INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Media Reaction: Internet Freedom

Published: Wed 27 Jan 2010 08:55 AM
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FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
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DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/CM, EAP/PA, EAP/PD, C
HQ PACOM FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR (J007)
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TAGS: PREL ECON SENV KGHG KMDR OPRC CH
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: INTERNET FREEDOM
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Editorial Quotes
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INTERNET FREEDOM
a. "Dealing with U.S. network diplomacy with caution"
The People's Daily-sponsored and internationally-focused commercial
news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(01/27)(pg 14):
"Ironically, the U.S. government seems to have forgotten the
original intention of the U.S. Department of Defense's design of the
Internet: to design a communication system consisting of no central
location in order to ensure that the department could still
communicate, if possible, after a nuclear strike. This means that
even the U.S. cannot completely control the flow of network
information. When Secretary Clinton mentioned in her speech that
'unrestricted freedom is an important value of the network', it
caused quite a lot of speculation to spread on the Internet. This
happened because it is the U.S., who has the most powerful capacity
to monitor and control the network, and who has been the most
energetic in verbally opposing network control. Secretary Clinton
mentioned 'the freedom to access networks' in her speech and
demanded the passing of 'firewall-evading software', jointly
developed by the U.S. government, corporations and non-governmental
organizations, into the hands 'of the people who need it.' However,
what she is really concerned about is promoting political changes
and the globalization of 'American democracy' by using the Internet.
The so-called 'network freedom' is just a 'selective freedom,' which
is based on where the U.S.'s national interest lies. Managing the
information flow is one of a country's sovereign rights. It is a
country's own decision on how to control and when to open up the
internet. The U.S.' practice, whereby they carry on their diplomacy
by through the Internet, in order to wrap up the issues of human
rights and internet freedom has become a new challenge for China."
b. "The U.S.' stance on 'Internet freedom' is hypercritical"
The official intellectual publication Guangming Daily (Guangming
Ribao)(01/27)(pg 8): "U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's
speech on 'Internet freedom' has provoked international outrage.
The Internet has become a tool for the United States to attack and
accuse other countries, for example, the United States used twitter
to support Iranian oppositionists before and after the Iranian
election. The United States criticizes other countries for no
reason while strengthening its own internet capability. The United
States' practice of interfering in other countries' internal affairs
by using the Internet has already been universally condemned by the
international community. A number of countries believe that it is
dangerous to let the United States dominate the Internet alone."
c. "Disturbances should not be created as it will 'hijack'
U.S.-China relations"
The official Communist Party People's Daily (Renmin Ribao)(01/27)(pg
3): "Although the Chinese government has carefully responded to the
Google incident, the hype surrounding this issue still has not
subsided. The poor start this year is not what a healthy
development of Sino-U.S. relations is supposed to look like. For
example, arms sales to Taiwan, trade protectionism, the Google
incident and the possible meeting by President Obama with the Dalai
Lama, in nature, all concern China's core interests. The solutions
to these issues will definitely harm the bilateral relationship.
The United States is 'overly confident' about working with China
when there are still some severe disagreements. The United States
is overlooking China's concerns. The United States will not gain
anything if it creates disturbances to hijack U.S.-China
relations."
d. "Obama lets the Chinese people down"
The People's Daily-sponsored and internationally-focused commercial
news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(01/27)(pg 14): "What
the U.S. President Obama has done so far this year has greatly
disappointed the Chinese people, who had expected that, after he
took office, Sino-U.S. relations would begin with a good start and
would continuously climb. The Chinese people have to question what
ulterior motives are behind the 'Obama-style smile.' Chinese people
question if current bilateral relations are even worse now than in
the latter phase of the Bush era? From the former President Bush's
second term till today, the results of several polls show that the
U.S. has been among the list of 'the Chinese people's favorite
countries.' However, their good impression of the United States
doesn't mean that they must give up their own values and follow the
U.S.'s values. Obama should remember that the Chinese people's
opinion is playing an increasing role in China's social development.
If he hopes to improve Sino-U.S. relations, he has to care about
their good impression of the United States. The United States
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should also give up attempts to provoke relations between the
Chinese people and their government. Someone said that the United
States and China are entering a 'mild war' era. It is noticeable
that in the past the U.S. president always made efforts to restrict
radical anti-China forces' activities, however, this time it is the
U.S. President and Secretary of State who are encouraging American
companies to start fights with China."
HUNTSMAN
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