Look Who’s upstaging Obama in China!

Laid back and unassuming--typically Canadian--Canada’s Prime Minister does not project rock star status. But quiet, likable, get-the-job done Stephen Harper is trumping Obamamania in China. Modest in entourage, Harper unlike President Barack Obama, didn’t depart the Beijing airport in a 71-car motorcade (including Chinese greeting vehicles). Ed Henry, CNN. Harper proves that a business head and a business agenda trump charisma. With the mainstream America media in fawn mode over Obama’s first trip to the Orient, the China Daily carried an above-the-fold, huge front page picture of Prime Minister Harper today, relegating Obama’s pic miniature fashion well below the fold. “Monday is Obama-Day in China. Obamamania and all that is supposed to be taking hold in China since the U.S. president’s arrival in Shanghai Sunday night.” crowed Canwest News Service, citing the China Daily News photo lineup.

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It’s been a win-win situation for Harper ever since he started talking business to the Pacific Rim nations who agreed yesterday on a “new growth paradigm” which included a rejection of “all forms of protectionism” and a commitment to slash the cost of doing business in the region by 25% by 2015. ( Canwest News Service, Nov. 16, 2009). That’s what thousands of Canadian and American workers losing their jobs to U.S. protectionism would call taking care of business, quiet Stephen Harper style. “While Canada’s economy was built through trans-Atlantic trade, our future prosperity will increasingly depend on our ties to the Pacific,” Harper said Sunday at the conclusion of the two-day summit. Talks at the two-day summit were dominated by issues around trade. Many APEC countries, including, Canada, Mexico and China had raised concerns about the rising tide of protectionism in the United States. “Canada’s number one priority (is) responding to the global economic downturn,” said Harper. Even though Harper had stood his ground on China’s record on human rights, he managed to find solid agreement for anti-protectionism from Chinese President Hu Jintao. “There are obviously things with China on which we don’t agree, but when it comes to economics, China is a strong voice for opening up trade internationally,” Harper said Saturday. “That’s a strong position of the government of Canada to promote free trade and oppose protectionism.” “In speech after speech on the first day of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, one leader after another took to the podium to hammer the U.S. for its rising protectionist sentiment.” “We must continue to promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and oppose protectionism in all its manifestations, particularly the unreasonable trade and investment restrictions imposed on development countries,” Hu said. Obama had promised during his first official visit to Canada last February that protectionism would not be a problem for Canada. Harper has buttonholed Obama on his public promise at every opportunity ever since. Kudos to Canada’s Prime Minister for putting the spotlight where it belongs: opposing U.S, protectionism. And P.S. to the Chinese Daily: PM Harper is a great piano player too.