VZCZCXRO3524
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #1314 1350300
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 140300Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4229
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RHHMHBA/COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI//N541// PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/HQ PACAF HICKAM AFB HI//CC/PA// PRIORITY
RUHBANB/OKINAWA FLD OFC US FORCES JAPAN CP BUTLER JA PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/USFJ  PRIORITY
INFO RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 7780
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 0166
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 6114
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 8371
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 1460
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3319
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2296
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 9335
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 9801
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS TOKYO 001314 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR, 
EAP/J, EAP/P, PM; 
USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; 
TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI; 
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA; 
CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE; 
PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA
SUBJECT: TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - EARTHQUAKE IN CHINA 
 
 
¶1. LEAD STORIES: Most Wednesday morning papers gave top 
play to the massive damaged caused by Monday's 
earthquake in central China. 
 
¶2. "Earthquake Hits Ethnic Minorities Hard" The liberal 
Mainichi wrote (5/14): "Monday's earthquake is a 
serious political disaster for the Hu administration, 
as it directly hit a 'politically sensitive' area where 
a large number of impoverished Tibetans live and as it 
came at a very 'delicate time' when China needs to tamp 
down the commotion associated with the unrest in Tibet 
ahead of the Beijing Olympics. Mishandling the quake 
response would make the Hu administration susceptible 
to criticism of its policy toward ethnic minorities. 
The Chinese leadership appears to be concentrating on 
rescue work out of fear that the quake was viewed as a 
'man-made' disaster." 
 
¶3. "Another Challenge for Hu Leadership" The liberal 
Asahi's Beijing correspondent reported (5/14): "There 
is no question that the earthquake, following the 
unrest in Tibet, dealt a heavy political blow to the 
Beijing leadership. Politically-sensitive areas were 
hit hard by the tremor, which has commanded intense 
global attention. President Hu and other Chinese 
leaders must be of the view that social unrest from the 
quake ahead of the Olympics must be minimized at all 
cost.... The Chinese media has failed to provide live 
audio of the victims out of concern that viewers would 
find it troubling to hear the sufferers complaining 
about the government's response. It seems that the 
Chinese government's stance of giving top priority to 
state stability through media control has not changed." 
 
¶4. "China Playing up 'Opening'" A Beijing-based 
reporter for the liberal Tokyo Shimbun asserted (5/14): 
"By expressing understanding for foreign media's 
interest in on-the-field coverage of the devastated 
area, Beijing appears to be calling for global 
attention to an 'opened China' so that its stance can 
be compared to that of Burma, which has been steadfast 
in rejecting foreign offers for humanitarian assistance 
for cyclone victims." 
 
DONOVAN