Did John Kerry put his diplomatic foot in his mouth?
He made this pledge in Beijing yesterday: "If you’re one of the two million Chinese or American citizens who travel between our countries every year, and that will grow, but if you’re one of those two million now, you will not have to reapply and pay the application fee every year."
All so good. Till he went curiously on: "But let me emphasize: What I am talking about today, this ten-year proposal from America, is not a one-time deal; it’s not just for a short time, this is here, it’s here to stay. And this is not a reciprocal – it’s a long-term reciprocal arrangement, but when we say it’s here to stay, we mean it. We will issue a ten-year visa to qualified applicants tomorrow, next month, and next year, and that’s our commitment."
Was he implying that even if China backtracks, the U.S. will stay with the program?
The quote is strange but it should mean that it is not a short term arrangement and rather a long time arrangement (here to stay) in both directions.