China sees 2,500 US troops in Austraila threat

Obama's trip to Hawaii and to South East Asia stresses his call to entice at least five (5) countries in this region to buy American goods and foster increased trade with the United States. The countries of Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Indonesia consider themselves Chinese allies, yet they feel dwarfed as China casts a big shadow with its open economic policies and Communist government. Thus, these aforementioned countries turn to the United States for two main reasons: protection against China's Communist government, and to bolster trade with lower labor costs than China. Burma (Myanmar) Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Cambodia, all share a border with China, with their bouts of Communism and, in a few countries, monarchial rule, they prefer to partner with the United States because of its democratic government.

The country of Burma is nestled between the Indian sub-contintent and China. Aung San Suu Kyi is Burma's first democratic leader since the 1962 coup brought Burma's government to military rule. China is watching this historic meeting between the US and Aung San Suu Kyi as yet another attempt from the United States to curtail Chinese power. While under house arrest for 15 years, Aung San Suu Kyi listened to the BBC for six hours per day. She was allowed foreign visitors and has lived in London prior to her house arrest, so she has been influenced by western ideals of democracy. Secretary of State Clinton aims to build trade and address human rights issues in Suu Kyi's Burma, which stemmed from decades of unrest.

Despite China's economic rise and subsequent prosperity, even a few of the most classified military secrets have managed to "leak out". An internal briefing revealed six cases regarding Chinese officials who spied for Britain and the United States. Youku.com and Tudou.com leaked clips of Major General Jim Yinan of the People's Liberation Army sensational disclosures before being removed by government censors.
In today's digital age, circumventing firewalls and government sponsored Internet controls is much harder than preventing defectors from crossing Checkpoint Charlie at the Berlin Wall during the Cold War era.
The Internet has too many loopholes and subversive means by which people can escape the confines of government censorship to reveal highly sensitive data.
China's control over its Internet will be an ongoing battle.

Obama's challenges are seemingly insurmountable. China's mercantilism and Iran's militarism will exhaust the wit and will of his advisors as they develop effective foreign policies and strategies for both. Iran's nuclear program is a problem that is shared by many countries and the 2009 US negotiations with Iran on this matter is still in limbo, as there appears to be growing evidence that Iran is working on a nuclear weapon. A multi-national resolution via the UN or NATO may provide some respite for Obama.

More importantly, China's economic growth and America's continuing recession have approached a bit of an impasse as the US extends an "economic/protectorate hand" to Laos, Burma, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia whose countries share a border with China. Economic agreements/cooperation with these Southeastern nations, provides cheap labor for US manufacturers in order to compete with China's lower labor costs.

Recently, labor costs in China have increased to the point where there is much less profit for overseas companies to have products "made in China". Quality control issues have overwhelmed many Chinese manufacturers who have grown too big to manage how products are made. These issues have sent Western countries looking for other countries where there is more profit.

In addition to lower profits for foreign companies, and poor quality control, Americans are concerned that China is syphoning jobs from the unemployed as it manipulates its currency to promote exports.

Our membership in the World Trade Organization prevents the US from assessing tariffs on Chinese products, but there may be a "window of opportunity" in the intellectural-property area. American companies who vie for a piece of the 1 billion consumer market that is China, must relinquish their trade secrets. General Electric did this in order to sell jet engines to China. Most American companies reluctantly agree to this unfair exchange, as China is well-known for "knock-offs" and "copyright infringement" of DVDs.

A White House official stated in the Times November 21, 2011 issue, "...a united front from American businesses, or building an international coalition may be used to pressure China into allowing US trade in China without having to divulge trade secrets."
edited by cwatson on 11/27/2011

China's economic inroads into the African continent may no longer be one-sided. There have been cultural exchanges as African students switch their focus from studying in Western and Eastern Europe (languages) to studying in China. Full scholarships are given to many Africans (by the Chinese government) to study Chinese, engineering and other subjects.

Two African countries are taking advantage of the Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd. promotion for Hong Kong as a listing venue for foreign companies.

Diamond miner Koidu Holdings IPO is expected to raise up to $400 million in Hong Kong; it will be the first African company to list in the territory according to the Ming Pao Daily.
Sierra Leone-based Koidu will be the first of two African owned companies to list in Hong Kong as South African coking coal and thermal coal miner LontohCoal Ltd comes in at a close second. It is unfortunate that the blood-diamond industry would be the first to stake its claim in the Hong Kong trading market, but it will pave the way for other less-controversial, African-owned companies to invest in Hong Kong trading.
edited by cwatson on 11/28/2011

re: Subject: Obama's next challenge after Bin Laden is China and Iran

We work hard and lower the cost, we are to be blamed..... I understand the argument here yet it takes more education then blaming to straighten things up.

On the Chinese side, we should sell the same thing we make for the US market to the Chinese citizens. I don't see things made in China sold for US being sold in China. People are willing to pay for high quality things.