Chen Comes to America

The great escape that began when Chen Guangcheng climbed barefoot over a garden wall has now ended in success. Chen arrived in the U.S. with his children Saturday night. While I stand by my criticisms of how our diplomats handled this affair at its beginning, in the end we did right by Chen. The Administration deserves full credit for that.

I would also direct your attention to Walter Russell Mead's piece on the President's Asian policy. I think that Mead is quite correct to praise it, especially in the case of Burma.

It was scarcely six months ago when the Administration, in a rare display of display of diplomatic finesse, announced a movement of troops and deepening of military ties with a group of nations from Australia to Vietnam to the Phillipines in the span of less than a week. This set the tone for American presence in the region from that point on, and although nothing as dramatic as that first week has occurred since, the tides have continued to run America's way. In the past year, we've seen the emergence of something less formal and less directed than an alliance but more organized and more focused than a supper club springing up around the Chinese perimeter. At Via Meadia we think of it as the entente, and it stretches from Korea to India around the Asian rim.

Less important globally but very important morally is the astonishing liberalization going on in Burma. Aung San Suu Kyi (pause for gassho) was not only freed from house arrest, but is free to go abroad. This is one of those small things that are really as big as anything else. The US State Department had a big hand in this. How all this will turn out is, of course, uncertain; however, right now it looks like very well played policy.

Comments

[Donald Pay]

My daughter has been telling me about some of the border issues/problems between Myanmar and China for 6 years. One issue is pretty similar to the Keystone XL pipeline here. Environemntalists and locals think its a disaster in the making. Another is buidling of a hydroelectric dam that many in Myanmar don't want. The electricity would go to China. There are problems with the rice for opium substitution program that seems to be enriching agribusiness and bankrupting farmers. The minority populations in northern Myanmar are under constant pressure by the Myanmar army as they have called off their ceasefire with the rebel forces, and there are periodic reports of refugees moving into Yunnan Province in China. There are the drug and sex trade and warlordism that seems to go with it. It's pretty much a mess, and something that could turn into a flashpoint.

[Ken Blanchard]

Thanks for the informative comment, Donald. It is interesting that the regime in Burma has turned away from China. Good thing, that. No?

[A.I.]

It's nice to see you acknowledge the State Department and President Obama did some things right. It seems all's well that ends well except the report I read regarding Chen's coming to America noted he was still ambivalent about leaving China as there is no guarantee he will be able to return.

[Ken Blanchard]

A.I.: I calls 'em like I sees 'em. I doubt that Chen will be allowed to return to China any time soon.