VZCZCXRO0325
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #1621 1670856
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 160856Z JUN 09 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4563
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS BEIJING 001621 
 
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: GUANTANAMO UYGHURS, NORTH KOREA, IRAN 
 
-------------------- 
  Editorial Quotes 
-------------------- 
 
¶1. GUANTANAMO UYGHURS 
 
"Eastern Turkistan prisoners want to open a restaurant in Bermuda" 
 
The official Communist Party international news publication Global 
Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(06/16): "Recently Western media organizations 
have reported on every move of the four East Turkistan Prisoners 
sent to Bermuda.  It is reported that they want to open a restaurant 
in Bermuda.  Chinese experts have said that they are not persuaded 
by their claim that these men are not terrorists.  Only through 
interrogation and evidence collection can their identities be 
cleared.  Guantanamo prison itself has been a political topic that 
arouses great attention.  Plus some western personnel worried that 
these prisoners' human rights will be violated if they were sent 
back to China.  Therefore the western media has paid a special 
attention to the issue.  Other analysts also indicate that if they 
are not terrorists, there is no reason for them to refuse to come 
back to China.  They have strenuously tried to conceal their crimes 
and provoke the conflicts of the west and China just because they 
intend to gain the west's sympathy and force the west not to give up 
on the issue." 
 
¶2. NORTH KOREA 
 
"Washington must go through Beijing to get to Pyongyang" 
 
The official Communist Party international news publication Global 
Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(06/16): "Currently the key to the issue is in 
the hands of the U.S. The core conflict of the North Korean issue is 
its relationship with the U.S.  Based on this situation, on the one 
hand North Korea has a legitimate moral reason to obtain nuclear 
strength and technology to ensure their nation's security.  However, 
on the other hand, North Korea is using the attention of the 
international community on nuclear proliferation to obtain 
diplomatic and other strategic goals.  Against the backdrop of 
current U.S.-North Korea relations, the role of North Korea in the 
global strategic system is not important enough for the Obama 
administration to change its North Korea policy.  The U.S. aims at 
promoting denuclearization on the Korean peninsula.  To fulfill it, 
the U.S. still needs to stick to the peaceful means and the Six 
Party Talks.  The Obama administration has lowered its position on 
many issues recently, including the Iran issue, however it has no 
olive branches for the North Korea issue.  The U.S. believes that 
North Korea is not a trustworthy negotiator, thus refuses to conduct 
one-on-one agreement with North Korea under bilateral framework, but 
under a multilateral framework with the help of the Six-Party Talks. 
 Therefore, Beijing is still the inevitable road for Washington to 
get to Pyongyang." 
 
¶3. IRAN 
 
"How does the western media influence the situation in Iran?" 
 
The official Communist Party international news publication Global 
Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(06/16): "After the election in Iran, the 
former Iranian Premier publically announced a victory and criticized 
the current President as being a fraud.  One of the most important 
reasons this situation happened is that the west media has catalyzed 
it.  Using the press to influence the Middle East happens 
frequently.  Iran's former Premier Moussaoui is not really pro-west. 
 Picking him as a choice for the west is mostly due to a relatively 
open leader will be easier for the west to influence Iran.  The 
western media's compliments towards Moussaoui have greatly 
influenced Iranian young people's votes.  In fact, only the support 
of a large amount of residents living in impoverished regions in 
Iran can make the candidate win the election.  Western media has a 
rich experience in building up a politician's image.  During an 
election, the press is the only means by which a candidate can 
influence the public.  Middle class Iranians can be influenced by 
the western media through the internet.  However, Iranian voters 
living in interior mountain regions only get information through 
radio and TV, which made Armadinejad's reelection successful." 
 
PICCUTA