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Cablegate: Media Reaction: Financial Crisis, U.S. Diplomacy

Published: Fri 21 Nov 2008 09:07 AM
VZCZCXRO6441
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #4290 3260907
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 210907Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0988
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
UNCLAS BEIJING 004290
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/CM, EAP/PA, EAP/PD, C
HQ PACOM FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR (J007)
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR CH
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: FINANCIAL CRISIS, U.S. DIPLOMACY
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Editorial Quotes
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1. FINANCIAL CRISIS
"China prepares for the world's economic winter"
The official Communist Party international news publication Global
Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(11/21): "Recently, the Chinese Ministry of
Human Resources and Social Security denied the rumor of massive
lay-offs and migrant workers returning to their homes in order to
strengthen the world's confidence in the Chinese economy. Under the
current financial crisis, Chinese experts have disagreed with the
pessimistic comments concerning the stability of Chinese society.
These experts indicate that Chinese society is at its most powerful
and rational time in history. However, as the financial crisis
intensifies, China's economy and the people's endurance are going to
face challenges. Chinese experts indicate that financial crisis is
also an opportunity for China. The government should implement
necessary reforms when the economy declines. It should further
promote domestic consumption and privatization. The crisis has also
provided China a chance to rearrange foreign reserves, American
debts, unpromising shares and assets. Some other experts have also
expressed their confidence in China's economy."
2. US DIPLOMACY
a. "Obama leads the U.S. in a strategic pull-back, no more
expansion"
The official Communist Party international news publication Global
Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(11/21): "The world Obama faces now is quite
different from the world that Bush Jr. faced eight years ago. It is
very likely that the Obama administration will be forced to conduct
a strategic pull-back. The U.S. is entering the new period of
strategic adjustment. First, the return to multilateralism; second,
withdrawal from Iraq; third, improving the relationship with Iran
and North Korea; fourth, reconsidering the deployment of missile
defense systems in central Europe; Fifth, avoiding promoting the
eastward expansion of NATO; and sixth, rebuilding the relationship
with Russia."
b. "'China hands' rise up in the U.S. political field"
The official Communist Party international news publication Global
Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(11/21): "In the East Asia affairs team in the
US government, there is often competition between the group that
knows China and the group that knows Japan. In the later part of the
Bush administrating, more officials that know China well were used,
like Thomas Christensen was appointed as deputy assistant secretary.
He is treated as the symbol of the rise of the 'China Hands'. In the
last two years, their voices have been increasing. People in the
group are the ones who speak Chinese well, always coming and going
between the US and China and have good personal relations in China.
Besides, most of the officials that know China well are senior
Democratic officials. The rising of these officials does not
necessarily mean that the Obama administration is pro-China. It only
represents the future possibilities of the U.S. misjudging China has
greatly decreased. They are still interests-motivated. In this
aspect, China is also in need of a group that knows the U.S."
RANDT
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