MEDIA REACTION: SECRETARY CLINTON'S TRIP TO ASIA; SINO-U.S.

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SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: SECRETARY CLINTON'S TRIP TO ASIA; SINO-U.S.
RELATIONS; U.S. ECONOMY; AFGHANISTAN; IRAQ

TOPICS:

1. Secretary Clinton's Trip to Asia

2. Sino-U.S. relations

3. U.S. economy

4. Afghanistan

5. Iraq

HEADLINES AND EXCERPTS:


1. Secretary Clinton's Trip to Asia

"Mrs. Clinton's chance to turn words into action"

The independent English-language South China Morning Post said in an
editorial (2/17): "U.S. President Barack Obama is shaping his
administration's foreign policy with great care. His deputy, Joe
Biden, laid the groundwork at a security conference in Germany 10
days ago with a keynote speech; his Middle East and South Asia
envoys have started their work; and his foremost diplomat, Hillary
Rodham Clinton, arrived in Japan yesterday on a tour that will also
take in China, South Korea and Indonesia. He starts his own
diplomacy on Thursday by going to Canada, the traditional first stop
for a new U.S. leader. Such attentiveness bodes well for
Washington's relations with the world; this approach must remain at
the core of its diplomatic efforts.... It is clear from so much
diplomatic activity that the Obama administration is going out of
its way to avoid causing offence. This is good, given the manner in
which George W. Bush split the world with his go-it-alone approach
to foreign relations. The rifts with other governments and the
Muslim world have to be patched up. Mr Obama's background, growing
up in Indonesia and multicultural Hawaii, gives him an understanding
of the world his predecessor lacked. The skepticism about what he
can achieve has to be allayed. His envoys have so far made the
right noises. Mrs. Clinton has the opportunity to turn those words
into action."

"Hillary will try to find the new international order"

The center-left Chinese-language Sing Tao Daily News said in an
editorial (2/17): "U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived
in Japan last night and began her Asia trip. The most important
stop will be Secretary Clinton's last stop - China. Hillary
choosing Japan as her first stop implies that she wants to appease
Japan and to strike a diplomatic balance. The financial tsunami has
led to the shrinking of wealth in developed countries. In order to
seek buyers for their bonds and products, they all hope that China,
which has huge reserves and market, can 'open their reserves and
come to the rescue.' Earlier, U.S. Treasury Secretary Geithner
quoted Obama's election platform and said China has manipulated the
exchange rate. However, China seriously refuted the case.
Afterward, the U.S. became more moderate in their tone. In the just
finished G8 meeting, the U.S. did not put high profile pressure on
the revaluation of the yuan. On the contrary, they praised China
for using $4 trillion yuan to boost the economy, hoping to please
China in order to alleviate their economic difficulties.... The
Obama administration has to make up for the financial and diplomatic
mistakes made during Bush's tenure. In the new international
financial and diplomatic order, China will play a more important
role than before. Both the U.S. and China are still trying to
determine what China's role should be and how important it will be."


"Hillary's Asia trip is a 'listening trip'"

The pro-PRC Chinese-language Macau Daily News remarked in an
editorial (2/17): "...U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James
Steinberger said in Washington on February 12 that Hillary choosing
to visit Asia first showed that the Obama administration attached
much importance to Asia. He said Hillary's Asia trip will be a trip
of listening.... It is generally believed that the visit to Tokyo,
Jakarta and Seoul will be easy for Hillary. The trip to Japan is to
maintain the alliance relationships. The trip to South Korea is to
maintain relations and to focus on the North Korean nuclear issue.
The trip to Indonesia will signal that the U.S. will engage in
Southeast Asian politics again. And the last stop is Beijing.
Since China cannot be condemned unreasonably again, Hillary needs to
establish constructive relations with China.... Many experts and
scholars believe that Hillary's China visit will set a tone for the
Obama administration's China policy and to lay down a good
foundation for bilateral relationship. They don't need to make
major progress in working out details. Walter Lohman, the Director
of The Heritage Foundation's Asian Studies Center, and Richard Bush,
the Director of the Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies at
Brookings Institute, suggest Hillary serving as a good listener
during her Asia trip to listen to the voice of Asian countries,
especially China. She should use action to carry out her 'smart
power' and 'vanguard of foreign policy'"


2. Sino-U.S. relations

"Protectionism tests Sino-U.S. relations"

The pro-PRC Chinese-language Ta Kung Pao remarked in an editorial
(2/16): "...In recent years, the U.S. has passed many measures (for
examples, anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures) to restrict the
imports of Chinese products. 'Buy American' may become a new trade
barrier mechanism. Apart from the traditional protectionist
measures, the financial crisis has triggered other new protectionist
measures.... The first is 'industry interference' protectionism.
Following the lead of the U.S., countries will support local auto
industries by offering loans. This is actually a subsidy which has
aroused debates between the EU and the U.S. and among EU
countries.... The second is currency protectionism. The
International community put pressure on China to push for the
revaluation of the yuan, so that the U.S. dollar will depreciate and
enhance U.S. competiveness.... The third is investment
protectionism. A few years ago, U.S. politicians used national
security as a political reason to stop CNOOC (China National
Offshore Oil Corp) from acquiring a U.S. oil company. The above
protectionist measures are testing Sino-U.S. trade relations, which
may even affect relations in other areas. China must pay attention
to the development of the state of affairs and must work on
safeguarding its national interests."


3. U.S. economy

"The U.S. must be careful not to follow Japan's path and decline for
twenty years"

The independent Chinese-language Hong Kong Economic Times commented
in an editorial (2/17): "Japan's economy has plummeted rapidly.
Its economy in the fourth quarter last year recorded a negative
growth of 12.7 percent. Its era of economic decline seems to have
entered the 20th year. Since the U.S. economic recession seems to
follow Japan's, whose economy has a chronic disease. If the U.S.
does not take the right medicine for its problem, the U.S. may also
decline for several years which will weigh down the whole world....
The U.S. is more willing to face the reality than Japan was. Thus,
it will not be like Japan, whose economy declined for twenty years.
However, the U.S. economy is seriously battered. If it does not
prescribe a potent medicine, its economy will not be able to recover
within three to five years. As a global economic engine for the
world, if the U.S. economy declines for five years, the global
economy will also be dragged into long-term suffering too."

"The White House should be quick in dealing with the financial
crisis, it cannot loss confidence"

The independent Chinese-language Ming Pao Daily News had an
editorial (2/15): "...Obama should understand the importance of
'confidence'. Last September, on the eve of the presidential
election, the polls showed that Obama was behind McCain. In
mid-September, following the financial tsunami, American voters
casted their votes for Obama who called for change. Obama, who has
no administrative experience and is not a veteran Senator, won the
election. In brief, it is because of 'confidence.' Now, Obama's
Treasury Secretary did not give people enough confidence. If people
continue to loss their confidence, Obama's work will get half the
result with twice the effort."


4. Afghanistan

"U.S. should adopt a more pragmatic strategy toward Afghanistan"

The pro-PRC Chinese-language Macau Daily News remarked in an
editorial (2/15): "Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan attacked a
government building in Kabul on February 11, killing 26 and injuring
55.... The Taliban's attack has strengthened and quickened U.S.
resolve to increase troops in Afghanistan. On the other hand, it
also urges the U.S. to adopt a more pragmatic strategy toward
Afghanistan.... Taliban's attack has posed a new challenge to the
U.S. The U.S. will become more pragmatic in its future Afghanistan
strategy. It will differentiate among opponents. The U.S. will
resolutely combat the extreme and obstinate forces and will try to
draw moderate groups closer."


5. Iraq

"Small mercies"

Commentator and broadcaster Michael Chugani wrote in the 'Insight'
page in the independent English-language South China Morning Post
(2/17): "What price democracy? In the case of Iraq, it's about
4,250 dead American troops and still counting. Add another 320 or
so if you include dead soldiers from the other nations that joined
the so-called 'coalition of the willing' to invade and democratise
Iraq. As for dead Iraqis, both civilians and soldiers, don't bother
counting. No one knows for sure. The Bush administration didn't
think it necessary to keep tabs. But the Iraq Body Count website
puts civilian deaths so far at about 100,000.... When Mr. Bush
invaded Iraq, he expected a quick, cheap war that would produce the
Middle East's first true democracy. It's been neither quick nor
cheap and, six years on, there's still no real democracy even though
a very high price has already been paid, including a dramatic troop
surge to prevent civil war. Instead, Mr. Bush's war has made many
wonder if critics have a point when they say democracy simply cannot
work in some societies. How do you even start to democratise a
region ruled by dictatorial kings and tribal chiefs, where religion
virtually controls daily life, where judicial punishment includes
hands being chopped off and death by stoning, and where women aren't
allowed to drive. Would it be more realistic to hope for some
semblance of democracy rather than the full-blown western-style
version?"

DONOVAN