Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at the World Economic Forum
You heard the quotes (China slams U.S. profligacy). Here’s the video. After some brief introductory remarks Chinese Premier Wen gets down to ripping into the United States.
If you want to get right to his most quotable remarks, they begin right about 6:00 in this long video. Definitely worth watching.
As much as I dislike having another country criticize the U.S., I must agree with the points he made. The only thing I question is his diplomacy.
I will take an agnostic view on his comments as they are definitely is opinion. However, I would say that it is the diplomacy – or lack thereof – which concerns me. I realize he is not being diplomatic in the least and I understand that he is said to have been livid about Geithner’s currency manipulation charges. So, I see this as a manufactured row a much as a real one — a war of words started because of Tim Geithner’s imprudent words. My worry is whether this will have consequences.
Words matter — more so in difficult economic circumstances.