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February 26, 2009
Diplomatic celebrity
The first full month of Barack Obama's presidency was dominated by a debate over the economic downturn and by the administration's ultimately successful effort to pass a stimulus bill. But as the new president made his mark on the domestic front, he also began to introduce his administration to the international community. Hillary Clinton went on her first official trip as secretary of state, and her choice of destinations—and her performances there—offer clues as to how the new administration will conduct its foreign policy.
Clinton's inaugural overseas trip took her to Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, and China. The choice of Asia for her first trip is notable. It reflects the emerging view that East Asia is a region of tremendous growth and dynamism, in terms of economics, demographics, and security. There was a time when the most important U.S. allies—and the first destination for a new secretary of state—would be in Europe. Japan and South Korea are strong U.S. allies, and a visit to their capitals represents a useful maintenance of that relationship. Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim-majority country and a burgeoning democracy, not to mention the boyhood home of the new U.S. president. Clinton is wise to take advantage of the President Obama's popularity in Indonesia, and the United States has a clear interest in strengthening that country's relatively young democracy. And China represents perhaps the most important bilateral U.S. relationship today, with the ongoing (and largely false) choice between treating the country as an ally or an adversary dominating many headlines. Any tour of East Asia that did not include China would be unthinkable.
Substantively, Clinton's trip was noteworthy as well. Before departing, Clinton laid out the broad objectives of her trip. She hoped to encourage the resumption of the Six-Party Talks with North Korea and to pursue cooperative efforts on climate change policies, especially with China. She also stressed the particular importance of the State Department's work on one the so-called “three D's” of national security --defense, diplomacy and development. “Too often, development is regarded as peripheral to our larger foreign policy objectives. This will not be the case in the Obama Administration. We will energetically promote development around the world … which we happen to believe will advance our shared security interests,” Clinton said Compared to much of the rest of the world, however, many countries in East Asia did not clamor eagerly for a change in U.S. presidents or policies. President Bush got along well with conservative governments in Japan and Australia, he championed a controversial nuclear agreement with India, and he managed relations with China in a low key but largely effective manner. In terms of policy, then, Clinton was not necessarily offering anything truly groundbreaking.
Stylistically, however, Clinton made a more distinct impression. In Indonesia, she appeared on a popular television talk show called “Awesome” and talked about her favorite bands (she cited the “music of [her] youth,” such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones). In South Korea, she answered questions from students about how she fell in love with her husband. In China, State Councilor Dai Binggou complimented the Secretary of State on more than just her negotiating skills: “You look younger and more beautiful than you look on TV.” Some of this was to be expected—a new secretary of state, representing a new administration, is bound to get a great deal of attention on her first trip abroad. But the attention that Clinton received went beyond that. It is important to remember that her background is not as a diplomat but as an elected politician. More than that, Clinton endured the singular spotlight that only falls upon those select few who have lived in the White House for eight years. She knows how to draw attention, how to hold attention, and how to use it for her purposes; Clinton is a celebrity.
The skills of a political celebrity can be of tremendous value for a diplomat, who essentially conducts politics on a global scale. Even if Clinton did not promulgate any new policies or craft new diplomatic agendas in Asia, her trip must be considered a success because she was received in the countries she visited as a star. This kind of public diplomacy was in short supply during the Bush administration, and Barack Obama based much of his election campaign on changing the tone that the United States used to portray itself to the world. In this context, his selection of Hillary Clinton as secretary of state—as opposed to someone with a deeper or more specific background in diplomacy—makes a great deal of sense.
Clearly, Hillary Clinton is more than just a political celebrity. But her selection (and, so far, success) as a high profile secretary of state may hint at how the Obama administration as a whole will conduct its foreign policy. Regardless of political ideology, every president has an institutional interest in centralizing power in the White House. Obama is no different. Clinton may be the public face of U.S. diplomacy, and she may have populated the State Department with her chosen staff. But the real policymaking apparatus may actually exist in the National Security Council at the White House, which Obama has filled with aides and advisors for whom he has developed a trusting relationship over the course of his Senate career and his presidential campaign. Alternatively, Obama may have realized long ago that his early months and years as president would be dominated by his domestic agenda and the worsening economic situation. Entrusting foreign policy to a high-profile figure such as Clinton may have been a low-risk way of “outsourcing” a policy realm for which Obama has, at least for the time being, little time or interest.
These theories are not mutually exclusive, nor are they necessarily true. But Obama's appointment of a high profile, former political rival as secretary of state was an unexpected move when it was announced late last year. Although Clinton has performed ably so far, it is important to remember how implausible her appointment seemed just a few short months ago. Despite any inclination to centralize power at the White House, Obama cannot use the State Department simply as a public relations tool. And even if he was primarily interested in domestic policy, he cannot outsource foreign policy to a political celebrity. The likeliest theory, then, is simply that Obama picked the best person for the job, in order to help him fulfill his political agenda. Based on Clinton's first road-trip as the nation's top diplomat, Obama may well have chosen wisely.
Foreign Policy Association, 26 February 2009
Posted by Daniel Widome at 04:05 PM to Asia, U. S. Politics | TrackBack (0)
