MEDIA REACTION: AFGHAN ELECTION, U.S.-CHINA TRADE

UNCLAS BEIJING 002412 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, U.S.-CHINA TRADE RELATIONS, AMERICAN NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY -------------- Editorial Quotes -------------- ¶1. AFGHAN ELECTION "Afghanistan: election goes beyond win-lose battle (pg 5)" The official Communist Youth League China Youth Daily (Zhongguo Qingnianbao)(08/21): "Since President Obama became the U.S. President, in spite of the U.S. sending more troops to Afghanistan, Afghanistan's security situation has not improved. The effect that President Obama expected his new anti-terror policy to have has not emerged. The election does not mean democracy. Democracy is seldom achieved through military intervention. The U.S. doesn't have a great track record of 'sponsoring democracy'. Regarding its role in North Korea, Viet Nam, Cuba and many other African and Latin American countries after the Cold War, the U.S. has not always stood on the side of democracy and progress. To us, the U.S.'s sincerity and commitment to Afghanistan's democracy and prosperity is a big question mark." ¶2. U.S.-CHINA TRADE RELATIONS "'Industrial damage' does not exist in the 'tire special protection case' (pg 10) Guangdong 21st Century Publishing Company Ltd.'s business newspaper 21st Century Business Herald (21Shiji Jingji Baodao)(08/21): "It is said that imports of tires from China will damage the U.S. domestic tire industry. However, it seems that only the United Steel workers advocate imposing tough sanctions against Chinese tires, and most U.S. business representatives oppose the sanctions. In fact, imported tires from China are in different markets than domestic American tires. China's tires imports have nothing to do with 'industrial damage.' The U.S. special protection measures on tires won't help decrease the imports of tires. Since consumers in the third-class tire replacement market, which is the main market for imported tires from China, are very price-sensitive and usually buy imported products from developing countries. The growth of China's tire imports to the U.S. is a result of transnational restructuring and a shift in its tire industry. The U.S. should use technical training for a smooth labor transfer." ¶3. AMERICAN NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY "The American National Endowment for Democracy (NED) provides financial aid to 50 China-related projects (pg 7)" The official Communist Party international news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(08/31): "The American National Endowment for Democracy (NED) has influenced all the incidents such as the 'March 14' incident in Tibet last year, the 'July 5' incident in Urumqi this year and the conflicts happening during Iran's election. Analysts found out that there are as many as 50 China-related projects receiving financial aid from the organization. In recent years, the organization's ability to conduct 'color revolutions' has caused serious social chaos. It is not a good thing that the organization is paying close attention to China. Separatists' organizations like 'Tibet independence' and 'Xinjiang independence' are favorites for NED support. The NED likes to emphasize its 'non-governmental' role to the people, but knowing its source of money and organizational structure, one would realize that the NED is an American government department under the cover of being non-governmental. It advocates promoting American-style democracy in a disguised way. The U.S. congress' grant to the organization has continuously increased in recent years. A Chinese expert who is familiar with how the organization runs said that the NED would consider whether the project suits the U.S. national interests, if not, it is difficult to get a penny from the NED." GOLDBERG