MEDIA REACTION: OBAMA'S TRANS-PACIFIC ENGAGEMENT

UNCLAS KATHMANDU 001128



SIPDIS



STATE FOR SCA/INS, PM/CBM, PM/PRO



STATE FOR SCA/PPD, PA/RRU



E.O. 12958 N/A

TAGS: KMDR, KPAO, PGOV, OPRC, NP

SUBJ: MEDIA REACTION: OBAMA'S TRANS-PACIFIC

ENGAGEMENT



1. SUMMARY: Nepal's state-owned English daily the

Rising Nepal (estimated circulation of 5,000) on

Friday, December 11, 2009 published an opinion piece

by an academician where the writer analyzes U.S.

engagement in the Trans-Pacific region. Dr. Upendra

Gautam, an engineer by profession, in the piece

"U.S. in Nepal's neighborhood" states that United

States needs to tread carefully in the region so as

not to annoy the two rising powers - India or China.

The writer praises President Obama for his pragmatic

approach and his recognition of China as America's



most important bilateral partner of 21st century. The

article predicts that President Obama 'may be

successful in his South Asian initiative if his

administration does not repeat the unforgivable

mistake of previous administration.'



SELECTED EXCERPTS:



2. "...By preferring to call himself the first "Pacific

President" of the US, he has raised America's neighborly

standing vis--vis Asia... Obama, after his rise to the US

presidency, has been a fast learner of Trans-Pacific

affairs. His keen aptitude for the region turned him into

a "pragmatist" much before he visited China (November 15-

18, 2009). US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's China

visit early this year definitely played a role in

preparing the ground for a new era of pragmatic

cooperation in Trans-Pacific relations."



3. "Not everyone has been happy with Obama and his

unconventionally inclusive and non-partisan approach. One

of those unhappy persons was Man Mohan Singh, the Indian

prime minister. Singh's government was particularly not

happy with the reference to South Asia made in the Joint

Statement that was published in Beijing on November 17 at

the fag-end of Obama's China visit."



4. "... Indian anger and disappointment caused by the

Sino-US Joint Statement prevailed so much over Singh that

he even chose to ignore that his country's bilateral ties

with China were officially based on the principle of

peaceful co-existence. Singh could not directly criticize

host Obama for the Sino-US Joint Statement. So by way of

tactics, he had to goad and demean a country with which

Obama considered having the most important bilateral

relations of the 21st century."



5. "Unforgivable mistake: To what extent Singh realizes

his strategic objective is anybody's guess at this moment.

What is sure for now is Obama will have to unwaveringly

play his pragmatic Trans-Pacific role with inclusive and

non-partisan vision and accomplished skills. He may be

successful in his South Asian initiative to a larger

extent if his administration does not repeat the

unforgivable mistake of the previous US administration in

Iraq, which the US attacked and occupied for having

imaginary 'weapon of mass destruction.' These times are

certainly neither like the Iraq one nor that of World War

II."



BERRY