Sunday, September 28, 2008

China (and India?) absent from debate

Daniel Drezner noticed the same thing I did about the first presidential debate: Lehrer asked no question about China, and the candidates themselves barely mentioned China at all.

The sum total of all mentions of China:

  • Obama mentions China in space, noting America must remain competitive in math and science
  • McCain soundbite: "We owe China $500 billion", in a discussion about spending restraint
  • Obama, later, mentions we are borrowing billions from China.
  • Obama refers to China (and Russia) as required partners in any meaningful sanctions on Iran
  • McCain mentions Nixon's trip to China, and how Kissinger preceded him, while attempting to lecture Obama on the finer points of diplomacy with dictatorships.

That's it, as far as I can tell from the transcript.

India is not mentioned at all.

As this blog often notes, China and India — one third of our entire planet — are growing and industrializing at light speed, which will have a major impact on geopolitics, the environment, and many other aspects of life as we know it.

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