Why Obama Constantly Shows Off His “Muscles” to China

Behind the United States’ series of frenzied actions, we see that the Obama administration actually has “hidden motives.” However, there are times when even a clever person miscalculates; the U.S. government is caught in a dilemma.

At the end of 2009, people were still enthusiastically talking about the so-called “Sino-U.S. cohabitation,” but in recent weeks, the U.S. used issues such as the Internet censorship, arms sales to Taiwan and meeting with the Dalai Lama to repeatedly defy China. On Feb 3, United States President Barack Obama personally stepped up, declaring that a “tougher” attitude needs to be used toward the trade issue with China, as well as forcing the revaluation of the RMB. Meanwhile, China unexpectedly carried out a “tough counter attack.” To quote the New York Post, “A dangerous storm is brewing over the Pacific.”

The two governments’ strong diction was applauded by their respective countries; Obama seems to have gotten what he wanted. Behind the United States’ series of frenzied actions, we see that the Obama administration actually has “hidden motives.” In American history, controversy about the direction of the country always arises at the critical moments and Obama is unfortunately faced with one. On Jan 27, CNN (Cable Network News) publicized polls showing that half of Americans believe the country is going in the wrong direction. To overcome the current difficult situation, and for November’s congressional midterm election and even the 2012 presidential election, discussing the issues about China seems to be the best choice for the Obama administration.

As the world’s third largest economy, China’s performance during the financial crisis is “envied” by the world. During the first State of the Union address, Obama spoke about China with an almost envious tone, citing China’s development of high-speed railways and the fact that China is the leader in developing new energy sources, in order to encourage Americans to rise to the occasion and catch up. Obama said, “Well, I do not accept second place for the United States of America.” To the Americans, amidst this dilemma, any measures that put pressure on China would make them feel like the United States still securely holds the position of world leader. Obama tries to use this mentality of the American people to repeatedly attack China and “show off his muscles.”

Even so, Obama is faced with domestic dilemmas that he cannot avoid. On Feb 5, the U.S. Labor Department released the latest figures showing that the number of unemployed people in the U.S. last year was more than 14.8 million, 6 million more than the number estimated earlier. Since the start of the recession, the total number of unemployed people in the U.S. increased from 7.2 million to 8.4 million, more than previous recessions in the U.S. since World War II. As a result, China has once again become a tool for the Obama administration to use. Obama decided to take a “tougher” attitude towards trade issues with China, and sharpen his knife in preparation to force China to “give in” to the RMB exchange rate issue. Obama’s calculations are very shrewd: If the RMB was forced to rise in value, U.S. exports to China would increase significantly, and thus increase employment opportunities; if China insists on the current exchange rate policy, he will seize the opportunity to blame China for the current unemployment dilemma in the U.S. In any case, the Obama administration can “justify” itself to voters.

There are times when even a clever person miscalculates. On Feb 5, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce decided to temporarily impose anti-dumping measures on U.S. chicken products, even though this case was already under investigation as early on as Sep 27, 2009. However, this move by the Chinese side is seen by the Western media as “showing off their muscles” to the U.S. After the Chinese government warned that sanctions will be imposed on U.S. companies involved in the arms sale to Taiwan, Boeing, Lockheed-Martin Corporation, Raytheon Company and others felt very uneasy. Regardless, no one wants to lose the huge market in China. As a result, the U.S. government is caught in a dilemma: Being tough on China seems to divert attention to enhance confidence, but will lose more job opportunities.

During the U.S. Congress midterm election in November, it is certain that there will be a clash with China. But nobody wants to see a lose-lose situation; Sino-U.S. relations will likely “have disputes, yet come to a compromise.” According to BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation), the two countries’ relationship may even become more stable. In any case, for China, the U.S. hegemony is but a “paper tiger.”