Still4Hill

Hillary introduces this chapter with a good deal of background from her previous visits to China and the influence they had on her first visit there as secretary of state.  She speaks of reunions with old friends that were not public and therefore not covered by press or the State Department.

It is clear that this maiden voyage in her new capacity was freighted, and she explains both her priorities and the degree to which some (political, environmental,  and commercial issues) were given publicity and others (human rights issues) were not but emphasizes that human rights did not take a back seat.

She mentions discussing religious freedom and the related issues of Tibet and Taiwan in meetings with high officials but does not remind us that she took the trouble to attend church services.  We at the now-defunct Hillary’s Village Forum knew and shared that information, but I never blogged it here.

She also participated in an online chat and a TV interview on this visit, although she does not specifically mention them.  Part of her outreach to civil society to be sure.

Hillary Clinton’s Online Chat in China

February 22, 2009 by still4hill

Hillary Clinton’s Dragon TV Interview in China

February 22, 2009 by still4hill |

The highest profile meeting detailed by the State Department at the time was her bilateral with then Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.

Hillary Clinton with Chinese FM Yang Jiechi

February 21, 2009 by still4hill |

It was during this meeting that she became aware of the upcoming Shanghai Expo about which it appeared no one in the U.S. was doing anything.  So Hillary shouldered the responsibility to get a U.S. pavilion up and running in time for the opening in May 2010.

Video: Secretary Clinton Meeting With Student Ambassadors At The Shanghai Expo

May 27, 2010 by still4hill |

Secretary Clinton’s Remarks At USA Pavilion Gala Dinner

May 22, 2010 by still4hill |

Secretary Clinton Meets and Greets USA Pavilion Student Ambassadors and Employees

May 22, 2010 by still4hill |

Photos: Hillary Clinton at the Shanghai Expo

May 22, 2010 by still4hill |

The most important item on her agenda with China was formulating a way to navigate through the ‘uncharted waters’ of the U.S.-China relationship.   She and other cabinet officials, specifically Timothy Geithner  being a high-profile proponent, were determined to initiate a U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue realized in May 2010.

Secretary Clinton’s Address at the Strategic and Economic Dialogue Opening Session

May 24, 2010 by still4hill |

Secretary Clinton’s Remarks at the Strategic and Economic Dialogue Opening Session

May 24, 2010 by still4hill

Among all of the issues involving Asia, the most enormous elephant in the room swinging its massive trunk on the sidelines of every official meeting was the issue of ‘dominion,’ if it can be called that, over the waters of the South and East China Seas.   These waters are vital to shipping routes, but also flow over precious mineral resources such as semi-conductors that are indispensable in the hardware that organizes our online lives now from communications through paperless bill-paying.  The Chinese made it clear that their claims to these waters were non-negotiable.  Hillary thought that if enough of China’s smaller neighbors were to coalesce around the issue of access the giant might blink.

She cites the July 2010 ASEAN Ministerial Meetings in Hanoi as the tipping point at which a coalition of south Asian countries became strong  enough to press giant China on these seafaring issues.*  Her instincts and predictions on this were spot-on.

Secretary Clinton’s Remarks at the ASEAN-U.S. Ministerial Meeting

July 22, 2010 by still4hill |

Slideshow: Hillary Clinton ASEAN Hanoi Day Two

July 23, 2010 by still4hill |

She closes out this Asia chapter with her return from the Hanoi ASEAN with only a week left to finalize preparations for Chelsea’s wedding.

MOTB Hillary Clinton in New York

July 28, 2010 by still4hill |

Slideshow: Hillary and Bill @ Beekman Arms

July 31, 2010 by still4hill |

Here Comes the Bride!

July 31, 2010 by still4hill |

And so ends chapter 4 with a lot of hope for the future.

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Endnote

*I still contend that if the Senate, at any point, had ratified the Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST – see the sidebar on the right) her job from here through her last Asia trip in 2012 would not have been so demanding.  The island-hopping and bilaterals and trilaterals that took place in summer of 2012 might not have been so intense and crucial.  You might remember her being given access that was not easy to come by to watch WJC address the Democratic National Convention in September of that year.  All of that traveling among those islands was over maritime rights in the South and East China Seas.  A LOST ratification might have obviated much of that shuttle diplomacy.  But that’s just me.  Just sayin’.  Anyway, it’s water under all the bridges.

How the Tea Party Harpooned Hillary Clinton’s Asia Mission

September 5, 2012 by still4hill |

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Hillary Clinton’s ‘Hard Choices’ Retrospective: Introduction

Access other chapters of this retrospective here >>>>

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