VZCZCXYZ0009
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #1556/01 2220859
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 100859Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8874
INFO RHMFISS/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL//SCJ2//
RULGPUA/USCOMSOLANT

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001556 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INR/R/MR, I/GWHA, WHA, WHA/PDA, WHA/BSC, 
WHA/EPSC 
CDR USSOCOM FOR J-2 IAD/LAMA 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO OPRC KMDR PREL
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION; ARGENTINE FOREIGN POLICY; 
BEIJING-WASHINGTON TENSION; 08/09/07 
 
 
¶1. SUMMARY STATEMENT 
 
Leading international opinion pieces cover Argentina's current and 
upcoming foreign policy; and the mounting trade dispute between the 
US and China. 
 
¶2. OPINION PIECES AND EDITORIALS 
 
- "Gestures towards the world" 
 
Ricardo Kirschbaum, general editor of leading "Clarn," writes 
(08/09) "The (Argentine) Government is making gestures towards the 
world which are in line with the new (foreign) policy Cristina 
Kirchner could implement if she wins the presidency... There has 
been a test in Buenos Aires - firebrand Hugo Chvez, Spanish VP and 
the members of the influential Council of the Americas have come to 
Argentina. 
 
"This will continue in September in New York when Nestor Kirchner 
attends the UN General Assembly meetings and a panel promoted by 
former US President Bill Clinton... 
 
"This is a turning point in Argentina's foreign policy, which is 
aimed at making the US-Argentine bilateral relationship more 
functional. Diplomatic sources say that Argentina has been 
cooperative on crucial issues. Regardless of ideological rhetoric, 
the facts demonstrate that ties are much better than they appear to 
be. 
 
"Regarding Chvez, Argentina's need to maintain a good relationship 
with him is justified by the fact that Venezuela lent a financial 
hand to Kirchner when others refused. While Kirchner is not at ease 
with the Venezuelan's radical rhetoric, he is a pragmatist (just 
like Argentine businessmen who invest in Venezuela). 
 
"On Spain, its VP is a heavyweight. Although with variations, Spain 
has always been a permanent ally of Kirchner in spite of the 
latter's rebuffs. And this is a bilateral relationship Cristina 
would like to greatly improve, as well as reactivate ties to Paris 
and Berlin. Her purpose is to reach a deal to pay off the country's 
debt to the Paris Club." 
 
- "The pit and the pendulum" 
 
An editorial in liberal, English-language "Buenos Aires Herald" 
reads (08/09) "President Nestor Kirchner is widely thought to be 
hatching a new political movement which would part company with 
Peronism altogether but Tuesday's simultaneous flirtation with 
Venezuelan President Hugo Chvez and the Council of Americas... was 
entirely typical of Peronism's founder who welcomed Nazi war 
criminals in the first years of his presidency while making 
Argentina one of the first countries in the world to recognize the 
State of Israel. Within hours of each other Kirchner was receiving 
from a 'post-sultanate' Chvez energy guarantees and debt bond 
purchases of half a billion dollars... while his wife and chosen 
successor Senator Cristina Fernndez de Kirchner was fishing for US 
investments in the five-star hotel at Tuesday's Council of Americas 
conference. 
 
"'Argentina is a very good business opportunity' was the core of 
Mrs. Kirchner's message but her choice of tense was debatable.'Was a 
very good business opportunity,' some might say looking at the 
recent financial turbulence and the energy constraints... 
 
"Such pendular politics (Mexico's center-right President Felipe 
Caldersn last week, the 'Bolivarian' firebrand Chvez this week or 
Chvez at one end of the day and the Council of Americas businessmen 
at the other) are all very well and fine but need a sense of balance 
and direction - countries which expend their energies swinging from 
side to side generally do not move ahead." 
 
- "China threatens to make the US dollar collapse and raise alarm 
bells in the US" 
 
Ana Baron, Washington-based correspondent for leading "Clarn," 
writes (08/09) "Patience is one of China's traditional features. 
However, everything indicates that it is coming to an end. Tired of 
the US pressure to have China revalue the Yuan and facing the 
possibility that legislation could be passed by Capitol Hill to 
punish China's trade if it does not do it, two members of Beijing's 
Communist Party threatened to resort to what they call 'the nuclear 
choice.' 
 
"While this choice does not imply to attack the US with WMD, its 
effect could be just as devastating. The idea would be to sell some 
of the bonds for 900 billion dollars that are deposited in the 
Chinese Central Bank to make the US dollar collapse. 
 
 
"US President George W. Bush termed the threat as 'senseless'... 
 
"... The situation is complicated because, in full election 
campaign, the US trade conflict with China is part of the agenda of 
all US presidential candidates. By keeping the Yuan value at a low 
level, the Chinese Government has a competitive advantage in the 
huge US market... 
 
"... Nonetheless, this is not all. A devalued Yuan also favors the 
transfer of US companies to China, which increases the US 
unemployment rate." 
 
To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our 
classified website at: 
http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires 
 
WAYNE