Hope for a more constructive second Obama term – Shaun Rein

Relations between China and the US have not been as constructive as many hoped after Barack Obama’s election as US president four years ago. Business analyst Shaun Rein tells in CNN he hopes the second term will be better.

CNN:

“I think people here now hope Obama can become more constructive in his relationship with China,” said Shaun Rein, managing director of China Market Research Group in Shanghai. “There’s a feeling he’s been pandering to the electorate talking about China as a currency manipulator and the harsh trade rhetoric.

“The (Chinese) senior leaders we’ve spoken to are pretty disappointed by Obama in general. There was a lot of happiness with Obama when he was elected, but people now feel he hasn’t focused on China in the right way,” said Rein, as Obama has vowed to beef up the U.S. military presence in Asia and waded into territorial disputes in the East and South China Sea.

Regardless the leader, China needs the U.S. economy to prosper in order to keep export flowing and U.S. investment in China high — which are important ingredients Beijing needs as it attempts to boost Chinese wages and beef domestic spending, he said.

“There’s a fear here he really doesn’t know how to push the economy forward,” Rein said.

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Shaun Rein is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

On Thursday November 8 the China Weekly Hangout (10pm Beijing Time, 3pm CET, 10am EST) will focus on the future of nuclear power in China, what are the risks after Fukushima, and might a successful NIMBY protest be possible? Here you can register at our events page. Or see the announcement here.

On November 1 the China Weekly Hangout, also focused on the China-US relations with Greg Anderson and Janet Carmosky.