MEDIA REACTION: PRESIDENT OBAMA TO TURKEY; G-20 SUMMIT

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SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: PRESIDENT OBAMA TO TURKEY; G-20 SUMMIT

TOPICS:

1. President Obama to Turkey

2. G-20 summit

HEADLINES AND EXCERPTS:


1. President Obama to Turkey

"A new beginning for the U.S. in the Islamic world"

The independent English-language South China Morning Post said in an
editorial (4/8): "U.S. President Barack Obama needs to do a
substantial amount of work to repair his country's damaged relations
with the Islamic world. Much was therefore made of his trip this
week to Turkey, his first visit to a Muslim-majority country as
American leader. His speech to the Turkish parliament and talks
with religious heads were handled with care and sensitivity. The
groundwork has been laid; both sides must now put every effort into
building on the process to bridge what has become a dangerous
divide.... The biggest barrier to better relations between the west
and Muslims is understanding; Mr Obama went a long way to fostering
this in Turkey. But the nation is neither the Muslim heartland nor
a hotbed of Islamic fundamentalism. A dramatic address to the
Muslim world would have to be made on a different stage.
Nonetheless, Mr Obama has expressed the necessary sentiments, and in
the right way. He has embarked on the mission astutely. Mistrust
lies in the way, but a new beginning has been promised and what has
been created must be embraced and built upon."


2. G-20 summit

"Scaling the summit"

Commentator Frank Ching wrote in the 'Insight' page in the
independent English-language South China Morning Post (4/8): "The
Group of 20 summit in London is being hailed as a great success by
almost all participants, including those who had previously held
diametrically opposed views, with the Americans and British on one
side and the French and Germans on the other. Without doubt,
however, China emerged as a winner. President Hu Jintao was treated
with great respect, being seated at the right side of the host,
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, during dinner and in official
photographs of the assembled leaders.... Interestingly, China's
proposal for a new reserve currency to replace the U.S. dollar was
not on the agenda of the G20 meeting, and the Chinese did not raise
the issue. That was probably because they were pretty happy with
the outcome, both of the G20 itself and of all the meetings on the
sidelines. China has now arrived and henceforth will be treated
with the respect due to a major power."

DONOVAN