by Michael Ledeen
Nothing of the sort took place during Trump's presidency.
The general consensus is that the top two Biden Administration
officials -- Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security
Adviser Jake Sullivan -- were outperformed in Alaska last week by their
Chinese equivalents. The first, and so far as we know the most dramatic,
example of Chinese showmanship came from Jang Jiechi, Beijing's top
foreign-policy official. Talking for nearly half an hour instead of the
customary two minutes, Jang lambasted the Biden Administration's human
rights policy, and went on with a systematic demolition of its foreign
policy "rules."
Nothing of the sort took place during Trump's presidency. The
Chinese adhered to the prearranged rules, including the time limits on
individual contributions. Nor did Beijing's representatives ridicule the
American positions, as they did last Thursday and Friday.
One is hard-pressed to explain President Biden's statement after the
Thursday session that he was "proud" of the performance of Secretary of
State Blinken, when most of the coverage gave a very different picture.
If you read the press coverage from the rest of the world, you will get
a clear picture of Chinese hegemony, whether in the debate or in the
maneuvers between the two superpowers.
To take just one example: the military press headlined the Chinese
"humiliation" of the Americans, and focused at considerable length on
Zang's diatribe at the outset of the talks. And to add insult to injury,
Beijing introduced a new requirement: that would-be travelers to the
People's Republic be vaccinated with a drug of Chinese manufacture.
In other words, the Chinese ran rings around the Americans, and let
it be known that China, not the United States, would set the agenda of
talks between the two superpowers. The historic role of Washington had
thus been reversed, and the Americans would have to defend their record
against Beijing's criticisms.
The most shocking thing about the sessions was the failure of
American preparation for the Chinese assault. The top two
representatives from Washington sat mutely by as the Chinese humiliation
dragged on. The U.S. response came a day later and was at a far lower
level than Beijing's opening critique of Biden's foreign policy.
Better luck next time.
Michael Ledeen
Source: https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2021/03/china-humialtes-bidens-team-alaska-michael-ledeen/
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