One needs to just to watch the frenzy in the North American media whenever Israel is negatively portrayed.  Our institutional blindspots are sacrosanct and should be above reproach.  When other countries do this we are understandably peeved, but do we appreciate the irony of the situation?  China certainly does.

“When a US delegate once confronted a Chinese diplomat about Beijing’s uncompromising support for Pakistan, the Chinese reportedly responded with a heavily-loaded sarcastic remark: “Pakistan is our Israel”.

But judging by China’s unrelenting support for some of its allies, including North Korea, Burma, Zimbabwe and Sudan, its protective arm around these countries is no different from the US and Western political embrace of Israel – right or wrong.”

Ouch.  It really sucks when other people start playing by our rules.

“The New York Times newspaper said on Tuesday that the US administration is facing a “confrontational relationship” with an assertive China and is trying to respond to “a surge of Chinese triumphalism” by strengthening Washington’s relationship with Japan and South Korea.

US President Barack Obama is planning to visit four Asian countries next month – Japan, Indonesia, India and South Korea – while bypassing China.”

China is flexing its international muscle and attempting to use international institutions to do so.

“China sees value in promoting its image as the Security Council member defending the rights of the developing world, and China sees value in relying on the UN to counter US power,” said Linda Jakobson, director of the programme on China and Global Security at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

Jakobson, an in-house China expert at SIPRI, points out that Beijing also sees value in participating in UN peacekeeping operations “both because this enhances the image of China as a responsible power but also because it gives Chinese military experience”.

I wonder when the sudden rush back to the ‘rule of law’ will happen?  I imagine when the same unlawful implements/policies the West has been using for decades start getting pointed in the opposite direction.