MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS, TIBET, ASIAN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 000677 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, TIBET, ASIAN AMERICAN -------------- Editorial Quotes -------------- ¶1. U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS "U.S. and China talk about cooperation amid noises" The official Xinhua News Agency international news publication International Herald Leader (Guoji Xianqu Daobao)(03/16): "On March 15th, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi ended his visit to Washington. He received an above average treatment by President Obama. However, there were criticisms against China from both Capitol Hill and the Pentagon. The main goal of Minister Yang's visit was to prepare for the meeting of President Hu Jintao and President Obama next month in London, according AFT reports. The 'Obama era' began with an optimistic trend in the U.S.-China relationship. Chinese experts indicate that the U.S. has exaggerated the 'spy ship' incident. It shows that the politics of the U.S. involve various factors and divergences. The U.S. Department of Defense feels that its intentions have yet to be reflected because the Department of State has been leading the bilateral relations since Obama took office. Thus the 'Hawk party' has produced the incident. Although the U.S. and China have had their small frictions, both must accept the fact that the U.S. and China are in the same boat. The Hu-Obama meeting will first establish the fields of cooperation between the U.S. and China in the following couple of years. The two countries will begin with the field of climate change which is easier to begin with." ¶2. TIBET a. "Playing the Dalai card leads the West to lose the support of young people on China" The official Communist Party international news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(03/16): "Recently, Chinese young men have continuously pointed their attention toward Tibet related issues. They support democracy and human rights protection in Tibet. They do not oppose the Western slogans of democracy, freedom, and human rights. However, they realize that the West lacks a basic understanding about Tibet. The West supports the Dalai because of its strategic considerations rather than because of objective facts. Western strategists who have claimed they care about freedom, democracy and human rights in Tibet, ignored the achievements for the past 50 years in Tibet and support Tibet returning to a feudal �00A;serf system. Chinese young people have realized that what the West cares most about is not the Dalai, freedom, democracy or human rights in Tibet. The West cares most about disturbing China's focus on 'building the well-being of society', 'realizing its socialism modernization' and delaying China's peaceful development." b. "The carefully concealed interference statement" The official Xinhua News Agency international news publication International Herald Leader (Guoji Xianqu Daobao)(03/16): "On the 1st anniversary of the March 14th 2008 turmoil, Tibet did not experience any confrontations, as were suggested by the Dalai's clique. However, the U.S. and the EU congresses have successively passed Tibet related resolutions which criticize China's suppression of Tibet. In fact, the dialogue between the central government and the Dalai has never stopped. However, the nature of the issue in Tibet is a conflict of sovereignty and independence. The timing of these two resolutions is delicate. The Tibet issue continues to deteriorate, especially when certain international forces express their support of the Dalai's exiled clique. Moves, such as this, have urged the Dalai's ambition to grow, have led him to misjudge the situation and have created new conflicts. What's more, the content of the two resolutions were not different from their earlier Tibet-related resolutions. They have only made the issue the focus of attention again. This behavior has once again shown that the West's voice is the center of power; and expressed the West's elitist mentality. Therefore the two resolutions are just carefully concealed interference statements. If they really care about Tibet as they claimed, they should peacefully wait for Tibet's own choice." ¶3. ASIAN AMERICANS "Asian Americans competitiveness makes many Americans to respect and to fear them" The official Communist Party international news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(03/16): "There is a popular saying in the U.S. society that if you want to know which university is a popular university, you should look at how many Asian students there are on campus. Asian Americans are described as the model race in American society. However, they always feel that they can never become BEIJING 00000677 002 OF 002 American. On Campus, many white students try to avoid Asian students. During the financial crisis, Asian Americans are being considered the scapegoat for the crisis. The typical image of successful Asian Americans are: hardworking, diligent and a little bit stiff. Asian Americans are like the 'new Jewish people' in American society. An American report in 2007 showed that Asian Americans are the richest group in American society. Asian Americans are not as aggressive as African Americans on social equality issues. They are treated as 'economic giants but political dwarfs.' This situation began to change when Chinese Americans began to take positions in the State of California. The Obama cabinet also has nominated several Chinese Americans as members. Most Americans have the prejudice that 'Asian Americans are not American.' When Asian Americans insist on their traditional culture, they will have conflicts with the White culture. However, in recent years, Chinese Americans are experiencing a positive change from 'being looked down upon' to 'feeling somewhat equal.' It is not likely that large-scale xenophobia will happen again. But Asian Americans will encounter more occasions under which they feel unequal." PICCUTA