MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS, NORTH KOREA

UNCLAS BEIJING 000498 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: OPRC KMDR CH SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS, NORTH KOREA -------------- Editorial Quotes -------------- ¶1. U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS "Shelving stereotypes a must for cooperation" The official English-language newspaper China Daily (02/06): "...Concerted cooperation between China and the U.S. depends fundamentally on whether the two countries can transcend the stereotypes mentally of international relations. According to traditional international political theory, fierce competition and even rivalry typically surface between the old hegemony and the emerging powers. In today's world, where the U.S.' authority is on the decline, there are no reasons why the U.S. should not keep a precautionary watch over the emerging Asian giant....As the world's largest and third largest economies, Washington and Beijing should adopt a longer perspective in dealing with each other and should shoulder increasing responsibility for the construction of a stable world order." ¶2. NORTH KOREA "Lacking the bottom line traps the U.S. in North Korea's difficult nuclear issues." The official Communist Party international news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(02/26): "Recently North Korea launched a satellite. They are making good use of the U.S. transition period. The Obama administration's bottom line on North Korea's nuclear issue is not clear. North Korea is taking the chance and adopting a strategy of 'two steps forward and one step back.' In this way North Korea can gain more time for its nuclear plan. The Bush administration failed on the North Korea policy primarily because it did not establish a bottom line and therefore lost touch with its goals and principles. What's more, the Bush administration had a one-sided wish that it could lead North Korea to give up their nuclear plan by buying it from them. The Six Party Talks are still the best way to realize the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. The U.S. believes the Six-Party Talks' task is finding a way to compensate North Korea in exchange for their giving up of their nuclear program. However, they do realize that North Korea does not pursue a result from the talks, but just values the process. This fully shows the U.S. is being strange about North Korea's policy. After decades, one should know North Korea is firm about the goal of becoming a country possessing nuclear programs. How the Obama administration will deal with this issue will influence the future of the peninsula." PICCUTA