Barack Obama vs. Hu Jintao

Published in China Times
(Taiwan) on 28 September 2009
by Lu Yi-cheng (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Cheryl Tevis. Edited by Louis Standish.
Obama and Hu Jintao have no doubt been the focus of international news for the past week. First, the two superpower world leaders met in New York for the first U.N. General Assembly debate, giving speeches on the same day; afterward, they separated to meet with other heavyweight heads of state. Then, the two flew separately to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to attend the G-20 summit (which actually included 25 countries).

On the surface, their meeting to discuss solutions to the global financial crisis and greenhouse gas emissions seemed genuine. Actually, they looked like they should have been two brawny guys brawling in a bar, like what you would often see in American movies. Though both held a large glass filled with a liter of beer and grinned from ear to ear, they stunned onlookers by refusing to compromise.

The first round began on 22 September when Ban Ki-moon, the U.N. Secretary General, convened a full day high-level summit on climate change. Hu Jintao announced China's carbon reduction plans, which promise to reduce carbon emissions to 2005 levels in 15 years and for 15 percent of energy use to come from renewable energy sources by 2020. As for the score, Hu won the first round of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by receiving enthusiastic praise from other participating countries.

In the second round, the two faced off in Taipei on the 23rd at 9:00pm at the U.N. General Assembly debate speech. Obama’s speech, broadcast in its entirety by CNN, was convincing with its tone of honesty and open-mindedness. There were four main points: (1) The U.S. will lead by example by substantially reducing its nuclear weapons; (2) it will require the Israeli and Palestinian negotiators to achieve a peaceful co-existence; (3) it will take responsibility to protect the environment, which is being damaged by climate change; (4) and economic development must benefit every country in the world. Obama won the second round.

The third round took place Thursday night. CNN broadcast the U.N. Security Council’s meeting to discuss Resolution 1887’s requirements for reduction in nuclear weapons. In 65 years of United Nations history, this was only the fifth U.N. Security Council summit. For the first time this September, the task of chairing the meeting happened to fall to the U.S.. Barack Obama sat at the head of the round table with Ban Ki-moon next to him and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton seeming like a mere attendant behind her boss.

The remaining 14 countries of the Council were represented by their heads of state, including President Hu Jintao, Russian President Medvedev, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and Schultz also attended the historic event. Obama spoke eloquently with his natural gift for speech giving, while Hu's speech was only marked by the unpleasant voice of the Oxford translator and the same old Beijing rhetoric reserved for its international audience. Hu Jintao could not compare to Obama. Thus, after the third round, the score was two to one, in favor of Obama.

Aside from Thursday night’s state dinner, Pittsburgh's G-20 summit only really consisted of the entire following Friday. The statement released after the meeting was only about 20 pages long, with over 10,000 words. Unfortunately, not one Taipei newspaper has translated a summary of the statement. The following is a list of their analyses of the causes of the global financial crisis and combative measures. Due to space limitations, only the main points are mentioned here.

-Set policy and framework for cooperation in restoring economic growth (strong, sustainable and balanced growth).

-Ensure that regulation in the financial industry is tightened (rein in the excesses that led to crisis).

-Specify the G-20 summit as the primary forum for international economic cooperation in the future (premier forum).

-Set up a Financial Stability Board (FSB) and invite the major emerging economies to participate.

-Adjust the International Monetary Fund (IMF) quota, lessening that of developed countries and shifting a higher percentage to emerging countries.

-Grant US$500 billion to needy countries through the IMF New Arrangements to Borrow (NAB).

The G-20 summit statement covers a wide range of topics, including providing food, fuel and grants to the world’s poor; phasing out inefficient oil for energy subsidies; opposing trade protectionism; completing Doha negotiations (Doha Round) next year; and completing the Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen, Denmark in November of this year.

The G-20 summit bears a lot of weight and has replaced the U.N. Security Council‘s posture. The summit is set to take place next June in Canada, and November in South Korea. Starting in 2011 in France, the summit will only be held once a year. With the emergence of this new international authoritative structure, maybe Hu Jintao and Obama will also avoid competing with each other.


過去這一周,佔據國際新聞焦點的,無疑是歐巴馬和胡錦濤。這兩位世界超強領袖先在紐約聯合國大會總辯論中,同一天發表演說;並分別與重量級國家元首單獨會晤。然後各自乘坐專機,飛到賓州的匹茨堡,出席G|二○(實為二五國)的高峰會。

表面看來,兩國似乎推誠相見,共謀解決全球面對的金融風暴與溫室氣體排放問題。實則有如美國電影裏常見的兩名壯漢,在啤酒館內「較手勁」。雖然面前各擺了一隻大玻璃杯,裝滿一公升啤酒,兩人也滿面笑容,但誰也不肯相讓,使圍觀群眾看得
目瞪口呆。

第一次拚場,是廿二日由聯合國秘書長潘基文召開,歷時一整天的氣候變化高峰會。胡錦濤提出中國的減碳計畫,承諾十五年內減縮到二○○五年的水準,並在二○二○年達到使用能源中,有一五%來自再生能源。數字具體,獲得參與聯合國氣候變化綱要公約(UN Framework Convention on Climate Change,簡稱UNFCCC)各國激賞,胡贏了第一回合。

第二回合,是兩人在聯合國大會總辯論時的演講。廿三日台北時間晚九時,CNN全程轉播歐巴馬在聯大的演講,態度坦誠,胸襟豁達,令人折服。演講要點有四:(一)美國將以身作則大量裁減核武;(二)要求以色列和巴勒斯坦談判,實現和平共存;(三)美國對保護環境因應氣候變化,責無旁貸;(四)發展經濟必須使全世界國家均蒙其利。歐巴馬可謂 扳回一城。

第三場是星期四晚,CNN又轉播討論裁減核武的安理會第一八八七次會議。聯合國六十五年歷史裏,由各國領袖親自出席的安理會高峰會議,這才是第五回。九月恰巧美國輪值主席,歐巴馬首次坐在圓桌形的主席位上,旁邊是潘基文;國務卿希拉蕊只能像跟班一樣地坐在她老闆身後。

安理會其餘十四國都由元首親自代表,包括胡錦濤、俄總統梅德維傑夫、英首相布朗、和法總統薩科奇。美國前國務卿季辛吉與舒茲也來旁聽這個歷史性的場合。歐巴馬口才便給,先天佔盡優勢。而胡錦濤講話時,只有秘書處譯員口譯,牛津口音聽來很不順耳;講演內容也都是北京對外宣揚的老套,無法和歐巴馬相比。這一場仍由美國領先,總共三場的成績是二比一。

匹茨堡的G|二○峰會,除星期四晚的國宴外,實際只有星期五整天。會後發布的公報卻長達二十頁,超過一萬字。台北沒有一家報紙把它摘要譯出,有點可惜。這是篇針對全球金融風暴,分析造成原因,並詳盡列出對策的文獻。限於篇幅,只能舉要點如下:

|設定政策與共同合作架構,恢復經濟成長(Strong, Sustainable and Balanced Growth);

|確保金融管制機構對銀行與金融行業嚴加管理(rein in the excesses that led to crisis);

|指定G|二○為今後國際經濟合作首要論壇(premier forum);

|設立「金融安定局(Financial Stability Board,簡稱FSB),邀請主要新興經濟體參加;

|調整國際貨幣基金(IMF)配額;將過去超額受配國家之配額,重行分配予新興國家;

 |撥款五千億美元,透過IMF「新貸款額(New Arrangements to Borrow,簡稱NAB)貸予需要救濟國家。

G|二○高峰會這公報,牽涉範圍極廣。它要為世界貧苦人民爭取食物、燃料與補助金;要逐步取消以低效率的石油做為能源的補貼;要反對貿易保護主義;要在明年完成杜哈談判(Doha Round)並在今年十一月在丹麥哥本哈根(Copenhagen)通過「氣候變化綱要公約」。

G|二○口氣之大,確實有取代安理會態勢。它預告明年六月將在加拿大,十一月將在南韓開會。以後才改為每年只開一次高峰會,二○一一年將在法國舉行。國際間有這樣一個新權威性機構出現,胡錦濤和歐巴馬也免得較勁了。
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