VZCZCXRO2578
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #3425/01 3560944
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 220944Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7339
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 003425
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 SENV KGHG KMDR OPRC CH
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: CLIMATE CHANGE, AFGHANISTAN, JAPAN, CHINA
POLICY
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Editorial Quotes
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1. CLIMATE CHANGE
"The Copenhagen Conference did not fail"
Guangdong 21st Century Publishing Company Ltd.'s business newspaper
21st Century Business Herald (21Shiji Jingji Baodao)(12/22)(pg 2):
"The principles of a 'dual climate change responsibilities' have
been maintained and the terms related to assistance and morality
have not been deleted. If you compare the Copenhagen Summit with
the 'Kyoto Protocol', you will find the Copenhagen Summit, both in
the breadth, depth and continuity, is better than the latter. In
breadth, before the Copenhagen Summit, China and the U.S., the
world's two largest emitters, on November 20 signed a clean energy
technology cooperation document, and on November 25 the United
States, who boycotted the carbon emissions reduction suggestion, for
the first time brought forward its reduction goals, a symbol of
America's return to the world's 'carbon emissions reduction' camp.
We have always seen the Copenhagen Conference as a global, flexible
and sustainable procedure which should include backup 'anti-global
warming' programs. In fact, the Copenhagen Conference achieved this
result. If there are regrets, it is because the United States is
entangled in the issue of 'the chicken or the egg,' and, rather than
show good faith and sincerity, has linked the responsibility of
emissions reduction to other countries."
2. AFGHANISTAN
"China should try sending police to Afghanistan"
The official Communist Party international news publication Global
Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(12/22)(pg 14): "As to the issue of whether or
not China should send troops to Afghanistan, there is a middle road:
instead of sending army, air force, missile troops or completely
following the United States' steps, China could send police troops
to Afghanistan in order to assist the Afghanistan government to
ensure the security of engineering projects that China has helped
with or has invested in. The deteriorating Afghanistan situation is
increasingly harming China's interests. It is a reasonable choice
for China to send police troops to assist the Afghan Government to
ensure the safety of China's projects. It is also conducive to
China's moral support for the Afghan government's efforts towards
social stability. This is the best time for China to take on its
international duties and to promote China's national image."
3. JAPAN
"The U.S.- Japan relationship has become tense"
The official Communist Party People's Daily (Renmin Ribao)(12/22)(pg
3): " Since Japan's Prime Minister Hatoyama took office this
September, signs of tension have begun to show. Recently, issues
surrounding the Futenma airbase have made the future of the
relations gloomy. It seemed that the leaders of both Japan and the
United States have encountered obstacles in their direct
communication. At the Copenhagen Summit, Hatoyama did not fulfill
his wish of explaining the delayed Futenma airbase issue resolution
while face to face with President Obama. Meanwhile, a poll revealed
that the two countries' people both became less optimistic about the
relationship. The United States is pressuring the Hatoyama
government to make a decision as soon as possible. Until this issue
is resolved, the United States will continue to doubt the Hatoyama
government."
4. CHINA POLICY
"Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement: a key step for both sides
of the Taiwan Strait"
Guangdong 21st Century Publishing Company Ltd.'s business newspaper
21st Century Business Herald (21Shiji Jingji Baodao)(12/22)(pg6):
"Chen Yunlin, Chairman of the Association for Relations across the
Taiwan Straits has met with the Chairman of the Taiwan's Straits
Exchange Foundation to promote negotiations on the Economic
Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA). The cross-Strait Economic
Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) is to establish a
negotiations model by the Taiwan authorities with the Mainland in
accordance with that of China-ASEAN FTA . A mainland scholar
pointed out that ECFA is only a regional matter, which will only
have a partial rather than overall impact on the mainland. However,
the ECFA to Taiwan, is a holistic, strategic and comprehensive
matter, which will determine the future of Taiwan. Therefore, there
is no doubt that Taiwan needs the ECFA more than the mainland does.
Meanwhile, the Mainland's focus on the ECFA has more significance
than just economic interests. In light of pursuing the peaceful
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development of cross-Strait relations, the ECFA's main goal is
systemizing cross-Strait economic relations. The economic merging
across the Strait will be effective in preventing Taiwan
independence forces from expanding its influence and promoting the
consideration of political integration. The ECFA is a key step for
cross-Strait integration momentum from economic to political
fields."
GOLDBERG