Riot Act

It's possible that Obama was read the riot act while in China. He might well have been told that he can't just take his ball and go home; that there are others still out there who are entitled to play. “America can't just be permitted to retreat behind some smoldering economic ruin just because it happens to please the Utopian academics of that country; just because someone claims to have discovered the Holy Grail that would create some socio-economic arrangement that has never been seen before.

“No thank you, Mr. (American) President. By the way, how did you ever manage to get elected? Surely the whole country couldn't be as loony and bitter as you are? Go back there and fix what your administration has already wrecked. While we recognize that the some of the problems stem from what you inherited, there's no denying that, since you’ve been in office, you've made everything many times worse. Now, you've put us all at risk.

“Remember, we own you as we own your debt. We could demand our money back at any time. We know what you're doing: driving the dollar down, so we will be left holding the bag. Well, it won't work. We'll come over (if we have to) and claim your land; your women; your resources; the labor of your people - until we feel we have fair value in return for all that we've already invested there.

“And, by the way, don't even think of making any noise about Taiwan, Tibet, Pakistan, Africa or any other place in which we decide to exert our (admittedly) pernicious influence. China is a big country; we've got way too many people; we desperately need to expand. …and right now, we find, you’re in our way."