Hua considers Obama's national security strategy on CCTV News

(August 20, 2010) LOUISVILLE, Ky.- Dr. Shiping Hua, a McConnell Center Fellow, compared U.S. President Barack Obama's national security strategy to that of former president George W. Bush on a Chinese TV news network earlier this summer.
Hua considers Obama's national security strategy on CCTV News

Dr. Shiping Hua

Hua was joined by Ralph Cossa, president of the Pacific Forum Center for Strategic and International Studies in Honolulu, Hawaii, and host Yang Rui of CCTV News out of Beijing, China. The interview aired live on June 3.

Noting that while the goal for both presidents was global leadership, Hua said Obama's and Bush's national security strategies are markedly different. Bush's strategy was more straightforward, while Obama's was "more holistic and subtle in terms of tones," Hua said.

According to Rui, Obama puts more emphasis on engagement and multilateral efforts when considering global efforts, a marked break from the Bush doctrine of preemptive strikes and unilateralism.

Hua was accompanying nine undergraduate McConnell Scholar students for a five-week summer study to Beijing when he participated in the CCTV interview. The McConnell Center annually sends McConnell Scholars with rising senior status to China for immersion studies related to Chinese culture and politics.

Hua is also director of The Center for Asian Democracy at the University of Louisville.

Additional Information

Watch Dr. Hua's full interview