Why Ritual Matters: Bush disses Hu

    For Confucius, Ritual is the thoughtful and precise performance of personal and ethical commitment.  It is not enough to say that you care about a relationship, or that it is important to you, you must demonstrate that care and importance in your actions.  This is especially significant at those moments when the whole world is watching, during a formal ceremony where each action will be closely scrutinized and interpreted.  That is why brides and grooms are so nervous: they are anxiously aware that every move they make is being judged. 

     Granted, it is hard to perform well all the time, and it is even harder to live up to Confucian standards of ritual.  But if enough care is taken, commitment should be able to be expressed and displayed through action.

    That did not happen yesterday at the White House.  The US government, personified by President Bush, orchestrated what one Washington Post article termed, "a host of indignities."  The three main gaffes are already well-known: misidentifying the PRC national anthem as the anthem of the "Republic of China," the official name of Taiwan; the heckler who was able to shout criticisms at President Hu for about three full minutes; and, finally, the "grab," that generated this photo, which is circulating widely on the Chinese internet:







      Now, some may think that these are relatively small matters.  But, taken together, they are generating an image of the US as inept and disrespectful.  This is from the blog China Confidential, which bills itself as "no fans of Hu and his repressive regime:"

Beijing's bad behavior is no excuse for Washington's diplomatic incompetence.

That is how many people around the world--from sophisticated analysts to ordinary citizens--are certain to see Thursday's events in the capital of the United States, where a bumbling Bush administration appeared to go out of its way to ruin an important opportunity to improve relations between the world's most powerful nation and a rising rival representing more than a fifth of humanity.

    A word about the heckler.  We should not make her into a symbol of freedom of speech.  Freedom of speech was what was happening outside the White House gates, with many, many people of various political persuasions demonstrating against, and some demonstrating in support of, the current PRC government.  What happened at the White House was that a known political opponent of the PRC, a person who had similarly accosted Jiang Zemin in Malta in 2001, was given press credentials and shrewdly took advantage of the opportunity.  If the White House had looked into her background, they would have realized the very high likelihood that she would attempt something.  Generally, it is not diplomatic practice to invite a person from a group known for vociferous protest to a symbolically stage-managed event, unless doing so is precisely the symbolic message that is intended.

    What makes this incident particularly bad politically is that it was the responsibility of a Bush team that routinely excludes known Democrats or people wearing even modestly anti-Bush slogans from appearances by the President in the US.  They know how to carefully control an appearance, how to reduce the expression of political messages they do not want.  But they let the heckler slip through....

   I do not believe that this was intentional.  I can only report that the question of intentionality is now in play.  So, instead of talking about substantive issues, some portion of the China-interested world will be discussing just how badly Bush performed at his own ceremony for Hu and what it all means for Sino-US relations.  Getting the ritual wrong matters.

   All in all, the failure of ritual in this case is just another lost opportunity to salvage American "soft power."  How the US is perceived in the world matters politically.  Since the Iraq War in 2003, the perception of the US has plummeted.  Gratuitously embarrassing and symbolically disrespecting Hu Jintao does not help.  While we should freely criticize Chinese policies we disagree with, we must do so in a manner that does not undercut the persuasiveness of our critique.  That is what Bush did yesterday: he made it harder for people in Thailand and Indonesia and South Korea to take seriously the legitimate criticisms we might have toward the PRC government.

Comments

[casey kochmer]

I feel shame as an American at such blatant disrespect from Bush.

Not a wise policy, when China is funding so much of the american deficit I might add.

The consequences boggle the mind, and will unfold for many years from this visit. Whats worse most in America won't understand nor remember, nor even really know what happened...

Then of course this whole administration has been sur-real experience on how to destroy america. All China needs to do is patiently sit back as america dismantles its own power.

So flows the tides of life.

[Jeffrey]

The shame should be directed against a dictator pissing american soil, not against protocol problem. Save your energies for better causes.

[Casey Kochmer]

Jeffrey I agree that China is a corrupt and dangerous government
with no respect towards its own people. A government comparable to Nazi Germany in many aspects, and a government I in no way support. As such on the surface you might say, China deserves no respect in return. However, lets look to the results of these actions.

By blatantly referring to China symbolically as Taiwan. Such a show of disrespect tells the leadership of China, the United States will never respect or openly works towards a solution of what China (wrongly in my view) feels is a break away province. The China-Taiwan dilemma has been made worse now because of this simple minor show of disrespect. Expect that China will take a even harder more detrimental driven approach towards Taiwan. It's not hard to follow the results to see many lives will be affected by such a simple "mistake" or sign of disrespect.

In watching China American relations for 30 years, I am no expert, merely a spectator, however, this particular show was one of the worse gaffes I can remember and will effect politics for a decade to come.

I feel shame , as Mr Bush has acted like the "ugly American" and continues to do so worse and worse for over 6 years around the world. In time no matter how well we do act, the world will treat us only as the "ugly American".

No you are right China deserves no respect. But our actions should be based with respect if only so we can respect ourselves when looking in the mirror. Our actions do reflect who we are, I prefer not to be the baboon.

In the end the United States will be treated with the same resepct that we have so bountifully have given out these past 6 years. It's the harvest of this administration has planted for our children to collect upon.

[Jeffrey]

Casey, we agree on China, not on Bush but this is another issue.
I understand your point of view but I think you exaggerate the possible consequences. What I meant is that there are substantial problems (the nature of chinese regime) whose magnitude doesn't depend on protocol mistakes. The PRC attitude against Taiwan is not going to change according to the respect we pay to its anthem.

[Casey Kochmer]

agreed also : possible consequences in the long term is anyone's guess. the future is all about belief is it not? So in the belief department it would be my guess this incident will limit how much the US will be able to help mitigate problems for a period of time. The real proof would be if China begins to take a more agressive stance towards Taiwan sometime next year.

It makes me laugh as I bet i could write a while PHD thesis on the matter, not that I would want to spend my life that way. I much prefer just to kick loose in the sun and sleep more realistically. A much better use of my life. and the point being, the future is always just that: the future. and right now its a perfect evening, so its the evening and chilling that wins out and trumps in the end for me.