VZCZCXRO3549
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #0284/01 0360930
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 050930Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2124
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 000284 
 
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: OPRC KMDR CH
 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: BUYING AMERICAN BILL, FINANCIAL CRISIS, 
PREMIER WEN'S EUROPE TRIP 
 
-------------------- 
  Editorial Quotes 
-------------------- 
 
¶1. BUYING AMERICAN BILL 
 
"'Buying American' is using the wrong solution; this will cause more 
problems in the future" 
 
The official intellectual publication Guangming Daily (Guangming 
Ribao)(02/05): "The International Opinion described the recent 'Buy 
American' bill as an extremely stupid economic policy. The 
international community has had a strong reaction to the bill 
largely because the mistake by the Hoover Administration, 80 years 
ago, brought the globe into a depression. American Democrats favor 
trade protectionism and from the moment Obama was elected they began 
to aim trade protectionism at China. If the 'Buy American' bill is 
passed, China's steal industry will be largely impacted. U.S. trade 
protectionism is the wrong resolution and will cause more problems 
in the future. If several major economic countries sacrifice other 
countries' interests in order to look after their own domestic 
economic needs, the global economy will be at a standstill. We can't 
just sit and watch that happen." 
 
¶2. FINANCIAL CRISIS 
 
a. "Financial crisis increases China's diplomatic space" 
 
The official Xinhua News Agency international news publication 
International Herald Leader (Guoji Xianqu Daobao)(02/05): "The 
financial crisis has made the Western media more careful when 
criticizing China. China should be the founder of the international 
financial order since it is reorganized as the solution to the 
crisis. Now is an opportune time to extract China's own values from 
China's current political and economic system. This is a chance, 
provided by the crisis, for China to improve its soft power. The 
crisis has also provided China a chance to compete with the West in 
its systems and values. China needs to use its economic power to 
gain more political space. China could refuse to cooperate with the 
country who always tries to bully China. This is more effective than 
just criticizing certain politician's comments. Politicians come and 
go but national interests are here forever." 
 
b. "The financial crisis tests a country's morals" 
 
The official Communist Party international news publication Global 
Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(02/05): "The resistant sentiments by many 
Europeans and Americans concerning foreign workers and products is 
expanding. Some Asian and Latin American countries are also issuing 
trade protectionist statements. However, after trade protectionism, 
there may be a trade war. Once a global trade war begins, globally 
people will be harmed. There will be no winner in a trade war. How 
should we avoid a trade war that is destined for failure? 
 
The current financial crisis tests the World's morals. The behavior 
of a certain country's 'caring for its own interests in the face of 
a disaster' has been broadly criticized by various parties. Swedish 
analysts indicate that as the financial crisis comes closer to home, 
the U.S. is taking the lead in setting up barriers to free trade. 
Protectionism is a typical and selfish behavior of the U.S. 
 
China will send a purchasing group to Europe. Chinese experts 
indicate that since the U.S. and other Western countries are 
swinging their flags toward trade protectionism, it shows that they 
have ignored the moral responsibilities of a global power country. 
This crisis has put the U.S.' morals at a greater risk. It is not 
likely that a trade war like that of the 1930s will happen. There 
was no 'General agreement on tariff and tax' or World Trade 
Organization at that time. However, all countries never give up on 
the weapon of trade protectionism. China should first make an effort 
to promote a just and reasonable international economic order and 
meanwhile avoid focusing their exports on several certain 
countries." 
 
¶3. PREMIER WEN'S EUROPE TRIP, PROTEST AGAINST THE PREMIER 
 
"Thoughts about 'the shoe'" 
 
The official Xinhua News Agency international news publication 
International Herald Leader (Guoji Xianqu Daobao)(02/05): "This 
incident has two aspects: China is emerging stronger and stronger 
and other countries are likely to pay serious attention to China. If 
China had little effect on the countries' core interests, the 
incident would hold little sway. On the other hand, the economy is 
not the only topic of dialogue between China and the World. If China 
really wants to be a responsible superpower, it has to be prepared 
to face not only smiling faces, but also criticism and attack. 
Considering China's economic development, it is incapable of saving 
 
BEIJING 00000284  002 OF 002 
 
 
the World. But China should not be pessimistic. The 'shoe' makes us 
realize that there are many more aspects that China should work on 
in the international system in order to get along with the World." 
 
PICCUTA