MEDIA REACTION: AFGHAN ELECTION, CHINESE IMMIGRATION TO

UNCLAS BEIJING 002403 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: AFGHAN ELECTION, CHINESE IMMIGRATION TO U.S., CHINA'S PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGY -------------- Editorial Quotes -------------- ¶1. AFGHAN ELECTION "Does the second presidential election in Afghanistan represent a democratic evolution?" (pg 3) 21st Century Publishing Company's business newspaper 21st Century Business Herald (21 Shiji Jingji Baodao)(08/20): "All of the typical characteristics of Western elections, such as intense political debates, campaign rallies, and even televised debates, are emerging in this year's elections in Afghanistan. But can this form of democracy really reduce conflicts and lead Afghans to prosperity? Continuous terrorist attacks have shown that the election is still 'a trial of democracy amidst the sound of gunshots.' In addition, the U.S. and the UK have had an influence and a role in the election, so this is more than just the Afghan people's election. The cooperation of the U.S. and the UK with Karzai's government in the War on Terror and in cracking down on the Taliban is in fact a type of tacit support for Karzai. No matter what types of worries surround this election, it represents an opportunity for Afghans to unfold their new lives. In fact, more and more Afghans are beginning to believe that their votes can bring change." ¶2. CHINESE IMMIGRATION TO U.S. "40,000 Chinese became U.S. citizens last year" (pg 16) The official Communist Party international news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(08/20): "China is the fourth largest source country for foreigners who become the U.S. citizens. The Chinese public still has mixed feelings about Chinese celebrities becoming citizens of foreign countries. People's opinions differ on whether this represents a loss of Chinese talent or a sign of China's integration with the world. Wang Limin, an immigration specialist, said that the U.S. is an attractive destination for many Chinese immigrants because of its good living conditions and social benefits. U.S. immigration policy no longer focuses strictly on 'talent,' but now also focuses on [prospective immigrants'] 'financial capability.' Americans do not think that 40,000 Chinese becoming U.S. citizens is that big of a deal. They think Chinese immigrants are generally very talented and are happy to accept them. Zhang Shengjun, a professor at Beijing Normal University, said that the Chinese, because of their special historical and cultural traditions, are a special group of people. Chinese living overseas have brought back foreign techniques and capital to China and have helped to create a better, more foreign-friendly environment in their country. The fact that Chinese immigrate to other countries has created a positive trend, which now requires China to have a good environment for economic development to attract talented Chinese living overseas to come back to China." ¶3. CHINA'S PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGY "China needs to find a more acceptable way to get its message heard in the West" (pg 14) The official Communist Party international news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(08/20): "Though Chinese and Australian media are criticizing each other over [Uyghur activist] Rebiya Kadeer's invitation to Australia, many Australians do not care about the issue at all. The ineffective communication between China and Australia is obviously the crux of the problem. Foreign countries have not come to the conclusion that Rebiya is a criminal based on the '7.5' (July 5) incident in Xinjiang, including Australians, who do not think Rebiya is a terrorist. Westerners are accustomed to draw their own conclusions based on information they collect through various channels. China cannot prevent Westerners from watching programs that glorify Rebiya. Westerners will not realize that Rebiya is a criminal until China lets them make up their own minds based on hearing both sides of the story. China must do more to get its side of the story heard by reaching out to larger audiences through a variety of methods, including the Internet, audio and video products, books, and other media. In this way, China can try to diminish Western prejudice on the Xinjiang issue." GOLDBERG