China Redux

Freedom House, the oft-cited NGO, just released its annual report on the state of freedom around the world in 2007.

China earned the undesired status of “Not Free”– a 7 for political rights (PR) and a 6 for civil liberties (CL) (where 1 represents the most free and 7 the least free). By way of comparison, India received a 2 for PR and 3 for CL; Singapore a 5 and 4; Russia a 6 and 5; and the US a 1 and 1. For more, view charts and graphs and an executive summary.

The Bush Administration has chosen not to push the democracy and human rights issues with China. 2006 was a particularly abysmal year on this front. Here is a prescient Washingon Post editorial in the run-up to President Hu’s April 2006 visit to Washington. The Post piece calls out the administration for its “exquisite sensitivity” to China on these matters and notes more than a little hypocrisy in the president’s special treatment shown to Hu.

From a strategic perspective, one has to ask: why would you risk so much in Egypt but play it safe with China? Well, Dr. Rice has since changed the tune on Egypt. Maybe 2007 will be the year of democracy push in China.

President Bush’s State of the Union made no mention of China’s anti-satellite test (prepared text).

In his only mention of China in the address, Bush recognized China for its efforts to reign in North Korea:

Together with our partners in China, Japan, Russia, and South Korea, we are pursuing intensive diplomacy to achieve a Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons. And we will continue to speak out for the cause of freedom in places like Cuba, Belarus, and Burma — and continue to awaken the conscience of the world to save the people of Darfur.

Chinese leaders appreciate this sort of recognition, and putting China first in line is a nice touch. Of course, the very next sentence makes reference to the “cause of freedom” in, among other places, Burma — the cause of more diplomatic wrangling with China last week.

At least it was a subtle juxtaposition.