VZCZCXYZ0012
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #0114/01 0331351
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 021350Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0418
INFO RHMCSUU/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000114 
 
SIPDIS 
STATE FOR INR/R/MR, I/GWHA, WHA, WHA/PDA, WHA/BSC, WHA/EPSC 
CDR USSOCOM FOR J-2 IAD/LAMA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KPAO KMDR PREL CH AR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-CHINA; THE MILITARY IN LATIN AMERICA; 
1/30/10 - 2/1/10; BUENOS AIRES 
 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION; U.S.-CHINA; THE MILITARY IN LATIN AMERICA; 
1/30/10 - 2/1/10; BUENOS AIRES 
 
 
 
SUMMARY 
 
------- 
 
 
 
¶1.   China's threats to suspend its military ties with the U.S. and 
to impose sanctions on U.S. companies selling weapons to Taiwan 
received wide coverage over the weekend.  Opinion articles 
highlighted U.S.-Chinese interdependence and their need for a 
strategic partnership based on issues such as North Korea, Iran's 
nuclear program, Chinese financing of U.S. debt, and China's access 
to U.S. markets.  Pro-government, left-leaning Buenos Aires 
Econ????mico reports on the loss of U.S. economic and political 
influence in Asia in favor of China.  Largest circulation daily 
Clar????n warns that China's censorship of Google could become a 
cyber-war. A professor of International Relations wrote for 
business-financial El Cronista criticizing the American policy of 
militarizing the war on drugs. End summary. 
 
 
 
A TOUGH INTERDEPENDENCE 
 
BETWEEN THE U.S. AND CHINA 
 
-------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶2.   Leading circulation Clar????n and daily-of-record La Naci????n 
carry 
opinion pieces noting the interdependence of the U.S. and China and 
that their relationship is marked by mutual distrust as well as a 
need for a strategic partnership.  Under the headline "An 
arm-wrestling between strategic adversaries," Sergio Cesar????n, a 
member of the Council of S&T Research (CONICET), highlighted that 
although the U.S.-Taiwan weapons plan and China's reaction are not 
something new, the speed with which China is developing its nuclear 
arsenal, which could turn it into a threat to U.S. prevalence by 
mid-century, the Chinese blockade on multilateral negotiations with 
North Korea, Iran, and climate change, China's sophisticated space 
technology development, and the threat posed by Chinese hackers to 
NATO or the Pentagon's command and control systems are new. 
 
http://www.clarin.com/diario/2010/01/31/elmun do/i-02130490.htm 
 
 
 
¶3.   La Naci????n notes that "diplomatically speaking, Washington 
wants a larger support from China to control North Korea and Iran's 
nuclear programs" whereas "economically, Beijing needs access to 
U.S. markets and Washington needs China to continue helping it 
finance its deficit. Clar????n carries an op-ed piece by former U.S. 
Secretary of State Henry Kissinger urging the U.S. and China to 
attain a common view of the emerging world order after its economic 
crisis. 
 
http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=1 227920 
 
http://www.clarin.com/diario/2010/02/01/opini on/o-02130987.htm 
 
 
 
¶4.   Daniel Brunat, on special assignment in Beijing for Clar????n, 
reported that "China responded with rage to the U.S. announcement 
that it would provide Taiwan with Patriot missiles, Black hawk 
helicopters and sophisticated communication systems for its 
defense."  Highlighting that the U.S. Pentagon downplayed the tone 
of the conflict, the reporter notes that "the real danger for the 
U.S. is that sanctions could go beyond the military field and also 
affect the stability of its industry, which is absolutely 
interconnected with that of the Asian giant.  Another risk is that 
the Chinese society, nationalistic as it is, could boycott U.S. 
products and culture." 
 
http://www.clarin.com/diario/2010/01/31/elmun do/i-02130489.htm 
 
 
 
"CYBER-WAR" 
 
 
----------- 
 
 
 
¶5.   In a side-box entitled "Cyber-war," Clar????n notes that a UN 
spokesperson warned that an international treaty is required to 
prevent a cyber-attack from becoming a major war, referring to 
Google's charges that the Chinese government ordered the attacks it 
has suffered for one month.  Following Secretary Clinton's remarks 
urging an end to Web censorship, China responded by launching its 
local version of Google and YouTube. 
http://www.clarin.com/diario/2010/01/31/elmun do/i-02130489.htm 
 
 
 
HAS THE US LOST ITS 
 
CLOUT IN ASIA? 
 
------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶6.   Pro-government, business-financial Buenos Aires Econ????mico 
(BAE) claims that what will really boost the ASEAN bloc's economy 
will be the FTA it signed with China.  The article says that while 
China multiplied by five its trade transactions with the ASEAN bloc 
during the last 15 years, the U.S. diminished them from 17 to 12% 
over the same period.  Underscoring that Washington preferred to 
maintain its prevalence in key regions, such as the Middle East, 
the paper signals that China took advantage of the vacuum of 
influence in East Asia, and that Washington not only lost economic 
influence but political allies as well. 
 
 
 
"THE MILITARY FACTOR 
 
IN LATIN AMERICA" 
 
-------------------- 
 
 
 
¶7.   Juan Gabriel Tokatlian, professor of International Relations 
at Universidad Di Tella, wrote for business-financial El Cronista 
that the U.S. "contradictory messages and erratic practices" in 
response to the Honduran coup d'????tat could tacitly encourage new 
coups d'????tat, at least in Central America.  Tokatlian adds that 
the 
militarization of the war on drugs, which is noticeable throughout 
Latin America except Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, should be blamed 
on Washington policies. 
 
http://www.cronista.com/notas/219615-el-facto r-militar-america-lati 
na- 
 
 
 
To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our 
 
classified website at: 
 
  
http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires 
MARTINEZ