VZCZCXRO7459
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #3250 3380913
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 040913Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7071
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS BEIJING 003250 
 
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: PRESIDENTIAL AFGHANISTAN SPEECH, CLIMATE 
CHANGE, IRAN 
 
-------------------- 
  Editorial Quotes 
-------------------- 
 
¶1. PRESIDENTIAL AFGHANISTAN SPEECH 
 
"American experts say that the Taliban will once again return to 
power" 
 
Elite Reference (Qingnian Cankao), a newspaper affiliated to the 
official Communist Youth League China Youth Daily (12/04)(pg 06): 
"Obama's plan to increase troops did not gain the support of the 
majority of the American people.  Of the U.S.' allies, France and 
Germany both expressed unwillingness to add troops to Afghanistan 
and the UK will only increase its support of the United States by 
500 soldiers.  Obama is also aware that a prolonged war is not good 
and therefore he mentioned that U.S. troops will withdraw in July 
¶2011.  Obama's plan to increase troops in Afghanistan will make the 
military deployment in the country about 134,000 soldiers. 
Realistically, the question is how many more troops Afghanistan, who 
is in short of resources, can reasonably take.  In Afghanistan due 
to excessive resource consumption, the logistics and ineffective 
external supply channels of U.S. military troops have been serious 
hindered.  The U.S. magazine "foreign relations" said that if 
Pakistan is unable to crack down on the Taliban by 2010, Afghanistan 
will be under their influence.  At that time, the Taliban will be 
able to control South Afghanistan and will merge with tribal forces 
in Pakistan to form a violent central region in South Asia." 
 
¶2. CLIMATE CHANGE 
 
"Dealing with climate change relies on U.S.-China coordination"(pg 
14) 
 
The official Communist Party international news publication Global 
Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(12/04)(pg 14): "Zhou Shijian of the 
U.S.-China relations studies center at Qinghua University said that 
it is more important to look at the feasibility of measures dealing 
with climate change, with the  precondition that these measures will 
not conflict with the interests of concerned countries.  Regarding 
these interests, the two camps (developed countries and developing 
countries), and the three major strengths(the EU, the U.S. and 
77-country group plus China) were established during negotiations on 
climate change.  Undoubtedly China and the United States are the 
major strengths.  The United States' request that emissions should 
peak by 2020 is infeasible.  It is predicted that, because China's 
modernization and urbanization are unfinished, China's carbon 
emissions won't peak until 2030 or 2040.  China's view, in fact, 
represents most developing countries.  Because China identifies as a 
developing country, it is impossible for China to always counter the 
emissions reduction pressures.  It is impossible for the Copenhagen 
conference to break apart.  The outcome may be a compromise: 
developed countries will reduce their emissions by 6% from 2008 to 
2020 and leave capital and technological transfer issues for the 
future; while developed countries only require developing countries 
to change their principles." 
 
¶3. IRAN 
 
"Iran's tough nuclear policy increases tensions" 
 
The official Communist Party international news publication Global 
Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(12/04)(pg 2): "After successive moves by 
Iran, the U.S. and UK suggest that Tehran's ultimate goal is to make 
nuclear weapons.  The Iranian President has taken a tough stance, 
claiming that Iran does not need the West, but that the West needs 
Iran.  Reuters said that Iran has directly rebuffed the UN's nuclear 
fuel agreement.  The AFP commented that Tehran may be able to 
prepare the necessary nuclear fuels for equipping nuclear heads 
within several months. However, there are also experts doubting 
Iran's technological and industrial abilities.  Experts say that 
Iran had planned to set up many uranium enrichment bases, which, 
however, requires a very long time and is greatly difficult. 
Because the country is in short supply of uranium mines, in order 
for Iran's tremendous nuclear plan to be realized, Iran has to 
purchase uranium from other countries, which, under international 
pressure, will be very difficult." 
 
HUNTSMAN