MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-CHINA MILITARY RELATIONS, U.S.

UNCLAS BEIJING 003174 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: U.S.-CHINA MILITARY RELATIONS, U.S. RELATIONS WITH INDIA AND PAKISTAN, CLIMATE CHANGE -------------- Editorial Quotes -------------- ¶1. U.S.-CHINA MILITARY RELATIONS "One third of the United States' latest report devoted to the Chinese Navy" Elite Reference (Qingnian Cankao),a newspaper affiliated to the official Communist Youth League China Youth Daily (11/25) (pg 06): "A report issued by a special U.S. Congressional committee (the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission) seems to have dumped cold water on the newly-established honeymoon relationship between the United States and China. The report fabricated the possible threat posed by China's Navy and cyber warfare capabilities, which is misleading to the American public. Chinese Embassy Spokesperson Wang Baodong said the committee has repeatedly accused China without any evidence in its annual reports. The Financial Times said that U.S. suspicion that China poses a military threat is incompatible with the joint economic body that has been established between the two countries. The goal of China's military development is definitely not to compete for hegemony with the United States, but rather to prevent the United States from harming China's core interests. The American right wing has obviously twisted the facts." ¶2. U.S. RELATIONS WITH INDIA AND PAKISTAN "Where are relations between the U.S., India, and Pakistan heading?" The official intellectual publication Guangming Daily (Guangming Ribao)(11/25)(pg 8): "The underlying problem in relations between Pakistan and India is the Kashmir dispute. The two countries also have differences over the War on Terror, and each blames the other for launching terror attacks against it. Furthermore, the two countries are still locked in an arms race with each other. As the United States reviews its counterterrorism strategy, it is increasingly obvious that the United States will play a significant role in India-Pakistan relations. Both India and Pakistan are hoping to gain the support of the United States in order to contain the other country. Improved relations between the United States and Pakistan have, to some extent, softened India's position vis--vis Pakistan." ¶3. CLIMATE CHANGE "Chinese delegation urges countries to reach a substantive agreement at Copenhagen" The Shanghai-based Shanghai Media Group (SMG) publication, China Business News (Diyi Caijing)(11/25)(pg A4): "Li Gao, the Director of the International Negotiations and International Policy Department in the Climate Change Division of the National Development and Reform Commission and a member of the Chinese delegation to Copenhagen, said that the Chinese delegation will push for a substantive climate change agreement at Copenhagen. China will not accept the meeting ending with an empty political declaration. In order to promote such an agreement, China will take more initiatives prior to the conference, many of which will be unveiled soon, such as a kick-off ceremony sponsored by Sohu.com's green forum for the Chinese delegation that will attend the Copenhagen conference. More than 20 Chinese media outlets will go to Copenhagen to report on the conference, which shows significant progress and attention to the issue of climate change in China. Chen Ying, the Deputy Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that the Chinese government will not support an international agreement that requires sacrificing the right to development. Mr. Li added that verification is a controversial issue, but without solving it the Copenhagen conference will be fruitless. He noted, however, that China has been making continuous efforts to deal with climate change." HUNTSMAN