MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-CHINA RELATIONSHIP, CHINA'S SOUTH

UNCLAS BEIJING 002214 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: PREL ECON KMDR OPRC CH SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-CHINA RELATIONSHIP, CHINA'S SOUTH CHINA SEA POLICY -------------- Editorial Quotes -------------- ¶1. U.S.-CHINA RELATIONSHIP "On the global energy dialogue: let's first discuss what the U.S. should do" The official Communist Party international news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao) (08/04): "China should not remain passive when the question of 'responsibility' is brought up in discussions about global energy issues. China claims 'the right to life and development' is more important than energy conservation and emissions reduction; however, these two 'rights' are not actually directly related to energy conservation and emissions reduction. China needs to find a more delicate statement to clarify its standpoint. China should stress a principle of 'right to emissions' in order to put the U.S. under the limelight since the U.S.'s per capita emissions are among the world's highest. In addition, in negotiations with Western countries other than the United States, China should try to isolate the U.S. by differentiating between those countries' responsibilities for global energy problems and the U.S.'s responsibility. When every energy dialogue in the world focuses on 'what the U.S. should do' (rather than on what other countries should do),the U.S. government will treat this problem with more caution." "Don't have high hopes for the promises made by the U.S." The official Communist Party international news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao) (08/04): "The safety of China's U.S. dollar assets is not just an economic issue; it reflects the fact that the China-U.S. relationship still lacks equality and mutual trust and, therefore, lacks genuine respect. Keeping up domestic consumption and fast economic growth in China will effectively increase the security of China's assets abroad. The Chinese public finds it beyond comprehension that the West is exploiting China (selling national debts and assets to China to finance their own economies) and helping separatists, while promising the safety of China's dollar assets. China should not be just a crutch for the U.S. to get out of its current economic plight; China should become the real engine of the world economy." ¶2. CHINA'S SOUTH CHINA SEA POLICY "China prepares to face the most complicated situation" The China Radio International-sponsored newspaper World News Journal (Shijie Xinwenbao) (08/04): "Experts say China needs to take a flexible approach in dealing with the tense situation in the South China Sea, specifically by doing the following three things. First, China should strengthen and expand friendly cooperation with ASEAN countries. China should stick to the principle of resolving South China Sea island disputes through peaceful means. Second, China should prevent the formation of an 'anti-China Nansha (a.k.a. the Spratly Islands, a chain of islands in the South China Sea claimed by several countries, including China) Group,' especially a group involving the U.S. Third, it should beef up its military capability and speed up the development of its aircraft carrier so as to handle the most complicated situation in South China Sea." GOLDBERG