Obama to reshape the world? Too soon to tell

• Source: The Global Times
• [23:20 April 28 2009]
• Comments

Editor's note:

US president Barack Obama was sworn into office with the theme of change. On the diplomatic front, he has taken an approach drastically different from the past administration, softening the US stance with old rivals, revising strategically sensitive initiatives, and engaging more actively with other powers. The Global Times invited six scholars from China and the US to review the first 100 days of Obama's presidency and what it spells for his future time in office.

Change remains to be seen

Jin: The essence of the "smart diplomacy" adopted by the Obama administration is a change in US posture to restore the country's soft power and international image. This includes listening to its allies, maintaining good relations with China and Russia, reaching out to the Muslim world, showing respect to long-neglected Latin America, and especially, extending an olive branch to countries hostile to the US: Iran, Syria, and Cuba.

Behind this changing posture lies the strategy that by showing more respect to other countries, the US can make them share some responsibilities traditionally shouldered by the US. The ultimate goal of the new direction in US foreign policy, however, is still to maintain the US as a global power, promote its values and ideologies, and protect its national security. Only the means to the end have changed.

Lieberthal: I believe, and many Americans believe, that the Bush presidency adopted policies and attitudes that were very different from American traditions and American best practices. Obama has very effectively and very rapidly moved to correct that, and so again is presenting the US as a country that is true to its values and is not a bully, but rather seeks to be a constructive partner in the international arena.

Hagt: Obama has changed the tone. This is not insignificant. He is off to a good start at least in tone and direction. However, in substance and real impact, his 100 days in office have been limited. Part of this is the domestic problems he is facing. The primary and massive tasks in regions such as the Middle East and Afghanistan will require the president's focused attention. That hasn't happened so far. One major international initiative was his bold statement on reducing nuclear arsenals with Russia. If successful, this move could be very consequential.

Shirk: Looking at the world as a whole, the Obama administration is anxious to rebuild America's credibility in the world, to engage in very active diplomacy, to listen to our allies, our friends and all other governments, and try to solve problems diplomatically. But in Asia, I would expect more constancy instead of big change, because during the Bush administration, especially the second term, the Asia policy was probably the least bad.