MEDIA REACTION: CHINA'S DIPLOMACY, RUSSIA, GAZA, TIBET

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 000576 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: CHINA'S DIPLOMACY, RUSSIA, GAZA, TIBET -------------- Editorial Quotes -------------- ¶1. CHINA'S DIPLOMACY "What concepts does China have that would change the world?" The official Communist Party international news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(03/05): "Recently, 'the summit on Chinese and western intellectuals' to discuss China's model and its international influence was held in Paris. For the past 30 years, several Chinese concepts, such as being 'practical and realistic', 'harmony' and 'people's well-being being the most important' etc. have not only changed China but have also had an influence in the world. 'Be practical and realistic' is a typical Chinese concept. It coincides with a European concept during The Enlightenment; 'reason and logic'. This concept, being practical and realistic, has made China one of the countries that have had the least ideological prejudices in the world. China has prioritized its people's well-being and stability. This has enabled China to realize continuous development over three decades, something that has never happened in China before now. China's model has flaws, but all the achievements it has made have well established the global influence of China's model. 'Being practical and realistic' helps China not to blindly accept the West's concept of democracy. For the last 500 years, the West has taken the lead in the international political and economic order. This needs to be changed. The system of powers being dominated by Western countries is no longer working. None of the global issues can be solved based on the West-led world order or the Western influential system of today. China's rising process will be one where China's standards and model will take shape." ¶2. RUSSIA "Russia waits for the U.S.' move" The official intellectual publication Guangming Daily (Guangming Ribao)(03/05): "Recently, president Obama wrote a letter to the Russian president. This move is taken to be an olive branch from Washington to Moscow. The U.S. government has made a new judgment concerning the U.S.-Russia relationship. What's more, Obama has suggested that the U.S. and Russia jointly restrain Iran from developing long range missiles. However, due to accumulated rancor, in the short term, the two can hardly reach any common views. The tension between the two countries was directly related to the Bush administration's policy on Russia. The U.S. attitude on the anti-missile deployment will be crucial to solving the tension. Russia has no cards to play. The U.S. has all the cards. Distrust is still deeply rooted between the U.S. and Russia. The financial crisis has been an opportunity for the Obama administration to erase the unilateral influence of the Bush administration concerning the bilateral relationship." ¶3. GAZA "Difficulties and hope in Gaza's reconstruction" The official intellectual publication Guangming Daily (Guangming Ribao)(03/05): "The reconstruction of Gaza has become an effective means for the U.S. and Europe to make Hamas obey and to promote the Palestine-Israel peace talks. The existing difficulties are: how to put money in the right hands, how to spend the money and how to solve the political disputes behind the money. Two preconditions have to be met: first, Palestine has to reach reconciliation among its various parties and set up a joint government. Second, Gaza must realize a long-term cease fire. The reconstruction of Gaza is one proof that shows the Israel-Palestine issue is complicated. However, the general trend is peaceful development and the reconstruction has brought a ray of hope to the stalled Israel-Palestine talks." ¶4. TIBET "Wrong stance on Tibet hinders ties with China" The official English-language newspaper China Daily commented (03/05): "This year marks the 50th anniversary of the quashing of the Dalai Lama-led revolt in the Tibet Autonomous Region and subsequent beginning of democratic reform....However, some Westerners; long harboring ill intentions towards China have taken advantage of the Tibet issue in order to force their misconceptions upon China. It is known that the Tibet issue is in essence not an issue of ethnicity, religion, or human rights, but of several Western infringements on China's sovereignty, territorial integrity and core national interests. Western nations should recognize that Tibet is an inalienable part of China and stop intervening if they want to remain on good terms with China....It is impossible for any BEIJING 00000576 002 OF 002 Western country to not interact with China. However, it is impossible for the West to cooperate with China unless it develops an objective and unbiased stance on Tibet." PICCUTA