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Clinton stresses US leadership in world affairs
By Cai Hong (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-07-17 09:28 WASHINGTON: No one uses the term "leader of the free world" any more except in an ironic sense. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called her country "a world leader" when delivering what the US administration billed as a major foreign policy address at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington DC on Wednesday.
Echoing US President Barack Obama in his inauguration speech in January, Clinton stressed American leadership in world affairs. "We have the chance, and a profound responsibility, to exercise American leadership to solve problems in concert with others. That is the heart of America's mission in the world today," she said in a speech one administration official described as "muscular". Reiterating many of the administration's foreign policy goals, Clinton outlined such priorities as commitment to nuclear non-proliferation and supporting human rights around the world. Clinton claimed that some countries still seek to undermine US efforts as they don't share its values and interests.
"To these foes and would-be foes, let me say: You should know that our focus on diplomacy and development is not an alternative to our national security arsenal," she said. "You should never see America's willingness to talk as a sign of weakness to be exploited. We will not hesitate to defend our friends and ourselves vigorously when necessary with the world's strongest military." This is hardly controversial, at least in the US. Clinton may need to reassure domestic critics, but her words sound quite different elsewhere. To those countries with which the US says it wants to engage, these words sound like a threat. It suggests that if the US does not get its way during talks it reserves the right to use "the world's strongest military" to crush them. Clinton complained that the rest of the world gets the US wrong. "Others simply don't trust us to lead; they view America as an unaccountable power, too quick to impose its will at the expense of their interests and our principles. But they are wrong."
The US is criticized for coercing other nations with its superior power (15 of 19 nations), failing to abide by international law (17 of 19 nations), and for how it is dealing with climate change (11 of 18 nations). Overall, views are mixed on whether the US is playing a mainly positive or mainly negative role in the world. In all nations polled, the majorities say that the US "use(s) the threat of military force to gain advantages". Majorities range from 61 percent in India and Poland to 92 percent in South Korea and 83 percent in Britain. On average, across all nations polled, 77 percent perceive the US as threatening. Even 71 percent of Americans agree. WorldPublicOpinion.org conducted the poll of 19,923 respondents in 20 nations that comprise 62 percent of the world's population. It is a collaborative project involving research centers from around the world. The author is China Daily's Washington correspondent
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