VZCZCXRO6147
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #1578/01 1620843
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 110843Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4473
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 001578 
 
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: NORTH KOREA, GREEN DAM SOFTWARE, EASTERN 
TURKISTAN, NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT 
 
-------------------- 
  Editorial Quotes 
-------------------- 
 
¶1. NORTH KOREA 
 
"U.S. stance on the North Korea issue gets tougher" 
 
The official Communist Party People's Daily (Renmin Ribao)(06/11): 
"Secretary Clinton recently implied that the U.S. will take tough 
actions against North Korea.  Analysts think the tougher stance by 
the U.S. is related to subtle changes in the strategic assessment on 
the North Korean issue by President Obama's national security team. 
Before the U.S. precondition was that North Korea would give up 
nuclear weapons in exchange for assistance.  But now, North Korea 
has changed its primary objective to being accepted as a nuclear 
country and being able to sell technology through nuclear tests.  If 
this occurs, an arms race in the Northeastern Asia will begin.  This 
will pose a severe threat to the security interests of the U.S.  The 
possible tough actions by the U.S. on the North Korean issue are 
still uncertain.  The U.S. government, who has now adopted 'smart 
power', must consider how far it should go between a tough attitude 
and tough actions.  The sentence on the two female American 
journalists by North Korea further intensifies U.S.-North Korean 
relations.  In fact U.S.-North Korea relations are not yet in a 
deadlock.  The U.S. may soon send a special envoy to North Korea." 
 
¶2. GREEN DAM SOFTWARE 
 
"Editorial: Questionable move" 
 
The official English-language newspaper China Daily (06/11): "The 
Foreign Ministry has denied the allegation in the overseas media 
that the "Green Dam" web-content filter to be installed in all 
computers is part of a government effort to censor the Internet. 
...In spite of the claim of parental endorsement, the mandate to 
install the "Green Dam" web-content filter in all computers to be 
sold in China is turning out to be more controversial and unwelcome 
than decision-makers would like to believe. ...In an announcement on 
May 29, the MIIT described the move as an extension of the campaign 
against "vulgarity" in the cyberspace. ...The Chinese authorities 
are not the first or only ones to intervene. Which is why the MIIT 
feels wronged. 
Proper parental oversight and guidance are believed to be necessary 
and justifiable.  ...There is a need for filtering software, but not 
everyone needs it.  So installing it on every unit sold is a 
wasteful expenditure in the first place.  ...A public hearing should 
have been held prior to such a significant decision.  ...Making it 
obligatory is something different, and makes us wonder if the 
decision-makers have seriously considered the complex legal 
implications.  If they have not, a number of questions have now been 
thrown up for deliberation.  Who is supposed to decide what is 
pornographic, violent, or undesirable and deserves to be blocked? 
What are the criteria? Who draws the line and on what basis? Are 
software developers qualified to do that? How are citizens' freedom 
of expression or right to know to be balanced against the need to 
filter "unhealthy" content? Is there any basis in law for the MIIT 
to issue such an order at all? These are not questions that can be 
brushed away." 
 
¶3. EATERN TURKISTAN 
 
"Obama's relief comes amid China's fears" 
 
English-language daily published by the People's Daily Global Times 
English (06/11):  "After contacting about 100 governments and being 
rejected multiple times by its allies, the U.S. finally found Palau 
as the possible recipient for the 17 Chinese Uygurs in Guantanamo 
prison, the New York Times (NYT) reported Wednesday.  For U.S. 
President Barack Obama, the release gives him 'some relief'. The 
report said.  Obama has repeatedly promised to shut down the 
infamous prison in Cuba.  For Chinese people, however, the transfer 
is probably the worst-case scenario. ...China has identified the 17 
Uygurs as terrorists of the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement 
(ETIM) that is listed as a terrorist group by the UN Security 
Council.  The U.S. has pledged $200 million in long-term development 
aid to Palau, but a senior U.S. State Department official denied 
that it was a quid pro quo for the detainee deal that is still under 
negotiation.  Not everyone in the U.S. is happy to see Obama fulfill 
his promise though.  Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, 
called it 'ridiculous' and said Obama should abandon his campaign 
promise to close Guantanamo, 'He seems so determined to meet a 
deadline and create a symbolic move.'" 
 
¶4. NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT 
 
"To create a strategic environment for nuclear disarmament" 
 
 
BEIJING 00001578  002 OF 002 
 
 
The official Communist Party People's Daily (Renmin Ribao)(06/11): 
"The international society currently believes that the U.S. and 
Russia, who possess over 90 percent of the world's nuclear weapons, 
have the main and indispensible responsibilities to fulfill overall 
nuclear disarmament.  Under various pressures, the U.S. and Russia 
may possibly reach a transitional agreement for maintaining nuclear 
disarmament.  But it requires further observation whether they can 
make any breakthroughs.  It is notable that the U.S. seeks to deploy 
weapons from outer space while it is developing a missile defense 
system.  This move, seeking their own strategic advantageous 
position around the globe, while at the price of other countries' 
security, has damaged the strategic environment for nuclear 
disarmament.  The international society, in order to completely 
destroy nuclear weapons needs to insist on two principles: 
maintaining global strategic stabilities; and improving mutual trust 
between nations." 
 
PICCUTA