The BBC television reporter asked if Obama had spent too long in one to one sessions with foreign leaders like Wen Jiabao at Copenhagen. I guarantee that China only moved on the transparency concessions because people like Obama took the time to approach Wen Jiabao at home in Beijing before the conference and then in a culturally appropriate manner at Copenhagen. Can you imagine what is like in an alien ‘parliamentary’ style plenary session conducted predominantly in English with jet-lag from China?  You have to get close before you get critical in the Chinese culture.  The fact that any deal was made at all in Copenhagen is thanks to Obama’s and Wen Jiabao’s efforts to understand each other. (more…)