Reports on Hillary Clinton’s Asia trip are almost universally positive – including this editorial from The Hankyoreh of South Korea. But what The Hankyoreh counts as a virtue, many people in this country, particularly human human rights activists, see as a monumental disappointment.
“Clinton brought up nothing to make the nations she visited uncomfortable, instead focusing on easing concerns about the new U.S. administration. An example of this is the issue of human rights in China. Rather than bring it up with Chinese President Hu Jintao and other policymakers, she actually met with representatives from human rights groups. … Hu sang her praises, saying that her visit demonstrated that America values Asia, and promised to work with the United States on the global economic crisis and climate change. ”
EDITORIAL
February 23, 2009
South Korea – The Hankyoreh – Original Article (English)
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is returning home after a tour of East Asia, which she chose as her first destination after being sworn in, and she defined the trip to Japan, Indonesia, Korea and China as a “listening tour.” The implication is that the Obama Administration wants to create a new diplomatic order that will be multilateral and cooperative, and listen to the views of other countries rather than forcing others to accept its own.
Indeed, Clinton brought up nothing to make the nations she visited uncomfortable, instead focusing on easing concerns about the new U.S. administration. An example of this is the issue of human rights in China. Rather than bring it up with Chinese President Hu Jintao and other policymakers, she actually met with representatives from human rights groups. Her choice took into account her strong criticism of China’s human rights situation at a women’s conference in Beijing in 1995. Hu sang her praises, saying that her visit demonstrated that America values Asia, and promised to work with the United States on the global economic crisis and climate change.
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