VZCZCXRO7688
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #0544 0621005
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 031005Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2626
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS BEIJING 000544 
 
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, GARY LOCKE, FINANCIAL 
CRISIS 
 
-------------------- 
  Editorial Quotes 
-------------------- 
 
¶1. BUYING AMERICAN 
 
"Buying American is just a tempest in a tea pot" 
 
Elite Reference (Qingnian Cankao), a newspaper affiliated to the 
official Communist Youth League China Youth (03/03): "After passing 
through nine doors and two security guard posts, we were allowed 
access to the press conference at the U.S. Embassy to listen to U.S. 
Minister-Counselor Robert Luke 's press roundtable.  The roundtable 
aimed to explain the sensitive trade protection issue.  The press 
conference room is mainly built with grey stone walls, reminding 
people of an economic iron curtain, which is often used to describe 
trade protectionism.  Canadian media commented Buying American is 
like 'a tempest in a tea pot' for member countries who have signed 
the GPA agreement. Buying American is only a superficial phenomenon. 
 It is the undercurrent of 'de-globalization' that is worthy of 
China's attention.  Even if the U.S.'s behavior isn't out of line 
this time, China still needs to adjust its export pattern to deal 
with de-globalization, not just the 'Buying American' bill." 
 
¶2. GARY LOCKE 
 
"Rationally look at the Chinese-American in the U.S. Cabinet" 
 
The China Radio International sponsored newspaper World News Journal 
(Shijie Xinwenbao)(03/03): "Gary Locke has been nominated as the new 
U.S. Secretary of Commerce.  However, to what extent a 
Chinese-American in the U.S. Cabinet will aid the interests of the 
Chinese should be looked at rationally.  This individual is tasked 
with looking after the American people's interest.  They [Locke and 
the other Chinese-American officials that Obama has nominated] may 
know the Chinese people's logic and are therefore likely to be more 
powerful opponents.  What's more, Chinese-American influence is 
still limited in U.S. society." 
 
¶3. FINANCIAL CRISIS 
 
"March begins with hardship for the world" 
 
The official Communist Party international news publication Global 
Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(03/03): "In March, China's National Political 
Consultation Conference will begin.  The world expects the Chinese 
government to officially announce China's goal to maintain its 8% 
growth rate at this conference.  The goal sounds extreme because 
most of the large economies, which compete with China, such as 
Europe and the U.S. are experiencing negative growth.  For China, 
March is full of trouble and uncertainty.  The U.S.-based 
publication, Time Magazine, commented that China is an exception 
among the negative global sentiment.  However, the Wall Street 
Journal said that China's economy will not likely recover soon. 
Chinese analysts believe that study of China's economy will increase 
throughout the world, because China's economy did not experience the 
same large-scale problems as Western countries had during the 
current crisis. The world expects China to provide more investment 
opportunities.  The voices challenging China are diminishing." 
 
PICCUTA