Over 400 years after Europeans received exclusive trading rights in Japan, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe returned the favor last week with a nine-day, six-nation tour of Europe.
During his 11-day European tour, Xi dramatically elevated China’s all-dimensional strategic partnership with Germany, reiterated Beijing’s special ties with Paris, and strengthened the strategic partnership with the EU.
There was a time, not that long ago, when the question of whether “Asian values” — whatever they meant — were compatible with democracy was being hotly debated.
The principles of Olympism as captured in the current Olympic Charter clearly denote the primacy of human dignity, non-discrimination, and other basic human rights.
It is not too late for Xi, whose political fortune is now tied to the reform package, to devise a separate political strategy to ensure the success of his plan.
