Dialogue with Douglas H. Paal

• Source: Global Times
• [11:11 November 13 2009]
• Comments

Global Times: What does the US’s putting more importance on China stand for? What influence it will bring to China-India/ China-Russia/ China-Japan/ China-Australia/ China-South Korea/ China- Europe relations? Will India/ Russia/ Japan/ South Korea/ Europe/ Australia adjust its foreign policy according to the development of the current Sino-US relationship? If so, what is the adjustment?

Paal: With the exception of Russia, the countries you mention all seek to have a balance in relations between China and the US, so as to preserve their freedom to maneuver. So Obama’s renewed activism in Asia, after a decade in which China outperformed the US in the region, is a welcome development. At the same time, they want the US not to embark on an unnecessarily confrontational path toward China, and Obama is avoiding that.