<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody> <tr> <td rowspan="4" class="msgleft" width="1%"> <br /></td> <td class="wintiny" align="right" nowrap="nowrap"><a href="http://forums.delphiforums.com/3in1kopitiam/messages?msg=7758.1" target="_top" title="Right-click to bookmark 3in1KOPITIAM #7758.1">7758.1</a> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="8"> <br /></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="msgtxt"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td> <div class="top_headline"><strong>Clinton to China: Please keep buying US Treasury bonds </strong> </div></td> </tr> <tr> <td><!-- headline one : end --> <br /></td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>She also visits church and talks to activists in gesture on human rights </strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td><!-- Author --> <br /></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colspan="2"><strong>By Peh Shing Huei, China Bureau Chief</strong> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><!-- show image if available --> <br /></td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom"> <td width="330"> <div> <img src="http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20090222/pehclinton23.jpg" width="330" /> </div></td> <td width="10"> <img src="http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/common/c.gif" width="10" /> </td> <td valign="bottom"> <div> <img src="http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/common/c.gif" height="8" width="1" /> </div> <div class="caption">PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE </div></td> </tr></tbody> </table> <!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--> <div class="story_text"><!-- more than 4 paragraphs --> </div> <div class="story_text"> </div> <div class="story_text">BEIJING: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered a quiet nod to human rights issues yesterday, but there was no mistaking her key message to China as she wrapped up a week-long trip in Asia: Please continue to buy US Treasuries. </div> She further tied the US and China closer than ever by saying that both countries will 'rise and fall' together in this financial crisis. On her last day here, she urged China to continue to invest in US Treasury bonds, saying that this would boost the American economy and, in return, stimulate the import of Chinese goods. 'I certainly do think that the Chinese government and central bank are making a smart decision by continuing to invest in Treasury bonds,' she said during an interview with a Shanghai TV station. 'It's a safe investment. The United States has a well-deserved financial reputation.' China, with foreign exchange reserves of nearly US$2 trillion (S$3 trillion), is already the world's largest holder of US government debt. It has nearly US$700 billion worth of securities, according to official US data. But despite reiterating the importance of Sino-US cooperation to rescue the global economy, Mrs Clinton made gestures yesterday to show her interest in political and religious freedom in China and did so without offending her Chinese hosts. She went to a state-sanctioned church in the morning amid tight security, and sat through an hour-long service conducted in Mandarin. Churchgoers told local media that apart from the tightened security, the service followed the usual programme and Mrs Clinton kept a low profile. China has about 40 million active Christians, with about half attending underground churches and the rest going to state-approved ones whose clergy have been vetted by the government. The authorities keep a close watch on unofficial churches. A house church in central Henan province was raided two Saturdays ago and two South Korean pastors were expelled for 'engaging in illegal religious activities'. Although Mrs Clinton noted that Tibetans deserve 'religious freedom' in her speech in New York before leaving for Asia, there was no further mention of this once she arrived in China. But before returning to Washington yesterday after a trip that has also included visits to Tokyo, Jakarta and Seoul, she met women's rights activists at the American Embassy here. 'Every society has challenges and problems and issues and obstacles and it's important that people like all of you continue to raise those and speak out,' she told them. It is the most she has offered on human rights here, keeping her word not to let the issue cloud other more critical matters - in particular, the economy. She made it clear that the US has to incur more debt to get its economy back in shape. 'It would not be in China's interest if we were unable to get our economy moving,' she said. 'So by continuing to support American Treasury instruments, the Chinese are recognising our interconnection. We are truly going to rise or fall together. We are in the same boat and, thankfully, we are rowing in the same direction. 'Our economies are so intertwined, the Chinese know that to start exporting again to their biggest market, namely the United States, the United States has to take some very drastic measures with this stimulus package, which means we have to incur more debt.' Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi indicated on Saturday that China would not change its US Treasury policies drastically, but did not commit to a position. But seeing how Mrs Clinton has charmed the Chinese leaders during her three-day visit here, it would not be a surprise if she had convinced more of them to stay with the American T-bills. When State Councillor Dai Bingguo greeted her on Saturday, he remarked: 'You look younger and more beautiful than you look on TV.' <p class="story_text">Mrs Clinton blushed, made a gesture of thanks, and said: 'Well, we will get along very well.' </p> <div class="sig"> <p><a href="mailto:kojakbt@gmail.com">kojakbt@gmail.com</a> </p> </div></td> </tr></tbody> </table>
The fact that we send our Secretary of State to China and she begs them to lend us money you know the jig is up. I have a hard time believing they aren't putting in sell orders this second.
pathetic what we're reduced to. we're trying to get them to buy hummer from GM too. makes one wonder whether she had to drop down and give Hu Jintao one in exchange for our laundry list of begs. i'm sure both Hu and Clinton were thinking, where's Monica Lewinsky when you need her...