China's Charm Offensive, October, 1, 2006

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In The Media

China's Charm Offensive, October, 1, 2006

Hu Jintao’s recent visit to Australia was in stark contrast to President Bush’s visit, just a few days earlier. Where Bush was greeted with protests in a country which has been a staunch U.S. ally, Hu toured Australia like a hero. Josh Kurlantzick explains the difference in an article in Commentary.

By Josh Kurlantzick

Published on Oct 1, 2006

Source: Commentary

In October 2003, George W. Bush arrived for his first visit to Australia, a country that for a half-century has been one of America's closest allies. Australian soldiers fought alongside Americans in the jungles of the Pacific theater in World War II and on the front lines in Korea and Vietnam. During the long decades of the cold war, Washington relied on Australia as an outpost of freedom in a region threatened by Communism. Today, in Iraq, Australian soldiers again serve at the side of the American military. To top it off, President Bush enjoys warm personal relations with Prime Minister John Howard.

But on his visit three years ago, the President was in for an unpleasant surprise. Thousands of protesters filled the streets in Sydney and Canberra, scuffling with police and staging mock trials of the American president. Inside the Australian parliament, Bush's remarks were interrupted by heckling senators, who had to be escorted from the chamber. His speech done, he was met outside by another chorus of booing critics.

The tumult surrounding Bush's visit was especially notable because, just days later, Australia would offer a vastly different welcome to another president--Hu Jintao of China. Hu toured Australia like a hero. Few protested China's human-rights record. In parliament, no one disturbed his windy paean to the future of Australia-China ties. Foreign Minister Alexander Downer spoke words of fulsome praise. Before Hu left, the two nations had signed a framework for a future free-trade deal.

This article was originally published in Commentary, October 2006. To see the full article, please click here.

About the Author

Josh Kurlantzick

Former Visiting Scholar, China Program

A special correspondent for The New Republic, a columnist for Time, and a senior correspondent for The American Prospect, Kurlantzick assesses China’s relationship with the developing world, including Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Recent Work

In The Media
Fighting Terrorism With Terrorists
- Josh Kurlantzick
Other
Beijing’s Safari: China’s Move into Africa and Its Implications for Aid, Development, and Governance
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Military Foreign Policy China Central Asia

Carnegie India does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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China's Charm Offensive, October, 1, 2006

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