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

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Editorial Quotes
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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