Washington’s Perilous Power Play
Bitter disagreements about how to deal with the growing violence in Syria are damaging Washington’s relations with China and Russia. Policy regarding the Syrian civil war has created worrisome tensions in these crucial bilateral relationships, which became evident as early as February 2012.
Following a decision by Moscow and Beijing to veto a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning the violence in Syria and calling for an immediate end to the bloodshed, US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice stated that her country was “disgusted”. The Chinese and Russian actions, she added, were “shameful” and “unforgivable”.
Rice’s boss, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, used equally accusatory and inflammatory language later that month. “It is distressing to see two permanent members of the Security Council using their veto while people are being murdered — women, children, brave young men,” Clinton fumed. The actions by Beijing and Moscow were “just despicable, and I have to ask whose side are they on? They are clearly not on the side of the Syrian people”, she said.
Not only could Rice and Clinton apparently use a refresher course in diplomatic language, Washington’s response betrayed a troubling arrogance — and that attitude has not improved in the intervening months. In early August, the White House explicitly blamed China and Russia for the failure of former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan’s mediation mission to Syria.
The Obama administration seems even more frustrated and angry at China’s conduct than at Russia’s.