Tag: US

Tensions Rise Over Dalai Lama Meeting

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Source: Britannica
Source: Britannica

The White House announced yesterday that President Obama will meet with the Dalai Lama on February 18th.  Among other recent controversies, this is the latest in line to further sour the rocky relations between China and the United States. 

 

Ma Zhaoxu, Foreign Ministry spokesmanfor China, responded quickly, “We urge the U.S. side to fully understand the high sensitivity of Tibet-related issues, honor its commitment to recognizing Tibet as part of China and opposing ‘Tibet independence.’”

 

You may recall that the “Tibet issue” received a large amount of attention during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.  But, you might not know why the protests were occurring.  While it is impossible to fully explain the reasoning behind the protest of the Dalai Lama meeting in one post, here are a few points to consider:

 

  • The origin of the controversy is the “17-Point Agreement”

 

  • China claims the “17-Point Agreement” signed by the 14th Dalai Lama in 1951 is proof that the Chinese have sovereignty over Tibet

 

  • Other sources indicate that the Tibetan government was independent until 1951 and that the “17-Point Agreement” was signed under duress and is therefore not valid

 

  • China argues that their influence has reformed and improved Tibet, specifically economically and in terms of human rights

 

  • The Dalai Lama’s director of information, Thubten Samphel, asserts that the PLA is responsible for over 80,000 Tibetan deaths between 1952 and 1958

 

  • More recently, the March 2008 protest in Tibet was in regards to “widespread mistreatment of the Tibetan population and a denial of religious and political freedom.” 

 

The rift between China and Tibet runs deep and it can only be inferred that a meeting between Obama and the Dalai Lama will not bode well for US-China relations.  The only question left to consider is “How will the impact manifest itself for the United States and for Tibet?”

Will China Levy Sanctions Against the US?

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The Chinese government announced that they may enact trade sanctions on foreign arms contractors (meaning any U.S. company that sells or distributes arms to Taiwan).  This response came shortly after the announcement was made on Friday, February 5, that the United States would be selling Taiwan a $6.4 billion arms package.  Boeing is a good example of a company in threat of being sanctioned.

Source: Boeing
Source: Boeing

Several reports doubt that China would ever put these sanctions in place.  The reason?  Boeing products comprise 53 percent of civilian aircraft in China.  It seems that China would only be hurting itself because they would be subject to World Trade Organization rules.  If successfully challenged, “Beijing could face sanctions against its own exports that would be equivalent in value to the estimated loss of business to US companies.”

 

The Taiwan dispute is nothing new, but it is integral in foreign relations between China and the United States or any other country that recognizes Taiwan as a state separate from China.  Japanese colonization of Taiwan from 1895-1945 sparked a “century of humiliation” that would only end with the reunion of China and Taiwan.  Chinese possession of Taiwan is so deeply entrenched in Chinese pride.  Any country committing the act of attempting to help Taiwan defend itself is undermining Chinese authority and esteem.  Saving face is a large motivator in the Chinese government’s action or inaction, which brings us back to the threat of sanctions. 

 

Ultimately, times are tense for US-China relations and it is unknown if tensions will increase or decrease as this story develops.  There is currently such a torrent of news items on US-China relations, that there is no telling what’s next.

Treatment or Prevention- What Should We Buy Into?

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Since the AIDS outbreak in the 1980s, people have been scrambling to treat those already infected and prevent further infections.  In Africa, especially, there are major obstacles to overcome.  This could explain why “two-thirds of the world’s 40 million HIV/AIDS cases are in… sub-Saharan Africa… and 72 percent of the 3 million people who died from AIDS in 2006 were Africans” (Bristol).  So how should we as global citizens try to help?  To figure out the solution one must recognize the myriad and endlessly complex obstacles getting in the way:

Obstacles to treatment:

  • Weak health systems— many African countries suffer from a “brain drain,” meaning medical students leave for school then never return to practice medicine

    Antiretroviral pills (ARVs) used to treat AIDS
    Antiretroviral pills (ARVs) used to treat AIDS
  • Lack of medial workers— “Africa… bears 24 percent of the world’s burden of disease but has only 3 percent of the global health workforce and 1 percent of its physicians” (Bristol)
  • Limited funding— most of the people who need antiretroviral (ARV) treatment are not receiving it consistently or even at all
  • Stigma of the disease— AIDS carries with it a harsh stigma, causing many to refuse to recognize it for the deadly disease that it is

Obstacles to prevention:

  • Cultural norms— many social norms stimulate the spread of AIDS, including objection to male circumcision, prevalence of male-dominated culture,  and the tendency of concurrent sexual partners
  • Misinformation & lack of education— myths are widely circulated, such as the belief that having sex with a virgin will cure a man of AIDS
  • No AIDS vaccine in sight— it will be many years until we even begin to see a cure

While there are differing opinions as to the main obstacle, ultimately we must focus on both prevention and treatment to be successful.  So where has the US contributed its funds?  Next time I will focus on some of our government’s efforts in Africa.

Exploring the Space Between a Rock and a Hard Place

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china-america gears
Photo from Global Markets

Over the course of the next few weeks, I will discuss US-China relations as they pertain to human rights and environmental issues AND how these issues affect interactions between China and the US as well as the implications for surrounding nations. 

 

To answer these questions, I will pull from the following resources:

 

  • a variety of online sources including American and Chinese news agencies 

 

  • Chinese history and culture, possibly including English-language blogs by Chinese authors

 

  • scholarly articles about US-China relations, US foreign policy and China’s treatment of human rights and environmental issues

 

  • interviews with faculty and students who have knowledge of US-China relations as well as current human rights and environmental issues

 

I look forward to sharing the answers I find!