Obama says China should 'grow up'

[Princess Luna]

US President Barack Obama has pressed China to recognise it is now a "grown up" economy and start behaving more responsibly on currency and trade issues hurting US companies.

China needs "to understand that their role is different now than it might have been 20 years ago or 30 years ago when if they were breaking some rules it didn't really matter, it didn't have a significant impact," Obama said at the conclusion of the Asia-Pacific economic summit (APEC) in Hawaii on Sunday.
Obama said that China must abide by international rules before it can become a partner in free trade.
He added that China hadn't done enough to re-value its currency and Beijing's economic policies had disadvantaged the US.
'Level playing field'
Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao had face-to-face talks during the meeting of leaders from a group of 21 countries that account for more than half of world economic output.
"There has been slight improvement over the last year partly because of US pressure but it hasn't been enough. It is time for them to go ahead and move towards a market based system for their currency," Obama said.
Al Jazeera's Patty Culhane, reporting from Honolulu, said Obama was "a little bit more blunt" when talking about China.
"Every step of the way [Obama was] trying to tie his business here [in the US] and overseas to creating jobs."
The US and China spar often on trade issues, with the US Senate recently passing legislation to encourage Beijing to let its currency, known as the yuan and the renminbi, rise more rapidly in value.
Obama added that he had consistently told Hu and other Chinese leaders that American companies were not afraid of competition, as long as there was a level playing field.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2011/11/201111144430818116.htm
I am now firmly convinced the US government is made up of people with the mentality of 5 year old's, I heavlly suspected it before but watching it's relations with Iran and China recently is almost verbatim to watching 5 year old's play with plastic army figures

[Smyg]

"Grow up!" said the 18th century colony to the millenia old empire.

[Os Cangaceiros]

Well, to be fair, China did direct most of Europe to stop lying around on beaches, and how dare they retire at the age of 55.

The world leaders should all just post mean messages on each other's Facebook walls.

[Le Socialiste]

Ah yes, a level playing field. Something the U.S. has always prided itself on, both in theory and in practice. Unless it comes to war, then screw your level playing field.

[Jimmie Higgins]

"Grow up!" said the 18th century colony to the millenia old empire.

Well, America is the older industrial and imperial power and China is the emerging one. It's like turn of the (20th) century UK telling Germany to play fair.

But this exchange does expose the real nature of international law: rules drafted by the economic hegemon in order to try and make sure that all challengers have to play by the pre-existing rules that favor the status-quo bourgeois balance of power. It has nothing to do with protecting people from horrible labor conditions or protecting the environment and everything to do with protecting the positions of the powerful.

[ZeroNowhere]

'Gosh, China, your fiscal policy is so immature.'

[ВАЛТЕР]

Oh I thought capitalism was about competition by any means necessary? However, now that the US is in a crappy position it starts crying about it and wanting for China to play fair. Forgetting how the US attempts to steamroll every other economy by any means necessary. Now we hear them crying "fair play".

Well that just proves Obama is a SOCIALIST!!1! He wants to control the market by making it level for everybody!11!!

[Ocean Seal]

Wait, did he just say that the companies which viciously exploit workers in China should make more profit off what they are doing? Yes, China should become even less protectionist and more neo-liberal. That way the US can turn it into a better colony, like India, SE Asia, Latin America and Africa.

[SocialistTommy]

hahahaha 'grow up' Obama does know China is going to be a bigger superpower than the US right ?

[Marxaveli]

Sorry Obama, but it is America that needs to grow up. We're a nation of idiots, shallow egotists, greedy capitalists, racist/xenophobic/gay hating anti-intellectuals, creationism loving morons that have this false idea that America is somehow superior to everyone else. Well, if we are so much better, how come a little poor country like Cuba that has an embargo on it can provide free education and healthcare for its citizens, and we cannot? Epic fail.

[Princess Luna]

I just noticed Al Jazeera has changed the title of the article from Obama says China should 'grow up' to Obama: China must play fair on trade

[Obs]

Sorry Obama, but it is America that needs to grow up. We're a nation of idiots, shallow egotists, greedy capitalists, racist/xenophobic/gay hating anti-intellectuals, creationism loving morons that have this false idea that America is somehow superior to everyone else. Well, if we are so much better, how come a little poor country like Cuba that has an embargo on it can provide free education and healthcare for its citizens, and we cannot? Epic fail.

You're not talking in terms of class son

[Comrade Funk]

hahahaha 'grow up' Obama does know China is going to be a bigger superpower than the US right ?

Not necessarily. China has outdated military tech and they have a huge economic bubble.