VZCZCXRO9439
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #2425 2360852
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 240852Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5758
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS BEIJING 002425 
 
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: AFGHAN ELECTION, DALAI LAMA, NORTH KOREA 
 
-------------------- 
  Editorial Quotes 
-------------------- 
 
¶1.  AFGHAN ELECTION 
 
"Afghans lost in the elections (pg 5)" 
 
The official Xinhua News Agency international news publication 
International Herald Leader (Guoji Xianqu Daobao)(08/24): 
"Afghanistan's election is an important step for the west's 
'democratic example' in Afghanistan.  Citizens of Kabul have said 
that they don't like the Americans, but if they leave, Afghanistan 
will quickly fall into a civil war.  The Afghan military is unable 
to counter the Taliban armed forces and defend their country alone. 
It is almost impossible for the Afghan government to resolve the 
country's security, economic, social, and drug issues all by itself. 
 Afghanistan has successfully "walked out of the most dangerous 
election in the world"; however, it cannot "walk out of the embrace 
of the United States."  For many years in the future, Afghanistan 
will sway between independence and reliance on U.S. assistance." 
 
¶2. DALAI LAMA 
 
"There is vigilance needed regarding the Dalai Lama's cooperation 
with "democracy organization movements" overseas (pg 14)" 
 
The official Communist Party international news publication Global 
Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(08/24): "During the recent, first-ever 
"Tibet-Han conference," some "overseas democracy movement 
organizations" approached supporters of Tibetan independence. 
Persons from those organizations have the face of the Han 
nationality.  By cooperating with them, the Dalai Lama can make the 
false impression that even the Han nationality supports Tibet 
independence.  Due to the upcoming 60th Anniversary, the Dalai's 
clique has been seeking opportunities to create chaos, but all have 
failed.  Since they need China's help, western powers have all 
withdrawn their support for the clique.  Therefore the Tibet 
independence separatists are in great need of other sources of 
external support in order to fight against China.  These overseas 
groups have allegedly allied in support of "Tibet-Han unification," 
but in reality they are separatist organizations.  China should be 
vigilant about their actions." 
 
¶3. NORTH KOREA 
 
"Can sunshine illuminate the Korean peninsula? (pg 8)" 
 
The official Communist Party People's Daily (Renmin Ribao)(08/22): 
"Can the 'sunshine policy' brought forward by Kim Dae-jung continue 
to affect the Korean peninsula?  Recently North Korea has issued 
'signals of reconciliation,' seeking the improvement of the 
North-South Korean and U.S.-North Korean relations by sending a 
condolence delegation to South Korea and through other gestures. 
However, the situation on the Korean peninsula is still not 
optimistic.  Hesitation by the U.S., South Korea and North Korea has 
proved that there are still many uncertainties on the peninsula. 
Experts argue that the direction that the North Korean nuclear issue 
will take does not depend on North-South Korean relations, but 
rather on U.S.-North Korean relations.  The Obama administration's 
policy towards North Korea is still unclear.  One thing that the 
U.S. is sure about right now is that they must return to the 
Six-Party Talks; but North Korea insists on direct talks with the 
U.S.  The struggling U.S.-North Korean relationship has placed the 
North Korean nuclear issue in a difficult situation and also created 
uncertainties in North-South Korean relations." 
 
HUNTSMAN