MEDIA REACTION: CLIMATE CHANGE, IRAN, CHINA'S FUTURE

UNCLAS BEIJING 002806 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: CLIMATE CHANGE, IRAN, CHINA'S FUTURE CHALLENGES -------------- Editorial Quotes -------------- ¶1. CLIMATE CHANGE "U.S. politics will hinder efforts to counter global warming" Guangdong 21st Century Publishing Company Ltd.'s business newspaper 21st Century Business Herald (21Shiji Jingji Baodao)(09/30)(pg 2): "The Democratic Party in the United States has prepared for the worst: when necessary, climate change can be compromised for health care reform. For this reason, environmentalists now are concerned about Obama's health care reform bill getting passed in Congress. Whether or not this bill passes, U.S. politics will certainly hinder international efforts to combat global warming, because Democratic Senators might not be united in pushing for the passage of Obama's clean energy bill. Next year's congressional election has also raised the question of how U.S. legislators will choose between voters' interests and moral concerns over climate change. The EU is always trying to set an example for the U.S. in combating global warming. Currently, the main disputes between the EU and the U.S. are over whether or not to continue the framework established under the Kyoto protocol or establish a new one. The U.S. still refuses to accept the proposal advocated by the EU that an international supervision system be established to push forward global cooperation on emissions reduction." ¶2. IRAN "U.S. plans to implement stricter sanctions against Iran" The official Communist Party international news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(09/30)(pg 2): "It seems that Iran's game of 'missile plus nuclear bomb' has caused Western countries, including the U.S., to lose patience. It is still a concern, though, whether or not stricter sanctions will succeed in getting Iran to compromise or cause it to again abandon negotiations. Chinese expert Tang Zhichao at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR) said there is little possibility that China will participate in UN sanctions against Iran. If the U.S. implements sanctions, this is a step backwards. Yuan Peng, Director of the CICIR's U.S. Studies Institute, said that U.S.-Iran relations are 'not normal.' China and Iran have normal relations in the fields of energy, politics, economics, and trade, but the U.S. and Iran do not. Thus, U.S.-Iran relations are 'not normal.' There are still many uncertainties over Iran's 'missile plus nuclear bomb' policy. The website, 'the Middle East online,' believes Israel is preparing to do something big. The Israeli media has also revealed that are two possible air strike plans against Israel." ¶3. CHINA'S FUTURE CHALLENGES "China must directly face the challenges of being a great power" The official Communist Party international news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(09/30)(pg 14): "Among the 60 experts interviewed by Global Times, most believe that China has solved its three most important problems: providing food and clothing to its citizens, gaining independence, and becoming part of the international community. In the future, China will have to face the extremely challenging issue of how, as a country of 1.3 billion people, to modernize. In addition to limited resources and other countries' jealousy, the shifting global balance of power will create challenges for China in the future. Whether or not China can gain the goodwill and support of great powers is very important. The disintegration of the former Soviet Union and the financial crisis in the U.S. have shown that the mistakes of great powers can have serious results. China, which is going through an important period of growth in its development, should be wary of such tragedies happening to us. China has no way back and has to confront the risks and challenges of the future. China has to explore this new road by itself." HUNTSMAN