IMPACT OF BEIJING OLYMPICS: INDONESIAN VIEWS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001898 SIPDIS DEPT FOR D (LEE),EAP, S/P (GREEN),EAP/MTS, EAP/CM, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/14/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV SCUL ID CH SUBJECT: IMPACT OF BEIJING OLYMPICS: INDONESIAN VIEWS REF: A. STATE 105510 (NOTAL) ¶B. 07 JAKARTA 3439 Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Per Ref A queries, the Beijing Olympics received favorable coverage in Indonesian media, which focused largely on the selected events in which Indonesian athletes competed. In addition to favorable coverage of the success of the Chinese team, there was a limited amount of commentary--primarily favorable--regarding China-related political, economic and social issues. 2, (C) SUMMARY (Con'd): The positive impact of the coverage has not translated into any visible short-term change in perceptions and attitudes on the part of Indonesian government or society. There may be longer term impacts, however. In the meantime, there have been other China-related events that have received coverage, positive and negative. The Chinese astronaut spacewalk further bolstered the image of technological prowess, but the contaminated-milk scandal has diluted that perception and served as a reminder that China's fast development and penetration of markets is not without risks. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (C) The following comments respond to specific questions in Ref A related to background material for the U.S.-China Senior Dialogue which takes place later this year. (Note: Ref B provides further background related to the complex relationship that Indonesia has with China.) A) How closely did the public follow the Beijing Olympic Games? Television broadcast of the Olympic games was provided by the government's national television station (TVRI),but it featured only events in which Indonesian players were competing, such as badminton and weightlifting. The relatively high cost of the broadcast rights for the games was the key factor in TVRI's limited coverage. TVRI has nationwide coverage, but there are many commercial stations with a much more substantial viewership, particularly during primetime. Other stations reported on the games in sports news summaries. Most Indonesian newspapers covered the results of the Olympic Games daily. The opening ceremony garnered a great deal of attention, and most papers described it as "spectacular," "fantastic" and noted how expensive it must have been to put on. After the opening ceremony, coverage primarily focused on the games themselves and the medal count. Stories appeared about the preparation of Indonesian athletes for the Olympic Games and how the event would be an opportunity for Indonesian athletes to show their achievements. B) How were China and the Games portrayed in local media? Mostly as a sporting competition, or did coverage touch on changes in China, discussion of human rights or China's position in the world, or none of the above? The TVRI broadcast consisted of the sporting events only, with no additional commentary or broadcast about other China issues. Station RCTI, a private television group, sent a news crew to Beijing to cover the Olympics. Other Indonesian television stations received Olympic news coverage from foreign outlets. Newspapers carried articles about the preparation of elegant new Olympic sports facilities, the opening ceremony, airport security and China's political situation. Most were fairly reserved and were generally positive. The leading national morning daily Kompas wrote that the Beijing Olympics was "beyond a matter of just sports." Kompas also stated that "The influence of the Olympics has touched many walks of life, including political, economic, and social." By hosting the games, "China feels JAKARTA 00001898 002 OF 002 that it can show to the world the achievement that it has made." English leading daily Jakarta Post, afternoon leading daily Suara Pembaruan, and afternoon daily Sinar Harapan (which have a substantial Chinese Indonesian readership) all carried editorials on the Olympic Games, highlighting the event as a symbol of China's new power and "awakening" as a future superpower. C) Was Beijing city or China seen as modern, wealthy, developed? Was China portrayed as an economic threat or opportunity? Indonesian newspapers generally see Beijing overwhelmingly as a modern, wealthy, developed city. Indonesian media portrayed the city, and China in general, as places that Indonesians should do more business. The positive views constitute a sustained theme, however, that is voiced more broadly and was not simply an artifact of the Olympics. Since the games, the recent spacewalk of a Chinese astronaut has further enhanced the image of China's technological and strategic prowess. On the other hand, the sudden recall of contaminated milk and related products from shelves in Indonesia and throughout the region was only the latest reminder that China's economic growth and penetration of Asian markets are not without risks. D) If there was an increased profile of Beijing during the Olympics, have businesses, civic groups, media or government organizations changed their approach to dealing with China? Beijing's profile increased during the games, but not to the point that businesses, civic groups, media or government organizations have since changed their approach to dealing with China. China is already sufficiently well known to Indonesians that the modest, if positive, coverage given to China apart from the games themselves did not translate into different approaches that could be measured at this point. Any changes in perception--and there are sure to be some--are likely to be more subtle and gradual. An estimated 4-5 percent of Indonesia's population is Chinese Indonesian, and this group is heavily represented among Indonesia's wealthiest families. Because of ethnic sensitivities, however, Chinese Indonesians tend to keep a low profile. Chinese Indonesians did not appear to seek publicly to identify themselves with China during or as a result of the games. (Note: In sports such as badminton and weightlifting, the Indonesian and Chinese Olympic teams are actually direct competitors. They are friendly rivals but there is a sub-text there.) E) Have expectations of China's global role and position changed in the view of elites after the Games? Expectations of China's global role and position in the view of Indonesian elites have probably not changed greatly as a result of the Olympics. Rather, the success of the Olympics and the strong performance of Chinese athletes confirmed China's strength and potential as a rising power in Asia and the world, one with positive and potentially negative implications for the region. HUME