MEDIA REACTION: A/H1N1 VIRUS, TIBET, NORTH KOREA

UNCLAS BEIJING 001587 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: A/H1N1 VIRUS, TIBET, NORTH KOREA -------------- Editorial Quotes -------------- ¶1. A/H1N1 VIRUS "Alert level of H1N1 is raised to the highest. This is the first time in 41 years" The Shanghai-based Shanghai Media Group (SMG) publication, China Business News (Diyi Caijing)(06/12): "The World Heath Organization is expected to announce that H1N1 is pandemic. This is the first time the WHO announced an influenza pandemic in 41 years. The decision will promote drug makers to speed up the production of H1N1 vaccine and promote all countries to invest more in the vaccine development. The WHO states that at the early stage, the pandemic is just spreading around the globe but the fatality rate is not too high. The WHO urges countries not to implement limitations on tourism and trade. They emphasize that currently the H1N1 cases are still mild and don't need special treatment, but they are concerned that the hospitals in developing countries can not deal with the rising number of infected people." ¶2. TIBET "U.S. Congress approves setting up a Tibet section in the U.S. Embassy in China" The official Communist Party international news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(06/12): "According to Voice of America the U.S. Congress has approved creating a Tibet office at the U.S. Embassy in China. The U.S. move will bring a negative influence to U.S.-China relations. It shows American attention on Tibetan politics and affairs have been upgraded. There will not be substantial results of the American action with a strong human rights denotation. What is more the behavior is completely opposite to Obama's general gesture of advocating positive cooperation with China. China does not need to place too much emphasis on the move currently. It depends on whether the two governments can actively and practically deal with controversies and how much their measures will influence the bilateral relations. The U.S. move obviously has created this office to interfere in the Tibet issue and China's internal affairs." ¶3. NORTH KOREA "China cannot change its tone on North Korea policy because of the nuclear test" The official Communist Party international news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(06/12): "Because of the second nuclear test pursuing the stability and peace of Northeast Asia under a multilateral framework has become the general trend. It is necessary to reconsider the strategy of North Korea for China. North Korea intends to become 'a power' which is a fixed policy of North Korea. As a country acting independently of ideology, North Korea will not change its strategic will due to any influence of the world. At the same time, the U.S. has been continuously ignoring North Korea's security needs and finally caused North Korea to possess nuclear weapons. America asking North Korea to give up nuclear programs first then go to peace talks, does not show sincerity towards North Korea. There is no mention of earning trust from North Korea. A stable North Korea will benefit the Northeast region of China. The change in China's North Korea policy is due to North Korea's nuclear program's threat to China and may cause China-North Korea relations to deteriorate. But China cannot change its tone on North Korea just because North Korea possesses nuclear weapons. Maintaining friendship with North Korea and keeping a harmonious environment with neighbors, stabilizing North Korea, is still China's primary choice. When the U.S. is not in a rush to solve the North Korean nuclear issue, China has no need to express the intention for an urgent resolution. China should pay close attention to the possible evolution of the U.S. policy in the future in view of North Korea possessing nuclear weapons." PICCUTA