Obama's first China visit won't shake the world

• Source: Global Times
• [23:23 November 04 2009]
• Comments

US political opinion was further inflamed by Obama's unexpected Nobel Peace Prize, and they now look for achievements to match.

For the US public, Obama's visit is mostly symbolic. Its primary purpose is protecting US interests in Asia, for which, given China's growing global infl uence, he needs to cooperate with his hosts.

Ethnic Chinese businessmen, often personally a. ected by Sino-US trade friction, have become used to the "pillow fi ghts" in trade relations between the two countries – conflicts that, however serious they might look at first, are ultimately soft-edged.

Especially after the US public opinion was put on fi re by the Nobel Peace Price Obama received, the public looked for Obama's "political achievements" with wide eyes.

To bring this one step further, during Obama's first visit to Asia and his attendance in at the APEC summit meeting, the protection of US interests in Asia ought to be one of the key issues of his Asian policy.

In other words, cooperation between the US and Asian countries can be promoted through mutual self-interest.

Given China's growing global infl uence, especially within its own region in Asia, the US naturally hopes to strengthen its cooperation with China to safeguard its own interests, but will not make substantial improvements in its relationship with China.

China ought to treat Obama's visit with detachment, but his visit is warmly welcomed.

More interaction between the leaders of the two countries is needed to realize mutual trust, which will create opportunities for changing a symbolic visit into a substantial one.

The author is a US-based journalist