MEDIA REACTION: NORTH KOREA, GREEN DAM SOFTWARE, EASTERN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 001578 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: NORTH KOREA, GREEN DAM SOFTWARE, EASTERN TURKISTAN, NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT -------------- Editorial Quotes -------------- ¶1. NORTH KOREA "U.S. stance on the North Korea issue gets tougher" The official Communist Party People's Daily (Renmin Ribao)(06/11): "Secretary Clinton recently implied that the U.S. will take tough actions against North Korea. Analysts think the tougher stance by the U.S. is related to subtle changes in the strategic assessment on the North Korean issue by President Obama's national security team. Before the U.S. precondition was that North Korea would give up nuclear weapons in exchange for assistance. But now, North Korea has changed its primary objective to being accepted as a nuclear country and being able to sell technology through nuclear tests. If this occurs, an arms race in the Northeastern Asia will begin. This will pose a severe threat to the security interests of the U.S. The possible tough actions by the U.S. on the North Korean issue are still uncertain. The U.S. government, who has now adopted 'smart power', must consider how far it should go between a tough attitude and tough actions. The sentence on the two female American journalists by North Korea further intensifies U.S.-North Korean relations. In fact U.S.-North Korea relations are not yet in a deadlock. The U.S. may soon send a special envoy to North Korea." ¶2. GREEN DAM SOFTWARE "Editorial: Questionable move" The official English-language newspaper China Daily (06/11): "The Foreign Ministry has denied the allegation in the overseas media that the "Green Dam" web-content filter to be installed in all computers is part of a government effort to censor the Internet. ...In spite of the claim of parental endorsement, the mandate to install the "Green Dam" web-content filter in all computers to be sold in China is turning out to be more controversial and unwelcome than decision-makers would like to believe. ...In an announcement on May 29, the MIIT described the move as an extension of the campaign against "vulgarity" in the cyberspace. ...The Chinese authorities are not the first or only ones to intervene. Which is why the MIIT feels wronged. Proper parental oversight and guidance are believed to be necessary and justifiable. ...There is a need for filtering software, but not 
everyone needs it. So installing it on every unit sold is a wasteful expenditure in the first place. ...A public hearing should have been held prior to such a significant decision. ...Making it obligatory is something different, and makes us wonder if the decision-makers have seriously considered the complex legal implications. If they have not, a number of questions have now been thrown up for deliberation. Who is supposed to decide what is pornographic, violent, or undesirable and deserves to be blocked? What are the criteria? Who draws the line and on what basis? Are software developers qualified to do that? How are citizens' freedom of expression or right to know to be balanced against the need to filter "unhealthy" content? Is there any basis in law for the MIIT to issue such an order at all? These are not questions that can be brushed away." ¶3. EATERN TURKISTAN "Obama's relief comes amid China's fears" English-language daily published by the People's Daily Global Times English (06/11): "After contacting about 100 governments and being rejected multiple times by its allies, the U.S. finally found Palau as the possible recipient for the 17 Chinese Uygurs in Guantanamo prison, the New York Times (NYT) reported Wednesday. For U.S. President Barack Obama, the release gives him 'some relief'. The report said. Obama has repeatedly promised to shut down the infamous prison in Cuba. For Chinese people, however, the transfer is probably the worst-case scenario. ...China has identified the 17 Uygurs as terrorists of the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) that is listed as a terrorist group by the UN Security Council. The U.S. has pledged $200 million in long-term development aid to Palau, but a senior U.S. State Department official denied that it was a quid pro quo for the detainee deal that is still under negotiation. Not everyone in the U.S. is happy to see Obama fulfill his promise though. Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, called it 'ridiculous' and said Obama should abandon his campaign promise to close Guantanamo, 'He seems so determined to meet a deadline and create a symbolic move.'" ¶4. NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT "To create a strategic environment for nuclear disarmament" BEIJING 00001578 002 OF 002 The official Communist Party People's Daily (Renmin Ribao)(06/11): "The international society currently believes that the U.S. and Russia, who possess over 90 percent of the world's nuclear weapons, have the main and indispensible responsibilities to fulfill overall nuclear disarmament. Under various pressures, the U.S. and Russia may possibly reach a transitional agreement for maintaining nuclear disarmament. But it requires further observation whether they can make any breakthroughs. It is notable that the U.S. seeks to deploy weapons from outer space while it is developing a missile defense system. This move, seeking their own strategic advantageous position around the globe, while at the price of other countries' security, has damaged the strategic environment for nuclear disarmament. The international society, in order to completely destroy nuclear weapons needs to insist on two principles: maintaining global strategic stabilities; and improving mutual trust between nations." PICCUTA