The U.S vs. China: Superpowers in a Head Butting Match

The friendship between the United States and China has continued to weaken amidst president Barack Obama’s confirmation that he will meet with the Dalai Lama, the highest spiritual and political authority in Tibet.

China does not look upon the meeting with ecstatic eyes because it has received criticism over human rights issues related to its takeover of the small Asian country. No doubt that in China's mind, a meeting between the U.S. and Tibet’s leader may signify U.S. solidarity with the country.

China views the Dalai Lama as problematic, and has lobbied against the meeting. China is especially disappointed after Obama gained support from China last year.

Recently, however, relations between the U.S. and China, which may become the next global leader, have taken a downturn as trade differences and political differences have started to break the bond. For the U.S., Obama has pushed China to open up to more U.S. goods, and to evaluate its currency effectively to curb inappropriate inflation and deflation on imported and exported products to and from China. China has also been stiff on sanctioning Iran, whom the U.N has already sanctioned in the name of security. Yang Jiechi, the Chinese Foreign Minister, says of the U.S, Britain, and others bringing up the issue “to talk about sanctions against Iran at present was counterproductive,” a cold statement in an increasingly unstable world.

The future is rocky as China gains power and the U.S. continues to outsource and weaken itself, but to paraphrase Jean-Paul Sartre, no decision can be bad because the decisions made are the ones we must live with.