MEDIA REACTION: INTERNET FREEDOM

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 000216 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: PREL ECON SENV KGHG KMDR OPRC CH SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: INTERNET FREEDOM -------------- Editorial Quotes -------------- INTERNET FREEDOM a. "Dealing with U.S. network diplomacy with caution" The People's Daily-sponsored and internationally-focused commercial news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(01/27)(pg 14): "Ironically, the U.S. government seems to have forgotten the original intention of the U.S. Department of Defense's design of the Internet: to design a communication system consisting of no central location in order to ensure that the department could still communicate, if possible, after a nuclear strike. This means that even the U.S. cannot completely control the flow of network information. When Secretary Clinton mentioned in her speech that 'unrestricted freedom is an important value of the network', it caused quite a lot of speculation to spread on the Internet. This happened because it is the U.S., who has the most powerful capacity to monitor and control the network, and who has been the most energetic in verbally opposing network control. Secretary Clinton mentioned 'the freedom to access networks' in her speech and demanded the passing of 'firewall-evading software', jointly developed by the U.S. government, corporations and non-governmental organizations, into the hands 'of the people who need it.' However, what she is really concerned about is promoting political changes and the globalization of 'American democracy' by using the Internet. The so-called 'network freedom' is just a 'selective freedom,' which is based on where the U.S.'s national interest lies. Managing the information flow is ONE of a country's sovereign rights. It is a country's own decision on how to control and when to open up the internet. The U.S.' practice, whereby they carry on their diplomacy by through the Internet, in order to wrap up the issues of human rights and internet freedom has become a new challenge for China." b. "The U.S.' stance on 'Internet freedom' is hypercritical" The official intellectual publication Guangming Daily (Guangming Ribao)(01/27)(pg 8): "U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's speech on 'Internet freedom' has provoked international outrage. The Internet has become a tool for the United States to attack and accuse other countries, for example, the United States used twitter to support Iranian oppositionists before and after the Iranian election. The United States criticizes other countries for no reason while strengthening its own internet capability. The United States' practice of interfering in other countries' internal affairs by using the Internet has already been universally condemned by the international community. A number of countries believe that it is dangerous to let the United States dominate the Internet alone." c. "Disturbances should not be created as it will 'hijack' U.S.-China relations" The official Communist Party People's Daily (Renmin Ribao)(01/27)(pg 3): "Although the Chinese government has carefully responded to the Google incident, the hype surrounding this issue still has not subsided. The poor start this year is not what a healthy development of Sino-U.S. relations is supposed to look like. For example, arms sales to Taiwan, trade protectionism, the Google incident and the possible meeting by President Obama with the Dalai Lama, in nature, all concern China's core interests. The solutions to these issues will definitely harm the bilateral relationship. The United States is 'overly confident' about working with China when there are still some severe disagreements. The United States is overlooking China's concerns. The United States will not gain anything if it creates disturbances to hijack U.S.-China relations." d. "Obama lets the Chinese people down" The People's Daily-sponsored and internationally-focused commercial news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(01/27)(pg 14): "What the U.S. President Obama has done so far this year has greatly disappointed the Chinese people, who had expected that, after he took office, Sino-U.S. relations would begin with a good start and would continuously climb. The Chinese people have to question what ulterior motives are behind the 'Obama-style smile.' Chinese people question if current bilateral relations are even worse now than in the latter phase of the Bush era? From the former President Bush's second term till today, the results of several polls show that the U.S. has been among the list of 'the Chinese people's favorite countries.' However, their good impression of the United States doesn't mean that they must give up their own values and follow the U.S.'s values. Obama should remember that the Chinese people's opinion is playing an increasing role in China's social development. If he hopes to improve Sino-U.S. relations, he has to care about their good impression of the United States. The United States BEIJING 00000216 002 OF 002 should also give up attempts to provoke relations between the Chinese people and their government. Someone said that the United States and China are entering a 'mild war' era. It is noticeable that in the past the U.S. president always made efforts to restrict radical anti-China forces' activities, however, this time it is the U.S. President and Secretary of State who are encouraging American companies to start fights with China." HUNTSMAN