MEDIA REACTION: THE MIDDLE EAST, NORTH KOREA, TAIWAN

UNCLAS BEIJING 002382 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: THE MIDDLE EAST, NORTH KOREA, TAIWAN -------------- Editorial Quotes -------------- ¶1. THE MIDDLE EAST "The U.S., Russia, and the EU start another round of chess in the Middle East" (pg 3) The official Communist Party People's Daily (Renmin Ribao) (08/18): "Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's meeting with U.S. leaders will play a key role in the Middle East Peace Process. The U.S. mediation role in the process is extremely important. Big players, including the U.S., Russia, and the EU, are fighting to win over this region. The U.S. has emphasized that its new Middle East policy aims at achieving a full peace in the region. The U.S. is unwilling to cede leadership on Middle East issues to Russia. Therefore, there are significant challenges to holding an international meeting in Moscow to discuss these issues. Comparatively, as a result of many years of active diplomatic effort, the EU has established a rather good image in the region. The U.S. needs the EU's support for Obama's 'new Middle East policy.' It is hard to tell at this time what the prospects are for the Middle East Peace Process." ¶2. NORTH KOREA "U.S.-South Korean military drill no longer focused on 'invasion of Pyongyang'" (pg 8) The official Communist Party international news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao) (08/18): "Though the U.S.-South Korean joint military drill is being conducted as a computer simulation and no longer envisions an invasion of Pyongyang, North Korea is still vigilant about it and has implemented a 'special military alert.' The drill has aroused a lot of attention since the South Korean military will for the first time play the leading role. In conducting this drill, both the U.S. and South Korea have adopted a low profile. The goal this time is not as aggressive as in previous drills: U.S. and South Korean troops are only practicing an advance up to 'South Pyongyang' rather than an 'invasion of Pyongyang.' Analysts argue that the drill is being conducted in a low-profile manner to avoid irritating North Korea. But such a large-scale military drill has still triggered a harsh reaction from North Korea. Many anti-war organizations have also protested that military threats at present will not help the prospects for peace on the peninsula." ¶3. TAIWAN "By assisting Taiwan, U.S. military 'uses opportunity to send in troops'" (pg 6) Elite Reference (Qingnian Cankao),a newspaper affiliated to the official Communist Youth League China Youth Daily (08/18): "On top of Taiwanese authorities' ineffective disaster relief efforts, the U.S. has used this opportunity to send military airplanes to Taiwan to help with disaster relief. Since this action is highly sensitive, the U.S. military has been quite low profile about it. This is the first time U.S. military aircraft have landed on Taiwan in the name of 'humanitarian assistance' since Taiwan and the U.S. 'cut off relations' in 1979. 'President' Ma Ying Jeou reacted slowly when facing this serious disaster. Many Taiwanese people have compared the current situation with disaster relief efforts after the '9/21' (September 21, 1999) earthquake to highlight Ma Ying Jeou's inferior performance. An official at the Taiwanese 'State Security Council' said that the PLA has kept a close eye on Taiwanese military actions. The Taiwanese military's slow disaster relief response may reveal weaknesses to the PLA and, consequently, influence Taiwan's security." GOLDBERG