Presidential Candidates on China

As I have heard both presidential candidates say some pretty uninformed things about China in the past, it is good to see that they have taken the opportunity to explain their thoughts and strategy regarding the world's most populous country. As has been reported by many different China related blogs, McCain and Obama have both written essays for the American Chamber of Commerce in China. It seems that both are sticking to relatively safe positions, but the essays are interesting nonetheless. The "China Rises" blog has posted both essays, along with a succinct summary of both candidates' China strategies put together by the Asia Foundation. Definitely worth checking out (here).

The writer of the blog, Tim Johnson, mentions that there may be some nostalgia for the presidencies of both Bush 41 and Bush 43 in China, as they are both considered "friends of China" (41 was de facto ambassador to China prior to the normalization of diplomatic relations). I would generally agree with his position, but add that when he mentions 'China', it should be thought of as the leadership in Beijing, not the country in general.

Addendum: From the China Law Blog, best summary of the essays so far:

"Anyway, I give you McCain and Obama, in their own words, on China, written for AmCham. The summary of both is that China has done great things (duh!), still has a ways to go (duh!), and the US should cooperate, except where it does not make sense to do so (duh!). Yada, yada, yada. One can hardly blame America for focusing more on Sarah Palin's glasses?"