The United States is engaged in too many wars at the same time and is convincing too many other nation states that it cannot achieve the ends it sets out for itself.
(Former Foreign Minister of China Li Zhaoxing and Washington Note blogger Steve Clemons; photo credit: Peter Pi) The above picture was taken in Beijing with Li Zhaoxing, who served as former Ambassador of China to the US and then served as China’s Foreign Minister.
(Washington Note publisher Steve Clemons with State Council Information Office Vice Minister Qian Xiaoquian) As of the end of 2008, China claimed 298 million “netizens” — or regular users of the internet. At that same benchmark in time, China had 162 million blog sites and 117 million mobile internet users.
This is just a brief note checking in from China. I am currently in Beijing and heading to Wuxi City today. The above picture was taken with some fantastic Mongolian Chinese singers and performers at a restaurant I loved.
Well, I’m in Beijing — and Deborah Cameron‘s big morning radio show is in Sydney and can be listened to here on Wednesday morning’s Asia time — or Tuesday evenings back where I usually am in Washington.
Helene Cooper’s scoop that former US Ambassador to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad is working to arrange a deal with Afghan President Hamid Karzai to serve as “CEO” of Afghanistan is fascinating — but also troubling.
I found this clip by Stephen Walt interesting in which he notes the New America Foundation as one of the few islands in the policy establishment that believes we need a more restrained approach to America’s foreign policy commitments.
In the last week and a half, we spent time in the Gulf region, speaking at a conference in Doha, Qatar and then a few days ago spoke about global economic issues in Berlin. So that checks off the Gulf and Germany in the roster of leading surplus accounts in the international economy.
Recently at a Congressional Quarterly breakfast, Political Wire blogger Taegan Goddard said that Barack Obama excels at keeping his political opposition wobbly and off balance. Goddard is right – and Barack Obama has just pulled off another blow to the Republican party’s steadiness. Obama has just chosen Jon Huntsman Jr.
Don’t expect seriousness in this post. I was just chuckling when I got an email moments ago from the Council on Foreign Relations announcing the shortlist for the 2009 Arthur Ross Book Award.
