MEDIA REACTION: U.S. - CHINA RELATIONS

UNCLAS BEIJING 002160

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 PREL ECON KMDR CH

SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: U.S. - CHINA RELATIONS

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Editorial Quotes
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1. U.S. - CHINA RELATIONS

a. "Ma Ying-Jeou's reply to Hu Jintao triggers speculation"

The official Communist Party international news publication Global
Times (Huanqiu Shibao) (07/29): "KMT Chairman Ma Ying-Jeou's taking
office is beneficial for the improvement of cross-strait relations.
However, cross-strait relations also face three challenges. The
first challenge is from the KMT internally. Some KMT members are
prone to an independent Taiwan and intend to internationally
legitamize the 'Republic of China' and create a
'government-to-government' situation. Second, is an anti-Ma
Ying-Jeou attitude from the Democratic Progressive Party. The third
challenge is from the international community, primarily the U.S.
and Japan. They are afraid that an improvement in cross-strait
relations will make the Taiwan Strait into an inland sea in China.
The focus of U.S. policy on Taiwan may shift from 'anti-Taiwan
independence' to 'anti-China unification.' Taiwan's political
situation is uncertain, and its political party politics are still
unstable. The development of cross-strait relations will largely
rely on the increased power of the mainland. This is also the most
important factor for the promotion of Taiwan's reunification with
the motherland."


b. "Japan allowed the 'female advocate for Xinjiang independence'
entry"

The official Communist Party international news publication Global
Times (Huanqiu Shibao) (07/29): "China should possess a tool to
contain Japan and other countries that take unfriendly moves against
China. Since China is getting stronger and stronger, the space for
cultivating such a tool is getting bigger and bigger. The most
important thing is to have diplomatic determination. We must be
clear that a friendly relationship with Japan is not only up for
negotiation but is also fighting. Beijing scholar Wang Xiaodong
said that 'since Japan and the United States could disregard the
crimes of Kadeer, openly supporting the enemy of China, China should
also refuse to recognize the people identified as terrorists by
Japan and the U.S. and instead support these countries' enemies.
China is now a major power. It should be able to create the
political means to contain other major powers. The reason the
United States is powerful, to some extent, is because it has many
means to deal with other countries."

c. "Sino-U.S. relations must abandon the historical game"

The official Communist Party international news publication Global
Times (Huanqiu Shibao) (07/29): "There are people, both in China and
the United States, worrying that each will win less and lose more in
the game between the two powers. Nowadays, the Sino-U.S.
relationship is far more mature than it has been in the past. But
mature does not mean a mega-scale high-level exchange, nor does it
mean a broad-range communication scheme, but it means mutual trust.
The foundation of the Sino-U.S. relationship is still not solid; the
reason being a lack of mutual trust. Hostility is fading away.
However, suspicion is still there. The greatest test of the future
Sino-U.S. relationship is whether the two countries will avoid a
zero sum competition between big powers. The two countries need to
make a constant effort to avoid this type of game, and succeed in
their great experiment, by leveraging the trust that they have
accumulated over the past 30 years."


GOLDBERG