MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS, DALAI MEETING, IRAN

UNCLAS BEIJING 000454 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: U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS, DALAI MEETING, IRAN -------------- Editorial Quotes -------------- ¶1. U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS "Be careful about the U.S.'s transferring middle class crisis" The People's Daily-sponsored and internationally-focused commercial news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(02/25)(pg 14): "The American engineer's suicidal airplane attack on the tax bureau building shows that the American middle class are experiencing a serious crisis. In the last 20 or 30 years, the American middle-class, the basis of the U.S.'s political and economic system, has undergone a process of impasse, setback and near collapse. Meanwhile, the rescue measures of the right and left were incompatible. The U.S. is at a historical cross-road. After one year in office, President Obama is still faltering and having difficulties when reforming the medical system, the financial system, and the other sectors. What happens to the American middle-class is at stake with in China. Someone with ulterior motives in the United States intends to use issues like the exchange rate, climate change, intellectual property protection, cyber security and other topics to shift the American middle class's sentiment into disappointment, worry, fear, and anger. China must be vigilant of the U.S.'s attempt to shape China as an enemy so as to ease their own [domestic] pressures." ¶2. DALAI MEETING "Dalai Lama's vQit to the U.S. has little momentum and effect" The official Xinhua News Agency international news publication International Herald Leader (Guoji Xianqu Daobao)(02/25)(pg 1): "During the Dalai's visit to the United States, he did not get the chance to publically meet with Obama. It seems that his gains were few: two photos together, a verbal support and a medal. Experts said that the White House chose the Map room as the meeting room in order to imply the meeting's informal nature. In this way, the United States wanted to avoid further irritating China. American public opinion suggests, and all facts show, that the Dalai has become Obama's pawn to maintain the U.S. interest and contain China. However, the pawn's future is not optimistic in the eyes of the international society. Ted Carpenter said that the Dalai Lama seems to use meetings with Western politicians to create international pressure, especially diplomatic pressure between the United States and China. However, the Dalai's words and deeds, in fact, will not waiver the substance of Sino-U.S. relations. If the differences between China and the United States can remain at a manageable level, the relationship between the two sides may expect a turnaround in the second half of the year." ¶3. IRAN "China could act more leisurely on the Iran nuclear issue" The People's Daily-sponsored and internationally-focused commercial news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(02/25)(pg 14): "The sensitivities and difficulty of China's stance on the Iran issue are due to the fact that the unified stance of the U.S., UK, France and Germany, leaves China without a clear stance for possible opposition. In fact, there is still room for diplomatic resolution in addition to other hard-line options of resolution from threats about sanctions to a military strike. The recent policies of Iran and the United States suggest that the Iran issue will follow the development of either of these two tracks (diplomatic resolution and hard-line resolution) alternatively. Therefore, China should be able to make their choice on stance more leisurely, less urgently, more independently, and less bindingly. Specifically, China should separate the different issues and avoid closely connecting China-Iran relations with Sino-U.S. relations. Instead choosing to relate their general Iran policy to specific tactics on the Iran nuclear issue; choosing to relate the Iran nuclear issue to the policy on Iran's development of nuclear weapons. The better Sino-Iran relations develop, a more positive role that China could play in the region." HUNTSMAN