MEDIA REACTION: OBAMA'S VISIT TO CHINA, NATIONAL ENDOWMENT

UNCLAS BEIJING 002837 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: OBAMA'S VISIT TO CHINA, NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY, U.S.-CHINA TRADE RELATIONS -------------- Editorial Quotes -------------- ¶1. OBAMA'S VISIT TO CHINA "Obama will visit China for four days during his eight-day trip to Asia" The official Communist Party international news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(10/09)(pg 16): "According to a Global Times poll on October 8, Chinese netizens are not very enthusiastic about Obama's visit to China. Only 14% of netizens are looking forward to the visit, and 50% of netizens worry that Obama will pressure China to appreciate the RMB. Yu Wanli at Peking University's International Relations Research Center said that Obama's visit shows that the U.S. is seeking a balanced strategy between Japan and China in East Asia. U.S. diplomacy in the region is focused on maintaining a closer relationship to East Asian countries than those countries have with each other. Obama's planned stay in China - the longest on his trip to the region - shows the United States' emphasis on China. Jin Canrong at the People's University of China said that China has set expectations for the visit on issues like trade and economic policy, human rights, and Taiwan, and looks forward to more respect for China from the U.S. Given the intensification of the Tibet issue, it is necessary for Obama to mention once again that Tibet is an inseparable part of China on his visit." ¶2. NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY "Be wary of the infiltration of the National Endowment for Democracy" The official Communist Party international news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(10/09)(pg 14): "It would be wrong to believe that, while it is convenient to accept money from the U.S. National Endowment for Democracy (NED) to make up for the shortage of funds for scientific research, researchers would not have to share their research results with NED. In fact, NED cares primarily about what research Chinese intellectuals are focusing on and how it can get them to focus on research the U.S. is interested in. In this way, the U.S. will be more certain about the future direction of China. NED's infiltration into China is like a 'mild cultural war': a dedicated long-term project to reconstruct thinking and ideology in China. China should be vigilant about the far-reaching influence and negative results. NED has also sponsored social movements and encouraged political confrontations as another form of 'mild war.' The influence of NED was behind the 3.14 (March 14) incident in Tibet and the 7.5 (July 5) incident in Xinjiang." ¶3. U.S.-CHINA TRADE RELATIONS "Obama is a bit chaotic" The official Communist Party international news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(10/09)(pg 15): "Obama has done a number of things that he should not have done, and, conversely, not done a number of things he should have done. For example, he has caved in to Wall Street pressure; continued U.S. military operations; and adopted hostile trade policies towards China. China really wants to be the U.S.'s 'strategic partner,' but it has not been well rewarded: China was the first country that Obama imposed sanctions on. Obama's speech to American students came across as hypocritical. Obama has continued Bush's policy of giving money to financial profiteers on Wall Street regardless of the costs or consequences. The huge deficits that will have to be paid off by successive generations will affect the American students of today. Maybe Obama already had problems before he was elected which were intentionally covered up by the media during the presidential election. For example, Obama smokes, and, what is even worse, he does not try to quit. It is not accidental that Obama has become a bit chaotic now." HUNTSMAN