Cablegate: Tokyo Media Reaction - U.S.-China Relations,

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PP RUEHFK
DE RUEHKO #0307 0480214
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 170214Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9436
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
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RUHBANB/OKINAWA FLD OFC US FORCES JAPAN CP BUTLER JA PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/USFJ PRIORITY
INFO RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 8866
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 2682
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3109
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 3183
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 9790
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 9147
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS TOKYO 000307

SIPDIS

STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR,
EAP/J, EAP/P, PM;
USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE;
TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI;
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA;
CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE;
PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA
SUBJECT: TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS,
U.S. DIPLOMACY IN MIDDLE EAST, AND AFGHANISTAN

1. LEAD STORIES: Lead items on Wednesday morning
included President Obama's approval of the federal
government's loan guarantee intended to underwrite the
construction of two nuclear power plants in Burke
County, Georgia.

2. "U.S., China Looking for New Approaches to Each
Other" Concerning the recent strain in Sino-U.S.
relations over such issues as U.S. arms sales to Taiwan
and Google censorship, the liberal Asahi editorialized
(2/17): "There is no guarantee that the previous cycle
leading from strain to coordination to rapprochement
will be repeated again. This is because China's
presence and influence are rapidly growing on the
economic, military, and diplomatic fronts. The fact
that China declared sanctions on U.S. corporations that
export weapons to Taiwan reflected a change in attitude
by the Chinese. The idea that China is the trump card
that will ensure the growth of the world economy is
prevalent within the international community. However,
the international community should not hesitate to
criticize problems facing China."

3. "U.S. Eyeing Sanctions by Coalition of Willing" A
Washington correspondent for the top-circulation,
moderate Yomiuri stated (2/17): "In order to achieve a
breakthrough in the Iranian nuclear development issue,
the Obama administration is launching a 'two-pronged
strategy' by seeking a resolution at the UN Security
Council while eyeing separate sanctions by the
coalition of the willing. On top of Secretary of State
Clinton's visit to Saudi Arabia, Vice President Biden
has decided to travel to the Middle East. Washington
has embarked on an unusual diplomatic offensive, with a
number of senior Obama administration officials touring
the region separately in order to tighten the noose
around Iran."

4. "President Obama Finally Achieves Major
Accomplishment" On the detention by U.S. and Pakistani
intelligence authorities of a top Taliban official in
Pakistan, the liberal Asahi wrote from Washington
(2/17): "The detention can be called a major
accomplishment in the Obama administration's war on
terrorism, enabling it to deflect Republican criticism
of President Obama's counterterrorism measures being
too weak.... The detention backs up the comment made by
Vice President Biden that President Obama is waging war
on al-Qaeda with more vigor than ever before."

ROOS

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