While Secretary of State Clinton has a grand vision of an “AIDS-free generation” the Global Post reports that the White House 2013 fiscal budget actually slashes global AIDS funding by 11 percent. The cause? The administration recently announced that there is still $1.5 billion unspent from the former budget. To put this in perspective, $1.46 billion is roughly three times the annual amount the US government spent on AIDS globally a decade ago.
[COMMENTARY] President Obama: Meet with NGOs on China Trip
President Obama should meet with directors of independent
nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) on his November trip to China,
Asia Catalyst said in an open letter today. They are likely to be
followed, threatened, or placed under house arrest during his visit. A
meeting with him would give them some political shelter.English press release (pdf) Letter to President Obama (pdf)
China Readings for Obama
[:en]A little on the lighter side this week: The most excellent blog China Beat asked a group of scholars, journalists and the like for the four or five books they thought President Obama should read to inform himself on China.
Advocacy note: Hope and change?
[:en]What does an Obama administration mean for advocates of human rights in China? As the President and Secretary of State unpack their boxes in their new offices, this has become a favorite subject of debate at China human rights gatherings.
