VZCZCXRO3403
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #0950/01 0990827
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 090827Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3367
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 000950 
 
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 PREL ECON
 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: Obama in Iraq, Shanghai 2010 World Expo, 
Moldova protest, IMF 
 
-------------------- 
  Editorial Quotes 
-------------------- 
1.Obama in Iraq 
 
"The 'inspection' focused on troop withdrawal" 
The official Communist Party People's Daily(Renmin Ribao)(04/09): 
There were 3 reasons for Obama's visit.  First as Commander in Chief 
Obama needs to show he cares about American troops in Iraq. 
Although he is against the war in Iraq, he has to gain support from 
U.S. troops in Iraq.  Second Obama is concerned that the worsening 
situation will have an impact on his troop withdrawal plans.  The 
"responsible" way of withdrawing from Iraq means to avoid making 
Iraq a shelter for terrorists.  Third, Obama is anxious about Iraq's 
political reconciliation and rejuvenation progress.  He expressed 
that a lot of pending issues should become the priorities now.  In 
general his visit is focused on whether or not the U.S. can withdraw 
troops on time. 
 
¶2. Shanghai 2010 World Expo 
 
"88-year old Chinese businessman helps the U.S. participate in the 
world expo" 
The official Xinhua News Agency international news publication 
International Herald Leader (Guoji Xianqu Daobao) (04/09): 
So far the U.S. pavilion has not even started construction in 
Shanghai, while France, Germany, Luxembourg, Australia, and Spain 
have already started their construction. The current company 
authorized by U.S. Department of State to build the American 
exhibition pavilion failed to raise sufficient money due to the 
financial crisis.  Many companies promised to donate for the 2010 
World Expo couldn't meet their words after the outbreak of financial 
crisis, including Disney, Pepsi, and some Chinese-American 
businessmen.  April 15, 2009, is the deadline for the foreign 
governments or organizations to sign contracts with the organizing 
committee of 2010 World Expo to officially confirm their attendance. 
 
 
In fact, there were several times when America was absent from World 
Expos.  The construction work of U.S. pavilion for 2010 World Expo 
has to start by this June.  But the lack of money makes the 
situation chaotic. 
 
In the eyes of those "utilitarian and pragmatic" Americans, the 
influences of World Expos have already faded away. That's why the 
U.S. Congress put a ban on using government financial money for 
World Expos.  However, there are different opinions in the U.S. 
BH&L Group, a non-profit organization for building the U.S. pavilion 
in World Expo, claimed in December, 2008 that "U.S. should confirm 
its attendance in the 2010 World Expo as soon as possible; 
otherwise, the U.S. may make a 'diplomatic mistake'. If America 
cannot participate in the 2010 World Expo it will not only humiliate 
China but also humiliate the American people in front of the world. 
It will also affect American products and services exporting to the 
huge Chinese market and the negative impact will keep coming in the 
following years." The founder of "World Expo Museum" website also 
expressed that U.S. should not miss the Shanghai World Expo. British 
media also said the America's absence will affect the China-U.S. 
relations. 
 
Amid the concerns over whether the U.S. can be part of the World 
Expo, Chinese-American businessman Jiang Yicheng is trying to set up 
a new company to represent the United States.  This 88-year-old 
businessman told the International Herald Leader that based on his 
rich experiences of successfully holding the World Expo and network 
of relations in the U.S., political and business circles, he had 
raised a US$100 million investment for the 2010 World Expo.  He 
indicated that he had communicated with several U.S. Senators and 
relevant officials in the Department of State.  He plans to make a 
report to Secretary Clinton in person after she finishes her oversea 
trips.  He is very confident of being chosen by President Obama to 
be the chief Representative of the U.S. at the Shanghai World Expo, 
which he believes is a position having the same level as the 
out-posted Ambassador. 
 
¶3. Moldova protests 
 
"European "small red country" undergoes disturbance" 
The official Communist Party international news publication Global 
Times (Huanqiu Shibao) (04/09): 
Protests in Moldova became serious on the 7th and the current 
situation remains unclear.  Almost all the western media stressed 
that this was a protest "against the Communist Party".  Some even 
called this a rebellion.  But Russian media quickly responded this 
protest was a new round of "color revolutions", thinking that 
western powers intervened. A Chinese professor from China Foreign 
Affairs University says that Moldova is not a socialist country.  It 
adopted the western political system.  The Party has played great 
 
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role in promoting economic development and improving the living 
standards.  But western society is still very sensitive about the 
"nature of the Party" and it is their natural reaction to criticize 
any socialist-related countries. This riot, therefore, is called 
"revolution" rather than a revolt. 
The Moldova protests bring attention to the color revolutions again. 
 But most of the experts believe that there is not likely to be 
another revolution. Judging from the previous conflicts between 
Georgia and the Ukraine, color revolutions do not have a good 
reputation. Currently western governments keep cautious attitudes 
towards this protest.  According to Lu Nanquan from the Chinese 
Academy of Social Science, because of the current global financial 
crisis, the western countries are busy with solving the economic 
problems rather than creating more conflicts in Moldova.  Therefore, 
this protest is not a signal of another color revolution [against 
Communist Parties] agitated by western countries.  It's just a 
disturbance that the pro-west people want to let off their 
dissatisfaction when the Communist Party was re-elected. 
 
 
¶4. IMF 
"A financial body in need of urgent reform" 
The official English-language newspaper China Daily (04/09)published 
this Editorial by Xiao Lian, director of the Center for American 
Economic Studies, Institute of World Economies and Politics, 
affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: 
Needless to say, China's contribution to the IMF and its voting 
share should be commensurate with it rising economic status in the 
world.  The IMF's existing 85 vote mechanism has to be changed to 
make more representative and to ensure that the voice of emerging 
economies and developing countries, including poor African nations, 
carries more weight...  The reform of the IMF and the World Bank 
should also ensure that emerging economies and developing countries 
have a greater say in electing heads of international financial 
institutions, and that the elections are more transparent... Since 
China has increased its contribution to the IMF dramatically, it 
should link it to member economies' recognizing it as a market 
economy...  It is not fair for some IMF member economies to enjoy 
the benefits that China's contribution will bring even as they 
refuse to recognize the country's market economic status. 
 
 
Weinstein