Cablegate: Media Reaction: Climate Change, Iran, China's Future

VZCZCXRO7706
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #2806 2730820
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 300820Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6295
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS BEIJING 002806

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: PREL ECON KMDR OPRC CH

SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: CLIMATE CHANGE, IRAN, CHINA'S FUTURE
CHALLENGES

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Editorial Quotes
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1. CLIMATE CHANGE

"U.S. politics will hinder efforts to counter global warming"

Guangdong 21st Century Publishing Company Ltd.'s business newspaper
21st Century Business Herald (21Shiji Jingji Baodao)(09/30)(pg 2):
"The Democratic Party in the United States has prepared for the
worst: when necessary, climate change can be compromised for health
care reform. For this reason, environmentalists now are concerned
about Obama's health care reform bill getting passed in Congress.
Whether or not this bill passes, U.S. politics will certainly hinder
international efforts to combat global warming, because Democratic
Senators might not be united in pushing for the passage of Obama's
clean energy bill. Next year's congressional election has also
raised the question of how U.S. legislators will choose between
voters' interests and moral concerns over climate change. The EU is
always trying to set an example for the U.S. in combating global
warming. Currently, the main disputes between the EU and the U.S.
are over whether or not to continue the framework established under
the Kyoto protocol or establish a new one. The U.S. still refuses
to accept the proposal advocated by the EU that an international
supervision system be established to push forward global cooperation
on emissions reduction."

2. IRAN

"U.S. plans to implement stricter sanctions against Iran"

The official Communist Party international news publication Global
Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(09/30)(pg 2): "It seems that Iran's game of
'missile plus nuclear bomb' has caused Western countries, including
the U.S., to lose patience. It is still a concern, though, whether
or not stricter sanctions will succeed in getting Iran to compromise
or cause it to again abandon negotiations. Chinese expert Tang
Zhichao at the China Institute of Contemporary International
Relations (CICIR) said there is little possibility that China will
participate in UN sanctions against Iran. If the U.S. implements
sanctions, this is a step backwards. Yuan Peng, Director of the
CICIR's U.S. Studies Institute, said that U.S.-Iran relations are
'not normal.' China and Iran have normal relations in the fields of
energy, politics, economics, and trade, but the U.S. and Iran do
not. Thus, U.S.-Iran relations are 'not normal.' There are still
many uncertainties over Iran's 'missile plus nuclear bomb' policy.
The website, 'the Middle East online,' believes Israel is preparing
to do something big. The Israeli media has also revealed that are
two possible air strike plans against Israel."

3. CHINA'S FUTURE CHALLENGES

"China must directly face the challenges of being a great power"

The official Communist Party international news publication Global
Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(09/30)(pg 14): "Among the 60 experts
interviewed by Global Times, most believe that China has solved its
three most important problems: providing food and clothing to its
citizens, gaining independence, and becoming part of the
international community. In the future, China will have to face the
extremely challenging issue of how, as a country of 1.3 billion
people, to modernize. In addition to limited resources and other
countries' jealousy, the shifting global balance of power will
create challenges for China in the future. Whether or not China can
gain the goodwill and support of great powers is very important.
The disintegration of the former Soviet Union and the financial
crisis in the U.S. have shown that the mistakes of great powers can
have serious results. China, which is going through an important
period of growth in its development, should be wary of such
tragedies happening to us. China has no way back and has to
confront the risks and challenges of the future. China has to
explore this new road by itself."

HUNTSMAN

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