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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 NEW DELHI 002339 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NP, AC, PM 
 
STATE FOR INR/MR 
 
STATE FOR SCA/INS, PM/CBM, PM/PRO 
 
STATE FOR SCA/PPD, PA/RRU 
 
STATE FOR AID/APRE-A 
 
USDOC FOR 4530/IEP/ANESA/OSA FOR BILL MURPHY 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV PREL IN
SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEDIA REPORT: INDIAN MEDIA COVERAGE OF 
U.S.-CHINA JOINT STATEMENT 
 
SUMMARY: The U.S.-China joint statement, issued during 
President Obama's November 15-18 state visit to China, 
generated heated discussion in India over its reference 
to China's potential role in India-Pakistan relations 
and South Asia. The Indian media widely reported that 
New Delhi on Wednesday said that India needs no 
external help to improve ties with Pakistan. In 
contrast to the GOI's "sharp" reaction, the ruling 
Congress Party reportedly downplayed the issue. 
Comments from Under Secretary William Burns, Assistant 
Secretary Robert Blake and Ambassador Timothy J. Roemer 
on the issue were reported as "damage control." 
Editorialists were divided on the issue, but the 
majority opinion was that the U.S., in its strategic 
and business interests, had given China monitoring 
rights on South Asia, which was unacceptable. 
Editorialists advised Prime Minister Singh to set the 
record straight when he meets with President Obama in 
Washington. Notable news reports and commentary from 
India's leading English and vernacular newspapers 
follow. End summary. 
 
------------ 
NEWS REPORTS 
------------ 
 
¶1. The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson was 
reported saying: "The Government of India is committed 
to resolving all outstanding issues with Pakistan 
through a peaceful bilateral dialogue in accordance 
with the Simla Agreement. A third country role cannot 
be envisaged nor is it necessary." Reports noted that 
the ruling Congress Party sought to play down the 
issue. The party's spokesman told the media: "Too much 
is being read. I don't think there is any change in the 
U.S. policy towards us. If what was suggested in the 
press was intended, it would be objectionable. But we 
have no basis to say that. It was an interpretation of 
a casual remark. If it is carried any further, that 
will be the time to react." The spokesperson said 
relations between the U.S. and India, especially in the 
recent past, were on "solid footing," so a "casual 
phrase will not have any impact." 
 
¶2. Media reports said key U.S. officials went into 
"damage control mode" on Wednesday. "Of course, the 
United States is interested in pursuing the best and 
healthiest possible partnership with China; but that 
does not come at the expense of other increasingly 
important partnerships, particularly our relationship 
with India," Under Secretary of State for Political 
Affairs Williams Burns was reported saying. Assistant 
Secretary Robert Blake reportedly suggested that the 
U.S.-China joint statement related more to concerns 
about the Af-Pak region. Meanwhile, reports noted that 
Ambassador Timothy Roemer defended the joint statement, 
quoting the Ambassador saying: "I think that is a 
positive statement." 
 
---------- 
COMMENTARY 
 
NEW DELHI 00002339  002 OF 005 
 
 
---------- 
 
¶3. "NO NEED TO PANIC," editorial in centrist, 
independent English daily, THE TIMES OF INDIA: "India 
has been mentioned for the first time in a U.S.-China 
joint statement since 1998, when Bill Clinton and Jiang 
Zemin took issue with India for conducting nuclear 
tests. It was met with a stinging rejoinder from India. 
But this time around the reference to India hardly 
merits that kind of reaction. There are some misgivings 
about the direction of Indo-U.S. relations under the 
Obama government. Following the highs during Bush's 
presidency, Indo-U.S. relations seem to be somewhat 
adrift at the moment. The PM should use his visit to 
inject some much-needed momentum into the relationship. 
He must make clear that any mediation on Kashmir is 
unacceptable to New Delhi." 
 
¶4. "DANCE WITH THE DRAGON," editorial in centrist, 
independent English daily, HINDUSTAN TIMES: "The east 
wind is prevailing over the west wind -- at least as 
long as the global economy remains trapped in a 
depression. This is the geopolitical weather forecast 
that follows the China visit of President Barack Obama. 
The reference to both countries "supporting" better 
relations between India and Pakistan is probably best 
understood in this context: a U.S. that has concluded 
its interests are best served by humoring the Middle 
Kingdom's whims. Beijing is no doubt pleased at a stray 
sentence that gives the impression it sits at the right 
hand of the sole superpower." 
 
¶5. "JUST STAND FIRM WITH U.S., CHINA," editorial in 
independent English daily, DECCAN CHRONICLE: "The U.S. 
President's solicitousness of his Chinese hosts should 
cause no surprise. Equally, no Indian outrage is called 
for on account of condescending references in the U.S.- 
China joint statement to the situation in South Asia. 
However, insofar as supercilious mention is made in 
that document of India-Pakistan relations in the 
context of Kashmir, the Indian Prime Minister will be 
expected to set the record straight when he meets Mr. 
Obama in Washington in a few days' time." 
 
¶6. "TO PLEASE CHINA, U.S. SLIGHTS INDIA," op-ed in 
right-of-center, pro-BJP English daily, THE PIONEER: 
"U.S. President Barack Obama's China visit has put the 
writing on the wall in bold: China is the next 
superpower the world must watch out for.  The 
casualness with which India has once again been 
hyphenated with Pakistan is alarming, to say the least. 
As a country that calls India a strategic partner -- an 
unstated tool to contain Chinese hegemony -- the U.S. 
would have surely known what the re-hyphenation of 
India and Pakistan on Chinese soil meant. Mr. Obama may 
be new in office but surely an American President 
cannot be ignorant enough about India's sensitivities 
to ask China -- long seen as Pakistan's aide in its 
conflict with India, its prejudices and ploys no state 
secret -- to monitor an arena in which Beijing itself 
has geopolitical stakes. If India's strategic stature 
 
NEW DELHI 00002339  003 OF 005 
 
 
just got dwarfed in Beijing it has only the Manmohan 
Singh Government to blame." 
 
¶7. "INDIA-PAKISTAN TIES NOT AMERICA'S CONCERN," 
editorial in THE PIONEER: "Indications of a certain 
chill in Washington towards New Delhi have been there 
ever since U.S. President Barack Obama began 
enunciating his foreign policy, especially on American 
engagement with Pakistan and Afghanistan. That chill 
has now begun to take form and shape by way of the 
Obama Administration seeking to turn the clock back and 
re-hyphenating India and Pakistan while re-strategizing 
the U.S.'s perceived role in South Asian affairs. It 
would appear that Mr. Obama is unimpressed by his 
predecessor's vigorous efforts to free U.S.-India 
relations from Washington's obsession with Islamabad 
and, in a sense, make it the cornerstone of American 
foreign policy in the region." 
 
¶8. "TIME FOR PLAIN SPEAKING," analysis in nationalist 
English daily, THE STATESMAN: "Unless President Obama 
satisfies Dr. Manmohan Singh with the private briefing 
of his China visit, India should be prepared to 
fundamentally alter its attitude and policy towards 
America.  President Obama's public posture regarding 
China's role in South Asia may not conform to his 
private endeavor." 
 
¶9. "THE U.S.-CHINA TANGO," article in left-of-center 
English daily, DECCAN HERALD: "Any possible outrage in 
India arising out of the reference to South Asia in the 
joint statement and Obama's acknowledgement of China's 
potentially useful mediatory role in India-Pak 
relations, needs to be tempered by a hard reality check 
with regard to the entirely different nature of the 
Sino-U.S. strategic importance compared to the Indo- 
U.S. strategic ties." 
 
¶10. "AMERICA'S PLOY IN CHINA," editorial in the right- 
of-center Hindi daily, AMAR UJALA: "President Obama's 
actions in China prove that for the U.S. the only thing 
that matters is its business and commercial interests. 
Obama is showing too much deference, almost 
subservience, to China. Not granting an audience to the 
Dalai Lama was the first sign of Obama trying to keep 
Beijing in good humor. But now he's gone a step 
further! In a statement during his China visit, the 
U.S. president acknowledged that Beijing has a role to 
play in the India-Pakistan relationship. What's going 
on? Is Obama giving a monitoring role to China in South 
Asia, particularly between India and Pakistan? This is 
outrageous! This just shows that America can go to any 
extent to further its business and commercial 
interests." 
 
¶11. "CHINA'S ROLE," editorial in centrist, pro-Congress 
party Hindi daily, DAINIK HINDUSTAN: "The U.S.-China 
joint statement reminds us of 1998 when a U.S.-China 
joint statement by Bill Clinton and Jiang Zemin asked 
India and Pakistan to resolve peacefully the 'difficult 
and long-standing differences' between them, including 
 
NEW DELHI 00002339  004 OF 005 
 
 
the issue of Kashmir. It will be a test of Indian 
diplomacy to see if we take it lying down, or react 
resolutely. While the statement may seem innocuous and 
even one of goodwill, in effect it gives a monitoring 
role to China in South Asia. This will never be 
acceptable to India! India partners with the U.S. to 
counterbalance China's leaning toward Pakistan. We want 
the U.S. to talk in our favor, not against our 
interests!" 
 
¶12. "STRANGER IN THE MIRROR," editorial in nationalist 
Hindi daily, RASHTRIYA SAHARA: "The bigger the 
expectations, the greater the disappointment! Obama and 
Hu's joint statement in Beijing giving China a greater 
monitoring role in South Asia, particularly in India- 
Pakistan affairs, has given India a jolt. And all this 
while we thought America was our partner! It is strange 
that at the same time, the U.S. is bestowing the 
greatest honor in the world to India by welcoming Prime 
Minister Singh as the first official state visitor to 
Washington. In the face of this confusing 
contradiction, one can only conclude that Obama is 
playing to the gallery in China. And in America's 
business interests. After all, America needs to get out 
of recession, the China is the greatest market on earth 
to help it achieve that result." 
 
¶13. "RESTRAINT NEEDED," editorial in left-of-center 
Kannada daily, PRAJAVANI:  "America is eyeing on the 
huge market in China.  Time and again, the U.S. 
indulges in pleasing China to serve its interest and 
the U.S. President has done the same again.  Even after 
issuing a clarification in the wake of a protest by 
India, the U.S. has not grasped the situation in South 
Asia properly.  President Obama has to explain about 
this to Prime Minister Singh during his visit to the 
U.S. next week.  Prime Minister Singh should also 
explain to the U.S. about the disastrous consequences 
of a third country mediation in the highly sensitive 
India-Pakistan issues." 
 
¶14. "YES IT IS SURPRISING," editorial in pro-Congress 
Telugu Daily, VAARTHA:  "It is definitely surprising 
that U.S. President Obama and Chinese President Hu 
Jintao in the joint statement said that we can work 
towards achieving peace, tranquility and development 
between India and Pakistan. This targeted statement is 
not bad, but generally under what circumstances do this 
type of joint statements come out? It is like elders 
interfering in the problems of two minors." 
 
¶15. "CHINA-U.S. JOINT STATEMENT," editorial in right- 
of-center Urdu daily, RASHTRIYA SAHARA: "We welcome the 
U.S.-China joint statement which supports the efforts 
for betterment of Indo-Pak ties and expresses 
willingness to promote peace and stability in the in 
South Asia. However, it remains to be seen how sincere 
the Obama administration is for the betterment of Indo- 
Pak relations. In the past, it has been making all out 
efforts to sow seeds of discord between the two 
countries. Also it is doubtful how sincere China, a 
 
NEW DELHI 00002339  005 OF 005 
 
 
close ally of Pakistan, will be." 
 
¶16. "U.S. POLITICS," editorial in right-of-center Urdu 
daily, MILAP: "Why did President Obama mention Indo-Pak 
ties in the U.S.-China joint statement? It is 
incomprehensible and totally unacceptable. Maybe he is 
playing politics as every country has the right to. If 
the U.S. really considers India to be a partner, then 
it must desist from raising issues which go against 
India.  Indo-Pak ties are a bilateral issue, and the 
interference of any third party is not required at all. 
The U.S. has in the past offered its mediatory role, 
but every time India has rejected it. The U.S. should 
keep the fact in its mind that India has been 
supporting it on all regional and global issues. " 
 
¶17. "OBAMA WANTS CHINA TO HELP REMOVE INDO-PAK 
DIFFERENCES," editorial in Urdu nationalist daily, 
AKHBAR-E-MASHRIQ: "The U.S. and China say in their 
joint statement that they want peace, stability, and 
economic and social advancement of all countries in 
Asia. What is the wrong in it? Peace is better than 
war. Considering the everlasting conflict between India 
and Pakistan, we should immediately grab any 
opportunity of establishing peace and prosperity coming 
from any part of the world. We should thank America and 
China for giving us this chance." 
WHITE