P 080909Z APR 09
FM AMCONSUL HONG KONG
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7367
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USDOC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY BEIJING 
AMCONSUL SHANGHAI
AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 
AIT TAIPEI 0263
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UNCLAS HONG KONG 000660 
 
 
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TAGS: OPRC KMDR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: PRESIDENT OBAMA TO TURKEY; G-20 SUMMIT 
 
TOPICS: 
¶1. President Obama to Turkey 
¶2. G-20 summit 
 
HEADLINES AND EXCERPTS: 
 
¶1. President Obama to Turkey 
 
"A new beginning for the U.S. in the Islamic world" 
 
The independent English-language South China Morning Post said in an 
editorial (4/8):  "U.S. President Barack Obama needs to do a 
substantial amount of work to repair his country's damaged relations 
with the Islamic world.  Much was therefore made of his trip this 
week to Turkey, his first visit to a Muslim-majority country as 
American leader.  His speech to the Turkish parliament and talks 
with religious heads were handled with care and sensitivity.  The 
groundwork has been laid; both sides must now put every effort into 
building on the process to bridge what has become a dangerous 
divide....  The biggest barrier to better relations between the west 
and Muslims is understanding; Mr Obama went a long way to fostering 
this in Turkey.  But the nation is neither the Muslim heartland nor 
a hotbed of Islamic fundamentalism.  A dramatic address to the 
Muslim world would have to be made on a different stage. 
Nonetheless, Mr Obama has expressed the necessary sentiments, and in 
the right way.  He has embarked on the mission astutely.  Mistrust 
lies in the way, but a new beginning has been promised and what has 
been created must be embraced and built upon." 
 
¶2. G-20 summit 
 
"Scaling the summit" 
 
Commentator Frank Ching wrote in the 'Insight' page in the 
independent English-language South China Morning Post (4/8):  "The 
Group of 20 summit in London is being hailed as a great success by 
almost all participants, including those who had previously held 
diametrically opposed views, with the Americans and British on one 
side and the French and Germans on the other.  Without doubt, 
however, China emerged as a winner.  President Hu Jintao was treated 
with great respect, being seated at the right side of the host, 
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, during dinner and in official 
photographs of the assembled leaders....  Interestingly, China's 
proposal for a new reserve currency to replace the U.S. dollar was 
not on the agenda of the G20 meeting, and the Chinese did not raise 
the issue.  That was probably because they were pretty happy with 
the outcome, both of the G20 itself and of all the meetings on the 
sidelines.  China has now arrived and henceforth will be treated 
with the respect due to a major power." 
 
DONOVAN