International Law

Obama?s China Hands

By Stan

Thomas Crampton posted a list I have been waiting for: the China teams for the candidates. Here’s the Obama group:

Directly in charge of the Asia team is Amb. Jeff Bader, ex-State, NSC, USTR, also in charge of China, and administering the team via Mona Sutphen, of Stonebridge International, directly to the Campaign via Denis McDonough, a former Sen. Daschle expert on energy, the environment and trade.

China is run directly by Bader, with assistance from Richard Bush, ex-AIT now Brookings; Ken Lieberthal, former NSC; Mike Lampton, SAIS; Evan Medeiros, back at RAND again; Bob Kapp, former president of the US-China Business Council; Kevin Nealer, The Scowcroft Group; Bob Suettinger, former NSC and CIA now consultant.

General Asia, SE Asia, et al group, including economic and environmental issues: Catherine Dalpino, Bob Gelbard, Liz Economy, Jamie Metzel, and Bob Oxnam.

I’m neither a mover, a shaker, a rich dude, or an academic, so I don’t know these folks personally. One exception is Mike Lampton from SAIS, who was my advisor and professor while I was there. Aside from being a great teacher, Lampton is in no way an ideologue and always impressed me with his practical analysis of politics over here and his ability to see China from the local perspective. I also spent one fast summer at CSIS, so I know a couple of the other folks (by reputation) from that experience. Lieberthal, Suettinger, Economy, and Richard Bush I know from reading their stuff.

The only name that jumps out at me is Bob Kapp. I always kind of see the USCBC as more of an establishment body, and certainly one that would not take too kindly to some of the China trade bashing stuff that Obama was putting out earlier on in the primary campaign. That someone like Kapp is onboard in some capacity is a big thumbs up in my book, if only to even out some of the lingering protectionist sentiment that is lurking around in the campaign.

I reluctantly admit that I am not familiar with the McCain group. As these guys are not even listed according to geographic area, however, I have a feeling that this is not the same kind of China-intensive group that we have on the Obama side, but is more likely populated with Asia-focused national security folks. If true, that certainly tells you a lot about how the campaigns look at China and what they consider important. On the other hand, maybe McCain has a China group hiding out there somewhere we don’t yet know about.

It (almost) goes without mentioning that we are missing a good China law expert in these groups. Would it kill them to include somebody like Jerome Cohen?

(OK, no emails this time, I’m just kidding about the law expert.)

Full post as published by China Hearsay on June 23, 2008 (boomark / email).