannot start doing so now."  /span>

Overall, these two essays aren't particularly earth-shattering or remarkable in terms of furthering the dialogue and understanding of U.S.-China relations.  The lack of major surprises or extremely original policy insights isn't necessarily a bad thing.  Instead, it probably indicates that the next president probably won't do anything that would radically alter U.S.-China relations.    /span>