(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) In a display of protocol missteps and verbal gaffes, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen sparked controversy after repeatedly and robotically bowing to her Chinese counterpart without receiving a reciprocal gesture.
Critics argued that this act of submission, alongside a list of other mishaps, portrayed Biden’s increasing weakness on the global stage.
During the initial meeting with the economic chief of China, Yellen also made an inadvertent blunder by mispronouncing his name. Referring to him as “Vice Premier Hu,” she mistakenly identified him as an individual holding a different position, as reported by the New York Post
The economic chief, a trusted associate of President Xi Jinping who assumed his role in March, appeared visibly taken aback by the error.
Responding to queries about the potential threat to the U.S. dollar’s dominance, Yellen insisted that no development, including the proposed BRICS currency, poses a risk.
“I just want to reiterate what I’ve said in the past, which is I think the United States can rest assured that the dollar is going to play the dominant role in facilitating international transactions and serving as a reserve currency in the years ahead, she claimed, according to Bitcoin.com.
“All the data of which I’m aware shows that the dollar is overwhelmingly, close to 90%, used in international transactions, and I don’t think that there is an alternative that could possibly displace that for the foreseeable future,” Yellen added.
While Yellen was offering her best assurances, Russia confirmed it was moving forward with a new trading currency backed by gold, allied with Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, also known as BRICS nations.
There You Go – It’s Official
‘BRICS planning to introduce new trading currency backed by gold at August summit’
‘Gold standard will be a great benefit to strengthening single currency’
‘41 countries have applied for BRICS-membership’
Source: RT / Russian Embassy pic.twitter.com/zmqOKiXlsa
— Willem Middelkoop (@wmiddelkoop) July 7, 2023
Yellen’s submissive bows raised concerns among critics who believe that such actions project Biden’s weakness on the internal stage. The controversial bow down echoed those done by former President Barack Obama when he met Japanese Emperor Akihito in 2015, reported the American Wire News.
Protocol experts argued that a reciprocal bow is an important aspect of diplomatic exchanges, symbolizing mutual respect between nations. By bowing repeatedly without receiving a similar gesture, Yellen inadvertently presented a picture of American vulnerability.
“Never, ever, ever,” Bradley Blakeman, a senior staffer in the Bush administration, told the Post. “An American official does not bow. It looks like she’s been summoned to the principal’s office, and that’s exactly the optics the Chinese love.”
Jerome A. Cohen, an emeritus professor at NYU and expert in Chinese law, echoed Blakeman’s remarks telling the Post, “Bowing is not part of the accepted protocol.”
