Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BEIJING2471
2007-04-13 09:08:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Beijing
Cable title:  

AMBASSADOR RAISES VOA BROADCASTS, INTERNET

Tags:  PGOV PHUM KCUL SOCI CH 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO3770
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #2471/01 1030908
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 130908Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6840
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 002471 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2032
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KCUL SOCI CH
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RAISES VOA BROADCASTS, INTERNET
CENSORSHIP WITH SCIO DIRECTOR CAI WU

Classified By: Ambassador Clark T. Randt, Jr. Reasons 1.4 (b/d)

Summary
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 002471

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2032
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KCUL SOCI CH
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RAISES VOA BROADCASTS, INTERNET
CENSORSHIP WITH SCIO DIRECTOR CAI WU

Classified By: Ambassador Clark T. Randt, Jr. Reasons 1.4 (b/d)

Summary
--------------


1. (C) China's blocking of Voice of America radio and
television broadcasts and censorship of United States
Government Internet sites undermines the kinds of
exchanges China itself wants to foster, the Ambassador
told State Council Information Office Director Cai Wu
on April 9. The programs and web sites in question
are meant to encourage positive contacts, including
among students and business people, that would benefit
both countries. Cai pledged to do what he could to
resolve the issue and to report the matter to relevant
Government offices. Acknowledging that China takes
steps to filter broadcast and online content related
to the United States, Cai added that our two countries
should nonetheless redouble efforts to stimulate
increased exchanges. As for prospects for increased
media openness, Cai said China is moving in the right
direction, albeit at its own pace. He also stressed
that China faces a dual challenge with the Internet.
On one hand, the Government wants to encourage
citizens to get online. On the other, authorities
seek to "manage" the world wide web, that is, to make
sure the content people see does not threaten social
stability, Cai said. End Summary.

Blockages, Censorship Harm Exchanges
--------------


2. (C) Cai, who said he was jet-lagged following a
lengthy trip to Latin America and the South Pacific,
hosted the discussion at SCIO headquarters, located in
the former Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The
Ambassador led off by praising existing bilateral
cooperation in the media realm and looking ahead to
increased collaboration for the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing. But China's jamming of VOA television and
radio broadcasts runs counter to this spirit of
cooperation, the Ambassador stressed. Even two non-
controversial television programs, on English-language
education and American culture, respectively, have not
been able to get official permission to air. In
addition, China occasionally blocks access on the

Mainland to some content on United States Embassy and
Government web sites. There seems to be little rhyme
or reason to the filtering, the Ambassador emphasized,
noting that it sometimes targets information on
education exchanges that would be useful to students.
Our Foreign Commercial Service has reported that a
number of American business' home pages, including one
that sells Internet domain names, have also been
blocked. Such restrictions on education and business
information contradicts China's own statements about
bolstering exchanges between our two countries, the
Ambassador warned.


3. (C) Cai responded that on these cases, he
understands the Ambassador's points and will see what
can be done to resolve them "according to China's laws
and policies." He promised to report the matter to
other relevant Government offices. In the broader
scheme, Cai said he believes our two countries should
do even more to enhance exchanges and that the
positive direction in this regard is clear. Some
success is already manifest in that our two societies
know much more about each other now than 10 or 20
years ago, he said. At the same time, China remains
in a disadvantageous position compared to the United
States when it comes to media development. China must
consider the effects that an influx of American media
and culture would have on its society. As China goes
through the process of developing its own mass media,
it "naturally wants to have a managed regime" whenit
comes to imports from the United States. "We are not
as sophisticated as you in these matters," Cai
alleged.


4. (C) In a similar vein, Cai maintained that Chinese
media treatment of the United States has been balanced
and objective, while coverage of China by American
outlets has been largely negative. The United States
should "consider the effect of this on its own
society," Cai remarked. The Ambassador rejected this
assertion, stating that unfairly negative reporting
about the United States abounds in Chinese language
media. Retreating a bit, Cai added that in any case,
information sources play an important role in shaping
people's views.

BEIJING 00002471 002 OF 002



Views on Rights and Freedoms
--------------


5. (C) Turning to the larger question of increasing
freedom and openness, Cai said China has made great
strides over the years. China knows there are still
problems, "but the trend is clear: we want to improve
things," Cai said, without mentioning specifics. Cai
held that Premier Wen Jiabao's February 27 article in
the People's Daily was an important indicator of
China's positive political direction. China and the
United States often have disagreements on issues
related to human rights, democracy and freedom, he
offered. But Premier Wen's article, which Cai noted
had appeared in the run-up to China's annual "two
meetings" legislative season, stressed that China
shares the United States' adherence to these
principles, even if it is at a different stage in its
development path.


6. (C) China is moving toward creating a society that
enjoys freedom and democracy but is advancing at its
own pace, Cai contended. In this context, the best
way to achieve productive progress is through candid
exchanges. One side should not believe their
standards on rights issues are necessarily the correct
standards. Using language we have heard repeatedly
when discussing human rights with the Chinese, Cai
suggested that the two sides should engage on the
issue on the basis of mutual respect, not via
accusations. He complained that the State
Department's annual Human Rights report is "not
helpful" in this regard.

The Internet
--------------


7. (C) Noting that China currently ranks second in
the world after the United States in total number of
netizens at about 137 million, Cai said China faces a
dual challenge when it comes to the Internet. China
wants to develop the world wide web and encourage its
use, particularly for educational and business
purposes. The trend is unstoppable and China is
building the high-tech infrastructure to ensure that
there is increasing access to the information
superhighway. At the same time, authorities see the
need to "manage" the Internet to make sure
inappropriate content does not harm society or
stability, Cai said. He singled out pornography and
cybercrime as particular areas of concern. China's
approach to the world wide web is consistent with
international practice, Cai claimed, adding that in
this connection, China is researching and taking cues
from how other countries approach management of
Internet content through their laws. Nonetheless, Cai
acknowledged that there is so much information online
and so many web sites and blogs that it would be
"impossible to control all content."

Travel to the United States
--------------


8. (C) Cai related that the SCIO's overall mission is
to better explain China to the outside world. In the
past, foreigners, including Americans, considered
China and the Communist Party a "strange beast." Now,
through issuing white papers and undertaking cultural
exchanges, the SCIO is attempting to demystify China
and its system. As part of this, Cai intends to visit
the United States in May. He is scheduled to give a
speech at the Los Angeles branch of the Asia Society
and may also travel to Chicago.

Bio Notes
--------------


9. (C) Cai is an influential up-and-comer with
connections to President Hu Jintao through his
previous work at the Communist Youth League. In
addition, he was classmates with Wang Jisi at Beijing
University in the early 1980s. Wang, now dean of
Beijing University's School of International
Relations, is an informal advisor to President Hu
Jintao on foreign policy issues. Although Cai earned
a Ph.D. in politics and law, he took pains to
emphasize that the focus of his studies was squarely
on foreign affairs.
RANDT