Jeffrey Bader discusses the foreign policy of the Obama administration, with particular emphasis on United States involvement in East Asia, and on the evolution of diplomatic, economic, and military relations with China. Bader focuses on the administrations Asia rebalance, in which state resources and attention were redirected from the Middle East to the Asia Pacific region. Bader provides details about multilateral initiatives in the region, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, the East Asia Summit, and the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Conference, as well as bilateral encounters with Chinese counterparts. Bader also describes the Obama administration's approach to human rights issues in China, reflecting on the delicate balance between national strategic interests and human rights claims. Also discussed are administration debates over free trade, the structure and practices of the National Security Council, and Bader’s personal impressions of President Obama
United States--Foreign relations--China; Human rights--China; Presidents--Staff.--United States; Bader, Jeffrey A; Obama, Barack; National Security Council (U.S.); Conference of the Parties (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) Copenhagen, Denmark) 2009 : (15th; East Asia Summit; Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
2020
Physical Description
130 pages
Note (Biographical)
Jeffrey Bader had a three-decade career with the U.S. government, during which he was principally involved in U.S.-China relations at the State Department, the National Security Council, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. For the first t wo years of the Obama administration, Bader was special assistant to the president of the United States at the National Security Council, where he was the principal advisor to President Obama on Asia. Bader is the author of "Obama and China’s Rise: An Insider’s Account of America’s Asia Strategy"
Note
Interviewed by William McAllister on June 9 and July 20, 2020. This interview is part of Columbia University: Obama Presidency Oral History
Note (Provenance)
Jeffrey A. Bader, Gift, transferred from Columbia Center for Oral History Research 2022