MEDIA REACTION: DEFENSE TALKS, WTO, U.S.-JAPAN-CHINA

UNCLAS BEIJING 000530 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: DEFENSE TALKS, WTO, U.S.-JAPAN-CHINA RELATIONS -------------- Editorial Quotes -------------- ¶1. DEFENSE TALKS "No barriers to U.S.-China military exchanges have been removed" The official Xinhua News Agency international news publication International Herald Leader (Guoji Xianqu Daobao)(3/02): "In the military exchanges, the U.S. is more interested in obtaining specific military information about China, but is hesitating on core-interest issues that concern China. The bilateral military relations prospect is not optimistic. Qian Lihua, Foreign Affairs Office Director of China's Defense Ministry, said China agrees to have defense talks with the U.S. based on the big picture of the bilateral relations. However, the resumption and development of bilateral military relations still has a long way to go and no obstacles ahead have yet been removed. The relations have been developing for three decades, but lack a common principle that both parties can agree upon. The two would better to reach a common view on the principles as soon as possible. America's 'China Military Power Report' has an obvious Cold War mentality. Chinese experts commenting on the U.S. attitude on the talks said that the U.S. always acts in this way. On the one hand, stick with the One-China Policy; on the other hand, obey the 'Taiwan Relations Act.' Until the U.S. takes actual action, China will not agree to have high-level defense negotiation." ¶2. WTO "The 'theory of collapse' is haunting the WTO" The official Communist Party international news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(3/02): "These days, the WTO is facing a crisis of survival. Various quarrels and contradictions caused by the financial crisis have made the WTO Director General ineffective and no one wants to compete for the position of the next Director General. People believe that the most important reason is that the WTO is incapable of preventing Western countries' protectionist measures. Since there is not yet an organization to replace the WTO right now, it is unlikely to disappear. But the WTO risks becoming an ineffective organization. The WTO itself has also felt unable to coordinate among countries. No candidate wants to receive this hot potato. Within the WTO, because of the comparative strengths of the various members, the situation is developing in an unbeneficial direction for the U.S. Thus, the U.S. and Europe have shifted focus to more beneficial bilateral, or regional, trade agreements. A British scholar indicated that Western member countries who use the WTO to realize low costs and high benefits have become too afraid to move forward nowadays." ¶3. U.S.-JAPAN-CHINA RELATIONS "Offsides in Cold War history" The official Xinhua News Agency international news publication International Herald Leader (Guoji Xianqu Daobao)(3/02): "Since 1951, the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty has been a defense agreement based on an obvious Cold War mentality. In 2005, the new Security Protection Declaration clearly changed the main target from the former-Soviet Union to China and North Korea. After the Cold War ended, the mentality of the two countries did not turn to dialogue and cooperation. On the contrary, the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty has extended the scope to security conflicts in Northeastern Asia, and even within China's sovereignty. Today, Japan included the Diaoyu Islands issue in the Security Treaty again. It is not only 'offsides' for the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty but also 'offsides' for the Cold War mentality of Northeast Asia security affairs. Such a move has further deteriorated the Diaoyu Islands situation." PICCUTA