Comments on: Jim McGregor Gives Obama’s China Team Thumbs-up http://www.chinahearsay.com/jim-mcgregor-gives-obamas-china-team-thumbs-up/ China law, business and economics commentary Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:55:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: China Expert http://www.chinahearsay.com/jim-mcgregor-gives-obamas-china-team-thumbs-up/comment-page-1/#comment-71007 China Expert Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:23:43 +0000 http://www.chinahearsay.com/?p=2258#comment-71007 Yuck, I hate the words "China experts", especially when attributed to non-Asian people. Why are there so few Asian "China experts" in the USA? I think it's a matter of the white policy makers not seeing their boogers from their noses. And I hate the word "expert" attributed to anything. Chinese universities designate foreigners as "experts", and that usully goes too far, but for us to fall prey to the continued mis-associations fo naming people experts when they perhaps just get their head out from the ground more often than other experts is BALONEY. Too often we confuse people who write a lot on China with being Chinese experts. Do not confuse the ability to write prose with the ability to understand China. Walking softly (and "carrying a big stick") I think is the true merit of a true Sinophile.... oh dear, but now I too am pigeonholing people into designations based on arbitrary criteria.... Yuck, I hate the words “China experts”, especially when attributed to non-Asian people. Why are there so few Asian “China experts” in the USA? I think it’s a matter of the white policy makers not seeing their boogers from their noses.

And I hate the word “expert” attributed to anything. Chinese universities designate foreigners as “experts”, and that usully goes too far, but for us to fall prey to the continued mis-associations fo naming people experts when they perhaps just get their head out from the ground more often than other experts is BALONEY.

Too often we confuse people who write a lot on China with being Chinese experts. Do not confuse the ability to write prose with the ability to understand China. Walking softly (and “carrying a big stick”) I think is the true merit of a true Sinophile….

oh dear, but now I too am pigeonholing people into designations based on arbitrary criteria….

]]> By: Dan http://www.chinahearsay.com/jim-mcgregor-gives-obamas-china-team-thumbs-up/comment-page-1/#comment-70978 Dan Sun, 19 Apr 2009 06:07:33 +0000 http://www.chinahearsay.com/?p=2258#comment-70978 I "know" Leach from my Iowa days. He tends to be "pragmatic, sober, and very cogent" on just about everything.... I “know” Leach from my Iowa days. He tends to be “pragmatic, sober, and very cogent” on just about everything….

]]> By: Michael Turton http://www.chinahearsay.com/jim-mcgregor-gives-obamas-china-team-thumbs-up/comment-page-1/#comment-70972 Michael Turton Sun, 19 Apr 2009 00:14:00 +0000 http://www.chinahearsay.com/?p=2258#comment-70972 Of course Obama's China team is "pragmatic." Many of them are involved in businesses that do business with China -- Mona Sutphen, Deputy WH chief of staff, Ken Liberthal, Jeff Bader, Sandy Berger and other Dem stalwarts are all involved with Stonebridge, which does a brisk consulting business with corporations that want to invest there. That was also true of ill-fated NIC appointee Charles Freeman, a sinophile with a long history of business ties to Beijing. Just last month CSIS, the establishment thinktank that does quite a bit on Asia, released a report calling for "pragmatic" China policies, etc. I don't have to tell you that it was written by <a href="http://michaelturton.blogspot.com/2009/03/csis-report-us-and-china-should-be-even.html" rel="nofollow">two people who are CEOs of firms that do a roaring China business</a>. Our China policy is owned by China. Ken Silverstein at Harper's in August of last year had a great piece on how on both sides of the aisle, the people who make our China policy are all doing business with China. I uploaded a copy to my website: http://www.michaelturton.com/mandarins.pdf My experience is that analysts who are not knee-deep in the China business are more realistic about China. And I haven't even gotten to the problem of the disease of sinophilia, which is rampant among our China experts..... And yes, Jim Leach would make an excellent choice for Ambassador! Michael Turton Of course Obama’s China team is “pragmatic.” Many of them are involved in businesses that do business with China — Mona Sutphen, Deputy WH chief of staff, Ken Liberthal, Jeff Bader, Sandy Berger and other Dem stalwarts are all involved with Stonebridge, which does a brisk consulting business with corporations that want to invest there. That was also true of ill-fated NIC appointee Charles Freeman, a sinophile with a long history of business ties to Beijing. Just last month CSIS, the establishment thinktank that does quite a bit on Asia, released a report calling for “pragmatic” China policies, etc. I don’t have to tell you that it was written by two people who are CEOs of firms that do a roaring China business. Our China policy is owned by China.

Ken Silverstein at Harper’s in August of last year had a great piece on how on both sides of the aisle, the people who make our China policy are all doing business with China. I uploaded a copy to my website:

http://www.michaelturton.com/mandarins.pdf

My experience is that analysts who are not knee-deep in the China business are more realistic about China. And I haven’t even gotten to the problem of the disease of sinophilia, which is rampant among our China experts…..

And yes, Jim Leach would make an excellent choice for Ambassador!

Michael Turton

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