Hillary Speaks Out on the Olympics, Darfur and Tibet [Update]
By SusanUnPC on April 7, 2008 at 3:59 PM in China, Foreign Policy, Hillary Clinton
| It’s no wonder that Hillary Clinton issued this press release today, given her longtime concern for the peoples of Darfur and Tibet, and her own courageous speech [LEFT VIDEO] at the 1995 Beijing Women’s Conference. (Full text and audio.)
Then there are her recent, major foreign policy speeches, some of which are excerpted below. |
UPDATE: “Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) was not sure what he would do when asked about the Olympics last week; LINK Clinton’s statement, issued Monday, may mean that Obama clarifies his views.” — From “Clinton calling on Bush to boycott China Olympic opening ceremony. What is Obama’s position?,” by columnist Lynn Sweet for the Chicago Sun-Times, April 7, 2008.
TODAY’S PRESS RELEASE:
Statement by Hillary Clinton on OlympicsThe violent clashes in Tibet and the failure of the Chinese government to use its full leverage with Sudan to stop the genocide in Darfur are opportunities for Presidential leadership. These events underscore why I believe the Bush administration has been wrong to downplay human rights in its policy towards China. At this time, and in light of recent events, I believe President Bush should not plan on attending the opening ceremonies in Beijing, absent major changes by the Chinese government. [Continued below.]
I encourage the Chinese to take advantage of this moment as an opportunity to live up to universal human aspirations of respect for human rights and unity, ideals that the Olympic games have come to represent.
Americans will stand strong in support of freedom of religious and political expression and human rights. Americans will also stand strong and root for the success of American athletes who have worked hard and earned the right to compete in the Olympic Games of 2008.
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After reading this press release, I did some digging to find Hillary Clinton’s previous statements on these urgent human rights matters. I remember well that this is not the first time she has spoken out so frankly, and with such clear evidence of intimate knowledge of the crises facing the world. Here is some of what I found:
From “Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Remarks on Foreign Policy at George Washington University,” February 25, 2008:
[RE WORLD EVENTS and RESPONSIVENESS] … Dramatic events during this past week have reminded us how volatile our world has become and how essential it is that we have sound strategy and strong leadership.
From Kosovo to Cuba, from Iraq to Pakistan, to our embassy being burned in Belgrade, these are some of the most challenging spots on our global map. The world is being transformed with enormous risks and possibilities that we must meet with confidence, optimism, resolution and success.
The next president will inherit all of these global challenges and more from a president who failed to handle them well. A war in Afghanistan and a war in Iraq. America’s reputation at an all-time low. Countries rushing to acquire nuclear weapons. Crushing poverty that stymies economic and political progress in too many regions of the world. Global warming and global health pandemics. Genocide in Darfur. A rise of borderless, stateless criminal cartels. And the continuing real threat of terrorism here at home and abroad.
But while these stark realities carry dangers, they also bring unprecedented opportunities if we act wisely, if we have the right kind of leadership. There isn’t any doubt in my mind that we will not only navigate through these uncharted difficult waters but emerge stronger than ever, reasserting both our leadership and our moral authority.
The vision I have for America is one that is rooted in those values. Values that have served us well but have been temporarily sidelined because of this administration’s approach to the world. …
[...]
[RE THE CHALLENGE THAT CHINA PRESENTS TO THE U.S.] Dealing with the rising power of China provides an example. I went to Beijing in 1995 and spoke out for women’s rights and human rights. The Chinese government wasn’t happy; they pulled the plug on the broadcast of my speech. But I took that as a compliment. Because it was important for the United States both to be represented and to make absolutely clear that human rights is an integral part of our foreign policy and that women’s rights is key to that. What we have learned is that where women are oppressed and denied their basic rights we are more likely to have regimes that are more adversarial to American interests and values.
Today, China is most obviously the world’s largest and one of its fastest growing economies. It’s become a global superpower that needs to be convinced to play by the rules in the global marketplace. Here again, the Bush administration has failed. One third of our trade deficit is with China and over the course of the last seven years Bush policies have has allowed the Chinese government to become our banker. Today, China’s steel comes here and our jobs go there. We play by the rules and they manipulate their currency. We get tainted fish and lead-laced toys and poisoned pet food in return. That will change when I am in the White House because I know we have got to take a consistent approach towards China.
I’ve co-sponsored legislation to compel the Administration to take aggressive steps to stop China from manipulating its currency, to make our goods look more expensive. I’m the original co-sponsor of the Foreign Debt Ceiling Act which really means that we would require any administration to begin reversing our trade deficit and start breaking our reliance on China for not only what they provide to us in terms of the way they buy our dollars and buy our debt but also to be held to higher standards for what they import into our market. …
(PHOTO ABOVE: From a photo gallery of the 1995 Beijing Women’s Conference.)
From Hillary’s speech, “NATIONAL SECURITY: Center for a New American Security,” June 2007:
… There are so many other challenges across the board from obviously the Middle East to Latin America, from the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the ongoing violence in Darfur.
The next president will face a rising China with growing economic, diplomatic and military power. China is using its power throughout the world in new ways that challenge our current thinking and policies. We should neither fear a stronger China nor ignore it. That means engagement and understanding, but also frank dialogue on issues ranging from trade to currency manipulation to human rights abuses and the environment.
I remember traveling to China in 1995 to represent the United States at the Fourth World Conference on Women. Shortly before the conference was to start, the Chinese government imprisoned a dissident – as some of you might remember – and many felt that we shouldn’t go in order to send a strong message of disapproval.
But I thought we should send another message. That’s why I did go and spoke out about the importance of human rights and particularly emphasizing the importance of women’s rights. I don’t think we lose by speaking out and engaging with those with whom we disagree, even in profound ways. …
There are far more speeches and statements from Hillary Clinton on these critical international matters. And, every time I read her words or hear her speak on these issues, I am more convinced than ever that she would make a great president.
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