Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen was slammed for bowing multiple times when she met with China’s vice premier He Lifeng, as some critics say the protocol error is a sign of American weakness.
According to Daily Mail, Yellen, who served as chair of the Federal Reserve before becoming Joe Biden’s top financial official, wrapped up her first visit to China as treasury secretary on Sunday.
After bowing at least thrice, Yellen stumbled over He’s named, calling him ‘Vice Premier Hu.’ Both Washington and Beijing said the meetings during her four-day trip were fruitful, although the visit – designed to help smooth a rocky relationship – did not generate any concrete agreements.
On Saturday, Yellen met Vice Premier He Lifeng, and bowed effusively on meeting the top Chinese official. Beijing’s official Xinhua news agency said the meeting yielded an agreement to ‘strengthen communication and cooperation on addressing global challenges’.
Yellen said Sunday told a press conference that her talks with top Chinese officials have helped put ties on ‘surer footing’.
Former White House staffer Bradley Blakeman, who served during President George W. Bush’s administration, told the New York Post that Yellen’s kowtowing to the Chinese official was inappropriate.
‘Never, ever, ever – an American official does not bow,’ said Blakeman. ‘It looks like she’s been summoned to the principal’s office, and that’s exactly the optics the Chinese love.’
Blakeman added: ‘The way to treat an adversary is not to go hat in hand. ‘But with this administration, time and time again, we embarrass ourselves and show weakness.
‘And it just shows the lack of effective leverage we have.’ Author Max Murray said: ‘She did not realize bowing as an American official was a breach of protocol.’They don’t reciprocate. He even backs away to give her more space to kowtow.’
Her trip came on the heels of Antony Blinken’s visit, as part of a Biden administration push to improve communication between the two superpowers.
Yellen stressed the need for healthy economic competition and improved communication, and urged cooperation on the ‘existential threat’ posed by climate change.
‘We believe that the world is big enough for both of our countries to thrive,’ she told journalists at the US embassy in Beijing on Sunday.
‘Both nations have an obligation to responsibly manage this relationship: to find a way to live together and share in global prosperity,’ she added.
