MEDIA REACTION: CLIMATE CHANGE, AFGHANISTAN, JAPAN, CHINA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 003425 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 SENV KGHG KMDR OPRC CH SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: CLIMATE CHANGE, AFGHANISTAN, JAPAN, CHINA POLICY -------------- Editorial Quotes -------------- ¶1. CLIMATE CHANGE "The Copenhagen Conference did not fail" Guangdong 21st Century Publishing Company Ltd.'s business newspaper 21st Century Business Herald (21Shiji Jingji Baodao)(12/22)(pg 2): "The principles of a 'dual climate change responsibilities' have been maintained and the terms related to assistance and morality have not been deleted. If you compare the Copenhagen Summit with the 'Kyoto Protocol', you will find the Copenhagen Summit, both in the breadth, depth and continuity, is better than the latter. In breadth, before the Copenhagen Summit, China and the U.S., the world's two largest emitters, on November 20 signed a clean energy technology cooperation document, and on November 25 the United States, who boycotted the carbon emissions reduction suggestion, for the first time brought forward its reduction goals, a symbol of America's return to the world's 'carbon emissions reduction' camp. We have always seen the Copenhagen Conference as a global, flexible and sustainable procedure which should include backup 'anti-global warming' programs. In fact, the Copenhagen Conference achieved this result. If there are regrets, it is because the United States is entangled in the issue of 'the chicken or the egg,' and, rather than show good faith and sincerity, has linked the responsibility of emissions reduction to other countries." ¶2. AFGHANISTAN "China should try sending police to Afghanistan" The official Communist Party international news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(12/22)(pg 14): "As to the issue of whether or not China should send troops to Afghanistan, there is a middle road: instead of sending army, air force, missile troops or completely following the United States' steps, China could send police troops to Afghanistan in order to assist the Afghanistan government to ensure the security of engineering projects that China has helped with or has invested in. The deteriorating Afghanistan situation is increasingly harming China's interests. It is a reasonable choice for China to send police troops to assist the Afghan Government to ensure the safety of China's projects. It is also conducive to China's moral support for the Afghan government's efforts towards social stability. This is the best time for China to take on its international duties and to promote China's national image." ¶3. JAPAN "The U.S.- Japan relationship has become tense" The official Communist Party People's Daily (Renmin Ribao)(12/22)(pg 3): " Since Japan's Prime Minister Hatoyama took office this September, signs of tension have begun to show. Recently, issues surrounding the Futenma airbase have made the future of the relations gloomy. It seemed that the leaders of both Japan and the United States have encountered obstacles in their direct communication. At the Copenhagen Summit, Hatoyama did not fulfill his wish of explaining the delayed Futenma airbase issue resolution while face to face with President Obama. Meanwhile, a poll revealed that the two countries' people both became less optimistic about the relationship. The United States is pressuring the Hatoyama government to make a decision as soon as possible. Until this issue is resolved, the United States will continue to doubt the Hatoyama government." ¶4. CHINA POLICY "Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement: a key step for both sides of the Taiwan Strait" Guangdong 21st Century Publishing Company Ltd.'s business newspaper 21st Century Business Herald (21Shiji Jingji Baodao)(12/22)(pg6): "Chen Yunlin, Chairman of the Association for Relations across the Taiwan Straits has met with the Chairman of the Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation to promote negotiations on the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA). The cross-Strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) is to establish a negotiations model by the Taiwan authorities with the Mainland in accordance with that of China-ASEAN FTA . A mainland scholar pointed out that ECFA is only a regional matter, which will only have a partial rather than overall impact on the mainland. However, the ECFA to Taiwan, is a holistic, strategic and comprehensive matter, which will determine the future of Taiwan. Therefore, there is no doubt that Taiwan needs the ECFA more than the mainland does. Meanwhile, the Mainland's focus on the ECFA has more significance than just economic interests. In light of pursuing the peaceful BEIJING 00003425 002 OF 002 development of cross-Strait relations, the ECFA's main goal is systemizing cross-Strait economic relations. The economic merging across the Strait will be effective in preventing Taiwan independence forces from expanding its influence and promoting the consideration of political integration. The ECFA is a key step for cross-Strait integration momentum from economic to political fields." GOLDBERG