MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS, CHINESE BLOGGERS,

UNCLAS BEIJING 001092 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: OPRC KMDR CH PREL ECON SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS, CHINESE BLOGGERS, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION -------------- Editorial Quotes -------------- ¶1. U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS a. "China should think more broadly than the west" The official Communist Party international news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(04/23): "Some people believe that democracy is a general value globally. However, this is a theoretical law. Democracy is not a value. It is a political method that could be used to express public choices. Democracy is an ancient invention. However, the ancient philosophers opposed democracy because it can easily lead to tyranny. Only during the Cold War did democracy become a universal value and a political tactic. China's universal value is closely related to the concept of 'land under sky.' China believes that the world is one big family. China believes that there is a way for all countries to cooperate harmoniously. China also believes that there is a way for various nations and cultures to coexist in the 'land under sky' philosophy. Instead of criticizing the west, China should pay more attention to how it can improve itself, perhaps imitating the west by combining all its positive values. b. "The U.S. prints a ridiculous advertisement attacking China" The official Communist Party international news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(04/23): "The Washington Post recently printed an advertisement that portrays China as a credit card. The advertiser intended to show that today, Americans have to depend on China's charity to stay afloat. Chinese experts say that this shows that the Americans feel lost in the financial crisis. This is an odd way for the U.S. to criticize China. This is an action by certain American Interest groups. Although it isn't the government's stance, this ad will put pressure on Obama's China policy. Because China is the largest creditor for the U.S., Americans like to compare themselves to the Chinese. The U.S. worries that China will catch-up with America's progress. Chinese analysts indicate that the direct cause of an advertisement like this is that not all classes in the U.S. benefit from the U.S.-China economic relationship. The sponsors of the advertisement, the American Business and Industry Committee, represent the small and medium sized American manufacturing enterprises. Their goal was to urge the U.S. government to change the situation in America." ¶2. CHINESE BLOGGERS "Critical bloggers [arrested] on defamation charges" The official English-language newspaper China Daily (04/23): "A Sichuan man who described local officials as 'scum of the nations' is among two Chinese citizens before the courts charged with defaming government officials. The man was initially jailed for one year for another 'defaming' post, and is now serving a sentence of two years for his most recent 'defaming' posts." ¶3. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION "Poison to quench thirst" The official English-language newspaper China Daily (04/23): "It is absurd and unimaginable for the provincial environmental protection department to keep the names of polluting enterprises a secret at a meeting on pollution control. What they have done is against the regulations on discloser of government information that took effect last May. Confidentiality is by no means the reason. Suggested reasons include; the polluting firms may be contributing to local finance revenue or the firms may have bribed the environmental watchdog." PICCUTA