Clinton in China

Hillary Clinton is in China this week, debuting as Secretary of State, and taking a new tone on foreign policy. While agreeing to mention traditional human rights concerns, Clinton was eager to embark upon a joint China-U.S. effort on Climate.

Human rights are important, however, without a drastic change in environmental practices, there will be far worse crises in store. I say this as a human rights advocate. In addition, diplomacy includes the art of finding areas of mutual interest rather than perpetually hammering away at issues where neither side is likely to submit.

Climate change is an excellent area to start. As China continues its incredible growth, it is vital that the country finds a newer, cleaner way to grow. Rather than adopting old technologies, the Chinese should leap-frog into a Green Era, providing a model to the rest of the world. Even a dictatorial country can see the beauty in this prospect. Meanwhile, in our dilapidated state, perhaps the U.S. can get green investment from China - reducing competition for natural resources!