VZCZCXRO9034
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH
DE RUEHBJ #0216/01 0270855
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 270855Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7798
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 000216 
 
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 SENV KGHG KMDR OPRC CH
 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: INTERNET FREEDOM 
 
-------------------- 
  Editorial Quotes 
-------------------- 
 
INTERNET FREEDOM 
 
a. "Dealing with U.S. network diplomacy with caution" 
 
The People's Daily-sponsored and internationally-focused commercial 
news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(01/27)(pg 14): 
"Ironically, the U.S. government seems to have forgotten the 
original intention of the U.S. Department of Defense's design of the 
Internet:  to design a communication system consisting of no central 
location in order to ensure that the department could still 
communicate, if possible, after a nuclear strike.  This means that 
even the U.S. cannot completely control the flow of network 
information.  When Secretary Clinton mentioned in her speech that 
'unrestricted freedom is an important value of the network', it 
caused quite a lot of speculation to spread on the Internet. This 
happened because it is the U.S., who has the most powerful capacity 
to monitor and control the network, and who has been the most 
energetic in verbally opposing network control.  Secretary Clinton 
mentioned 'the freedom to access networks' in her speech and 
demanded the passing of 'firewall-evading software',  jointly 
developed by the U.S. government, corporations and non-governmental 
organizations, into the hands 'of the people who need it.'  However, 
what she is really concerned about is promoting political changes 
and the globalization of 'American democracy' by using the Internet. 
 
The so-called 'network freedom' is just a 'selective freedom,' which 
is based on where the U.S.'s national interest lies.  Managing the 
information flow is one of a country's sovereign rights.  It is a 
country's own decision on how to control and when to open up the 
internet.  The U.S.' practice, whereby they carry on their diplomacy 
by through the Internet, in order to wrap up the issues of human 
rights and internet freedom has become a new challenge for China." 
 
b. "The U.S.' stance on 'Internet freedom' is hypercritical" 
 
The official intellectual publication Guangming Daily (Guangming 
Ribao)(01/27)(pg 8): "U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's 
speech on 'Internet freedom' has provoked international outrage. 
The Internet has become a tool for the United States to attack and 
accuse other countries, for example, the United States used twitter 
to support Iranian oppositionists before and after the Iranian 
election.  The United States criticizes other countries for no 
reason while strengthening its own internet capability.  The United 
States' practice of interfering in other countries' internal affairs 
by using the Internet has already been universally condemned by the 
international community.  A number of countries believe that it is 
dangerous to let the United States dominate the Internet alone." 
 
c. "Disturbances should not be created as it will 'hijack' 
U.S.-China relations" 
 
The official Communist Party People's Daily (Renmin Ribao)(01/27)(pg 
3): "Although the Chinese government has carefully responded to the 
Google incident, the hype surrounding this issue still has not 
subsided.  The poor start this year is not what a healthy 
development of Sino-U.S. relations is supposed to look like.  For 
example, arms sales to Taiwan, trade protectionism, the Google 
incident and the possible meeting by President Obama with the Dalai 
Lama, in nature, all concern China's core interests.  The solutions 
to these issues will definitely harm the bilateral relationship. 
The United States is 'overly confident' about working with China 
when there are still some severe disagreements.  The United States 
is overlooking China's concerns.  The United States will not gain 
anything if it creates disturbances to hijack U.S.-China 
relations." 
 
d. "Obama lets the Chinese people down" 
 
The People's Daily-sponsored and internationally-focused commercial 
news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(01/27)(pg 14): "What 
the U.S. President Obama has done so far this year has greatly 
disappointed the Chinese people, who had expected that, after he 
took office, Sino-U.S. relations would begin with a good start and 
would continuously climb.  The Chinese people have to question what 
ulterior motives are behind the 'Obama-style smile.'  Chinese people 
question if current bilateral relations are even worse now than in 
the latter phase of the Bush era?  From the former President Bush's 
second term till today, the results of several polls show that the 
U.S. has been among the list of 'the Chinese people's favorite 
countries.'  However, their good impression of the United States 
doesn't mean that they must give up their own values and follow the 
U.S.'s values.  Obama should remember that the Chinese people's 
opinion is playing an increasing role in China's social development. 
If he hopes to improve Sino-U.S. relations, he has to care about 
their good impression of the United States.  The United States 
 
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should also give up attempts to provoke relations between the 
Chinese people and their government.  Someone said that the United 
States and China are entering a 'mild war' era.  It is noticeable 
that in the past the U.S. president always made efforts to restrict 
radical anti-China forces' activities, however, this time it is the 
U.S. President and Secretary of State who are encouraging American 
companies to start fights with China." 
 
HUNTSMAN