As gaffes go, Barack Obama’s description of China as an “adversary” in his debate with Mitt Romney on Monday could have been worse. Almost none of the debate watchers picked up on it in the US. And the president quickly added that China was also a potential partner. Yet it was a slip nonetheless. It also revealed Mr Obama’s disappointment with a relationship into which he entered with such high hopes a few years ago.
Presidential debates have never been the best forum for constructive thinking. Yet there were reasons to worry that the final such exercise in Boca Raton signals an unwelcome inwards turn by the US.
First, almost the entire 90 minutes was taken up with terrorism and the Middle East. It was only towards the 80th minute that China arose as a topic. Even then, both Mr Romney and Mr Obama quickly pulled the focus back on to jobs in Ohio. Neither talked about China’s leadership transition, its testy relations with its neighbours or human rights.