VZCZCXRO6070
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #2247 2180854
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 060854Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5545
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS BEIJING 002247 
 
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: PREL ECON KMDR OPRC CH
 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: SECRETARY CLINTON IN AFRICA, NORTH KOREA, 
U.S. FOREIGN POLICY 
 
-------------------- 
  Editorial Quotes 
-------------------- 
 
¶1.  SECRETARY CLINTON IN AFRICA 
 
"Clinton advances into Africa" 
 
The official Xinhua News Agency international news publication 
International Herald Leader (Guoji Xianqu Daobao) (08/06): "Liu 
Naiya, an expert on African and Asian affairs at the Chinese Academy 
of Social Sciences, noted that the nations Secretary Clinton visited 
in Africa are either rich in oil rich or have a large population, 
revealing the U.S.'s 'comprehensive engagement' with Africa. 
Against the backdrop of the global financial crisis, these 
countries' strategic importance to the U.S. is more obvious.  The 
U.S.'s current Africa policy is 'carrot and stick': offering 
economic aid to African countries it deems to be 'democratic' and 
issuing warnings to those it deems to be 'undemocratic' based on the 
U.S.'s definition of 'democratic.'  Experts argue that Chinese- 
African relations will not be affected by Secretary Clinton's visit, 
and China will be pleased to see the implementation of U.S. economic 
and technical aid to Africa.  However, objectively speaking, China 
and the U.S. have competing national interests in Africa." 
 
¶2.  NORTH KOREA 
 
"Any breakthrough in the North Korean nuclear issue must be 
substantive" 
 
The official Communist Party international news publication Global 
Times (Huanqiu Shibao) (08/06): "The diplomatic drama produced by 
the United States and North Korea has come to an end.  Not many 
Chinese people are interested in whether or not President Clinton's 
visit will become the turning point for U.S.-North Korean relations. 
 Neither are they concerned about whether or not the U.S. and North 
Korea will hold bilateral talks; the Chinese are even willing to see 
reconciliation between the two countries.  What the Chinese are 
really worried about is whether this type of bilateral engagement 
will marginalize the Six-Party Talks.  China insists that this is 
the only proper forum to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean 
Peninsula.  If the U.S. and North Korea are really sincere about 
this issue, they should take substantive action rather than just 
putting on a show for the Chinese people." 
 
¶3.  U.S. FOREIGN POLICY 
 
"The U.S. should be 'smarter' in leading the world" 
 
The official Xinhua News Agency international news publication 
International Herald Leader (Guoji Xianqu Daobao) (08/06): "Yuan 
Peng, Director of the American Studies Center at the China Institute 
of Contemporary International Relations, argued that Secretary 
Clinton's reference to 'a multi-partner world' in her opening 
remarks at the S&ED does not indicate that the U.S. is giving up its 
leadership role in the world.  This statement is in fact an overview 
of the Obama Administration's foreign policy, and presents both an 
opportunity and a challenge for China.  According to this statement, 
China is as an important of a partner to the U.S. as Japan and the 
EU.  However, this statement also poses the following challenges. 
First, it stresses development, which may indicate that the U.S. 
will increase aid to poor countries in Africa and Latin America. 
This will put pressure on China's diplomacy.  Second, if not dealt 
with appropriately, there might be some kind of antagonism between 
the 'multi-partner world' the U.S. promotes and the 'multi-polar 
world' China endorses." 
 
 
GOLDBERG