The Bush family tends to produce presidents for America; these presidents tend to make relative good relations with China; and before stepping down, they tend to send a lot of weapons to Taiwan.
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First, the Bush family has become another main family after that of Kennedy. The contemporary time family of Kennedy has produced JFK as president, RFK as Attorney General and late a Senator, Edward M. Kennedy as still the surviving Senator, among some other members.
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And the Bush family has produced GWH Bush as the 41st President of America, GW Bush as the 43rd President, Jeb Bush as Governor of Florida, among others. It is now the number one family of the country. Only the Clinton family will have a chance to match this tradition.
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Then, as the most powerful family in America, the Bush family quite likes China. George W.H. Bush once served in Beijing as the 2nd Director of US Liaison Office and the current president spent some of his youth time in Chinese capital. This experience has left profound legacy in their lives: the Bushes tend to better understand Chinese, and communicate with China more effectively.
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Eleven years ago, this author was an Eisenhower Fellow in America when GWH Bush was the Chairman of this Philadelphia-based organization, and had a number of chances to meet with and talk to him in short distance. Clearly I remembered that when he mentioned his time in Beijing in 1970s, his eyes were full of tears. I thought there would be no difficulties that would not be able to be resolved or managed between China and the US, given this former President with such a feeling of China. At that moment, I though that transnational humanities shall transcend social difference or ideological bias.
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Likewise, his son, the current President, has a feeling of China. Like his dad, he could not accept all happening in China, but he would like to take realistic approach to Beijing. He feels disgusting of Saddam so launched war to topple him, leaving a tremendous controversy in his presidency. He also feels difficult with the Chinese system, but he traveled to China four times in his two terms in the White House, a record hard to be matched by any future successors.
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However, both President Bushes have had the bad luck at the end of their presidencies. Despite his victory of Cold War and splendid success of the Gulf War in 1991, the GWH Bush could not deliver a good economy to lift his campaign of reelection in 2000. Similarly, the GW Bush has been hit by a deep financial crisis triggered by sub-prime mortgage disaster. This has much undercut the chance of Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain.
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Both Presidents have taken a big decision to sell arms to Taiwan, at such economically challenging time before they would step down. These moves annoy Chinese and some would query if they are Chinese friends �we often call them China’s old friend.
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Yes they are Chinese friends but may not be contemporary China’s friends. They have a feel of China: respecting Chinese history and civilization, respect Chinese people and some leaders, but may still not be able to respect the contemporary Chinese institution. Fundamentally, they are the presidents of America, with a mission to defend America’s self-declared mission �to lead with unmatched power.
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A communist-led China is deeply viewed as threat to America; therefore America would use various means at its disposal to handle. Washington engages in China economically, lifting Chinese living standard that will eventually arouse Chinese awareness of protecting their individual rights. It trades with China, spending far less than would otherwise. It has also succeeded in selling its various monetary bonds to China, claiming an interest to return at a later time while actually trapping its stakeholders to assume tremendous amount of risks.
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Meantime, to hedge against China’s rise, Washington keeps selling weapons to Taiwan, to strike balance of power across Taiwan straits. GWH Bush sold 150 F16s to both defend Taiwan and to rescue his presidential campaign. GW Bush also succeeded in pushing to sell as much as $6.4b amount of weapons, to sustain Taiwan’s defense capability and confidence, and to aid Senator McCain’s presidential campaign.
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Strategically, the US will keep selling weapons to Taiwan for a while regardless who is in White House, an effort to prolong American dominance. That has nothing to do with Bush family as it is American fundamental interest.
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Lately, there has been debate as to whether China shall spend $200b to help resolve the US financial crisis. The real question shall be phrased as: whether China shall spend that money to save its own asset trapped in this crisis, through helping resolving the crisis. Even if the US has hurt China in selling weapons to Taiwan, the mainland still has a need to relieve its own assets from the disaster, even incidentally helping America. Then, the last question is: who knows investment in the US financial market at a bad time would help rather than harm China further?