MEDIA REACTION: BUYING AMERICAN, GARY LOCKE, FINANCIAL

UNCLAS BEIJING 000544

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: BUYING AMERICAN, GARY LOCKE, FINANCIAL
CRISIS

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Editorial Quotes
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1. BUYING AMERICAN

"Buying American is just a tempest in a tea pot"

Elite Reference (Qingnian Cankao),a newspaper affiliated to the
official Communist Youth League China Youth (03/03): "After passing
through nine doors and two security guard posts, we were allowed
access to the press conference at the U.S. Embassy to listen to U.S.
Minister-Counselor Robert Luke 's press roundtable. The roundtable
aimed to explain the sensitive trade protection issue. The press
conference room is mainly built with grey stone walls, reminding
people of an economic iron curtain, which is often used to describe
trade protectionism. Canadian media commented Buying American is
like 'a tempest in a tea pot' for member countries who have signed
the GPA agreement. Buying American is only a superficial phenomenon.
It is the undercurrent of 'de-globalization' that is worthy of
China's attention. Even if the U.S.'s behavior isn't out of line
this time, China still needs to adjust its export pattern to deal
with de-globalization, not just the 'Buying American' bill."


2. GARY LOCKE

"Rationally look at the Chinese-American in the U.S. Cabinet"

The China Radio International sponsored newspaper World News Journal
(Shijie Xinwenbao)(03/03): "Gary Locke has been nominated as the new
U.S. Secretary of Commerce. However, to what extent a
Chinese-American in the U.S. Cabinet will aid the interests of the
Chinese should be looked at rationally. This individual is tasked
with looking after the American people's interest. They [Locke and
the other Chinese-American officials that Obama has nominated] may
know the Chinese people's logic and are therefore likely to be more
powerful opponents. What's more, Chinese-American influence is
still limited in U.S. society."


3. FINANCIAL CRISIS

"March begins with hardship for the world"

The official Communist Party international news publication Global
Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(03/03): "In March, China's National Political
Consultation Conference will begin. The world expects the Chinese
government to officially announce China's goal to maintain its 8%
growth rate at this conference. The goal sounds extreme because
most of the large economies, which compete with China, such as
Europe and the U.S. are experiencing negative growth. For China,
March is full of trouble and uncertainty. The U.S.-based
publication, Time Magazine, commented that China is an exception
among the negative global sentiment. However, the Wall Street
Journal said that China's economy will not likely recover soon.
Chinese analysts believe that study of China's economy will increase
throughout the world, because China's economy did not experience the
same large-scale problems as Western countries had during the
current crisis. The world expects China to provide more investment
opportunities. The voices challenging China are diminishing."

PICCUTA