![Keep Us Strong](../../../static/gfx/ja-cg.jpg)
![WikiLeaks logo](../../../static/gfx/WL_Hour_Glass_small.png)
Currently released so far... 3954 / 251,287
Articles
Browse latest releases
2010/12/01
2010/12/02
2010/12/03
2010/12/04
2010/12/05
2010/12/06
2010/12/07
2010/12/08
2010/12/09
2010/12/10
2010/12/11
2010/12/12
2010/12/13
2010/12/14
2010/12/15
2010/12/16
2010/12/17
2010/12/18
2010/12/19
2010/12/20
2010/12/21
2010/12/22
2010/12/23
2010/12/24
2010/12/25
2010/12/26
2010/12/27
2010/12/28
2010/12/29
2010/12/30
2011/01/01
2011/01/02
2011/01/04
2011/01/05
2011/01/07
2011/01/09
2011/01/10
2011/01/11
2011/01/12
2011/01/13
2011/01/14
2011/01/15
2011/01/16
2011/01/17
2011/01/18
2011/01/19
2011/01/20
2011/01/21
2011/01/22
2011/01/23
2011/01/24
2011/01/25
2011/01/26
2011/01/27
2011/01/28
2011/01/29
2011/01/30
2011/01/31
2011/02/01
2011/02/02
2011/02/03
2011/02/04
2011/02/05
2011/02/06
2011/02/07
2011/02/08
2011/02/09
2011/02/10
2011/02/11
Browse by creation date
Browse by origin
Embassy Athens
Embassy Asuncion
Embassy Astana
Embassy Asmara
Embassy Ashgabat
Embassy Ankara
Embassy Amman
Embassy Algiers
Embassy Addis Ababa
Embassy Accra
Embassy Abuja
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Embassy Abidjan
Consulate Amsterdam
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura
Embassy Buenos Aires
Embassy Budapest
Embassy Bucharest
Embassy Brussels
Embassy Bridgetown
Embassy Bratislava
Embassy Brasilia
Embassy Bogota
Embassy Bishkek
Embassy Bern
Embassy Berlin
Embassy Belgrade
Embassy Beirut
Embassy Beijing
Embassy Banjul
Embassy Bangkok
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Embassy Bamako
Embassy Baku
Embassy Baghdad
Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen
Embassy Conakry
Embassy Colombo
Embassy Chisinau
Embassy Caracas
Embassy Canberra
Embassy Cairo
Consulate Curacao
Consulate Casablanca
Consulate Cape Town
Embassy Dushanbe
Embassy Dublin
Embassy Doha
Embassy Djibouti
Embassy Dhaka
Embassy Dar Es Salaam
Embassy Damascus
Embassy Dakar
Consulate Dubai
Embassy Kyiv
Embassy Kuwait
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Embassy Kinshasa
Embassy Kigali
Embassy Khartoum
Embassy Kampala
Embassy Kabul
Embassy Luxembourg
Embassy Luanda
Embassy London
Embassy Lisbon
Embassy Lima
Embassy Lilongwe
Embassy La Paz
Consulate Lagos
Mission USNATO
Embassy Muscat
Embassy Moscow
Embassy Montevideo
Embassy Monrovia
Embassy Minsk
Embassy Mexico
Embassy Maputo
Embassy Manama
Embassy Managua
Embassy Malabo
Embassy Madrid
Consulate Munich
Consulate Montreal
Consulate Monterrey
Embassy Pristina
Embassy Pretoria
Embassy Prague
Embassy Port Au Prince
Embassy Phnom Penh
Embassy Paris
Embassy Paramaribo
Embassy Panama
Consulate Peshawar
REO Basrah
Embassy Rome
Embassy Riyadh
Embassy Riga
Embassy Reykjavik
Embassy Rangoon
Embassy Rabat
Consulate Rio De Janeiro
Consulate Recife
Secretary of State
Embassy Stockholm
Embassy Sofia
Embassy Skopje
Embassy Singapore
Embassy Seoul
Embassy Sarajevo
Embassy Santo Domingo
Embassy Santiago
Embassy Sanaa
Embassy San Salvador
Embassy San Jose
Consulate Strasbourg
Consulate Shenyang
Consulate Shanghai
Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis
Embassy Tripoli
Embassy Tokyo
Embassy The Hague
Embassy Tel Aviv
Embassy Tehran
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Embassy Tbilisi
Embassy Tashkent
Embassy Tallinn
USUN New York
USEU Brussels
US Mission Geneva
US Interests Section Havana
US Delegation, Secretary
UNVIE
Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Browse by tag
AF
AM
AE
AG
AR
ASEC
AS
AU
AORC
AJ
AMGT
AGMT
AFIN
APER
ABUD
ATRN
AEMR
ACOA
AEC
AO
AX
AMED
ADCO
AODE
AFFAIRS
AC
AL
ASIG
ABLD
AA
AFU
ASUP
AROC
ATFN
CH
CE
CA
CASC
CU
CLINTON
CO
CI
CVIS
CDG
CIA
CACM
CDB
CS
CBW
CD
CV
CMGT
CJAN
CG
CF
CN
CAN
COUNTER
CIS
CM
CONDOLEEZZA
COE
CR
CY
CTM
COUNTRY
CLEARANCE
CPAS
CWC
CT
CKGR
CB
CACS
COM
CJUS
CARSON
COUNTERTERRORISM
EUN
EG
EAID
ENRG
ETTC
EFIN
ECON
ETRD
EPET
EINV
EMIN
ECIP
ECPS
EINDETRD
EAGR
EU
EN
EZ
ELAB
ER
ET
ES
EUC
EI
EAIR
EIND
EWWT
ELTN
EREL
ECIN
EFIS
EINT
EC
ENVR
ECA
EXTERNAL
EINVETC
ENIV
EINN
ENGR
EUR
ESA
ENERG
EK
ELECTIONS
ECUN
EINVEFIN
IR
IS
IZ
INRB
IAEA
IN
IT
ID
IO
IV
ICTY
IQ
ICAO
INTERPOL
IPR
IRAJ
INRA
INRO
IC
IIP
ITPHUM
IWC
ISRAELI
IRAQI
ICRC
IMO
IF
ILC
IEFIN
INTELSAT
IL
IA
IBRD
IMF
ITALY
ITALIAN
KCOR
KDEM
KNNP
KU
KWBG
KPAL
KN
KS
KZ
KAWK
KISL
KPAO
KCRM
KJUS
KSEC
KIPR
KGHG
KIFR
KTFN
KDRG
KV
KSUM
KWAC
KAWC
KDEMAF
KFIN
KGIC
KTIP
KOMC
KHLS
KSPR
KGCC
KPIN
KG
KBIO
KHIV
KSCA
KE
KFRD
KPKO
KNUC
KMDR
KPLS
KOLY
KUNR
KIRF
KIRC
KACT
KRAD
KCOM
KMCA
KHDP
KVPR
KDEV
KWMN
KTIA
KPRP
KCIP
KCFE
KOCI
KTDB
KMRS
KLIG
KBCT
KICC
KGIT
KSTC
KPAK
KNEI
KSEP
KPOA
KFLU
KNUP
KNNPMNUC
KO
KTER
KHUM
KRFD
KBTR
KDDG
KWWMN
KFLO
KSAF
KBTS
KPRV
KMPI
KNPP
KNAR
KWMM
KERG
KTBT
KCRS
KRVC
KR
KPWR
KMIG
MOPS
MZ
MO
MNUC
MASS
MARR
MY
MEPP
MCAP
MA
MR
ML
MX
MIL
MTCRE
MPOS
MOPPS
MTCR
MAPP
MU
MG
MASC
MCC
MK
MTRE
MP
MDC
MAR
MEPI
MRCRE
MI
MT
MQADHAFI
MD
MAPS
MUCN
PREL
PTER
PGOV
PO
PHUM
PINS
PARM
PK
PINR
PINT
PBTS
PROP
PE
PL
PREF
POGOV
PINL
POL
PBIO
PSOE
PHSA
PKFK
PGOF
PARMS
PA
PM
PMIL
PTERE
PF
PALESTINIAN
PY
PGGV
PNR
POV
PAK
PAO
PFOR
PHALANAGE
PARTY
PNAT
PROV
PEL
PGOVE
POLINT
POLITICS
PEPR
PSI
PU
POLITICAL
PARTIES
PECON
SNAR
SA
SY
SOCI
STEINBERG
SP
SENV
SCUL
SF
SO
SR
SG
SW
SU
SL
SMIG
SN
SHUM
SZ
SYR
ST
SANC
SC
SAN
SIPRS
SK
SH
SI
UNSC
UP
UK
USEU
UG
UNMIK
UV
UZ
UY
UN
US
UNGA
UNO
USUN
UE
UNESCO
UAE
UNEP
USTR
UNHCR
UNDP
UNHRC
USAID
UNCHS
UNAUS
Browse by classification
Community resources
courage is contagious
Viewing cable 08BEIJING1618, GOVERNMENT REINS IN ANTI-FRENCH PROTESTS ON
If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #08BEIJING1618.
Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|
08BEIJING1618 | 2008-04-25 11:11 | 2010-12-04 21:09 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Beijing |
VZCZCXRO8055
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #1618/01 1161156
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 251156Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6897
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIJING 001618
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2033
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL KIFR CH
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT REINS IN ANTI-FRENCH PROTESTS ON
BEIJING CAMPUSES, ANGER AT WESTERN "BIAS" REMAINS
REF: A. BEIJING 1570
¶B. BEIJING 1454
Classified By: Political Internal Unit Chief
Dan Kritenbrink. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
Summary
-------
¶1. (C) Chinese authorities this past week have moved to
curtail anti-French and anti-Western demonstrations in China.
Official propaganda has tried to steer the public toward
more "rational" displays of patriotism, with security and
Party officials bluntly telling university students in
Beijing to halt all protests. (Note: One contact told us
the Politburo Standing Committee (PBSC) decided on April 18
to take steps to rein in the current wave of nationalism that
central authorities had, in part, been fanning. The next
day, official media began running stories calling for
"rational" patriotism.) Students appear to be taking heed,
though some have told us they remain frustrated and angry at
the West's "unfair" criticism of China's Tibet policies and
the humiliation of Olympic torch runners. "Patriotism" is
running high, our contacts say, but "destabilizing
nationalism" remains in check. End Summary.
Anti-French Protests
--------------------
¶2. (SBU) Prior to this past week, anti-Western, especially
anti-French, sentiment had been on the rise in many parts of
China, as manifested by fiery on-line rhetoric among China's
netizens and demonstrations in a number of Chinese cities.
For example, demonstrators gathered outside locations of the
French supermarket giant Carrefour throughout China April
18-20. The protests started in part due to a widely held
belief (later denied by the company) that a major Carrefour
stockholder has provided financial aid to organizations
advocating Tibetan independence. France's "mishandling" of
the torch relay and French President Sarkozy's potential
"snubbing" of the Olympic opening ceremonies also fueled the
demonstrations. While largely peaceful, demonstrations in
some cities took a xenophobic and violent turn. In Zhuzhou,
Hunan Province, a mob reportedly attacked an American English
teacher, whom they apparently mistakenly assumed was French,
as he emerged from a Carrefour April 20. Other signs of
rising patriotic and anti-French sentiment included a photo
circulating on the Internet showing a taxi in Shandong
Province with a sign in the back window that reads, "Refuse
to carry Frenchmen and dogs." An Internet cartoon widely
circulated among Chinese youth via e-mail depicts a character
severely beating a would-be Carrefour shopper. On Saturday,
April 18, there were small demonstrations in Beijing front of
the French Embassy and a nearby French school.
"Patriotism Should Be Rational"
-------------------------------
¶3. (C) As the anti-French protests reached a peak over the
weekend of April 19-20, China's propaganda apparatus on April
19 began a campaign to calm public anger. According to
XXXXXXXXXXXX this new propaganda phase grew out of a
decision made at an April 18 Politburo Standing Committee (PBSC)
meeting. According to XXXXXXXXXXXX , at the meeting, China's leadership
decided that the goal of utilizing the Chinese public to "protest
against and warn" Western countries had "already succeeded."
Therefore, before nationalist sentiment spun off in unwanted
directions domestically or led to a dramatic shift in Western
countries' attitudes toward China, the Center should move to
curb growing patriotic fervor. Prior to April 18, central
authorities had been deliberately fanning the flames of
nationalism, XXXXXXXXXXXX said, claiming that acquaintances in the
Party Propaganda Department had been posing as bloggers or
online commentators, purposefully posting rhetoric designed
to fuel anti-Western feelings, assisted by the official
media's exceptionally hard-line propaganda. Party Propaganda
Department head Liu Yunshan was reportedly directly behind
these policies. Now, however, the Center has decided to
"stop playing with fire," XXXXXXXXXXXX stated.
¶4. (C) Following the April 19 Xinhua News Agency piece
calling for more "rational" expressions of nationalism, other
media pieces appeared emphasizing the same line while also
attempting to directly dampen anti-French sentiment. In a
story that ran in Chinese papers April 21, the Xinhua News
Agency reported denials by Carrefour's CEO that the company
supported Tibetan independence. The cover of the April 22
edition of Beijing News (Xinjing Bao) carried a photo of a
dormitory building at the Beijing Institute of Technology
with numerous Chinese flags flying outside the windows. The
BEIJING 00001618 002 OF 003
caption quotes school officials as saying that displaying the
flag is a "rational" (li xing) and "normal" expression of the
student's patriotism. On April 23, newspapers printed
another Xinhua story, this one quoting a Ministry of Commerce
official praising Carrefour for providing 40,000 jobs in
China, selling mostly Chinese products and supporting the
Beijing Games.
Students Told To Stop Anti-French Protests
------------------------------------------
¶5. (C) This pro-Carrefour propaganda campaign, according to
our contacts, corresponded with more direct efforts by
security and Communist Party officials to stop university
students in Beijing from participating in further
demonstrations. XXXXXXXXXXXX, told PolOff that two
Ministry of State Security agents approached him
XXXXXXXXXXXX to demand that the Institute cancel
a public discussion on nationalism scheduled to take plac
the following day. According to XXXXXXXXXXXX,
security forces had also "spoken with" at least XXXXXXXXXXXX
activists to warn them against any further anti-Western activities.
At XXXXXXXXXXXX told PolOff XXXXXXXXXXXX that
the university's Communist Party committee had likewise
issued instructions to students to cease all demonstrations.
XXXXXXXXXXXX, added that all class-level Party representatives
were enlisted to ensure the message reached the entire
student body.
"West Blindly Sympathetic Toward Dalai Lama"
--------------------------------------------
¶6. (C) While protests have subsided, students we spoke with
still expressed frustration at the West's reaction to events
in Tibet. XXXXXXXXXXXX. The students all said they were
angered by "biased" Western media reports of the March 14
Lhasa riots, singling CNN out for special criticism.
XXXXXXXXXXXX told PolOff that she sensed in
Western media reporting a reflexive sympathy for Tibetans
and a deliberate downplaying of the violence ethnic Tibetan
rioters in Lhasa inflicted on innocent Han Chinese. France
had become the focus of nationalist anger, according to
XXXXXXXXXXXX because Paris police seemed to favour
the pro-Tibet protestors and allowed them to attack the torch.
While many Chinese are angry with the United States for
supporting the Dalai Lama, they said, just as many appreciate
President Bush's rejection of an Olympic boycott.
¶7. (C) While all the students acknowledged problems in Tibet,
especially the difficulty in ensuring that more Tibetans
benefit from China's economic growth, they accused the West
of ignoring the "real progress" China has made. While none
of the students has participated in the anti-French protests,
all said the unrest in Tibet and the disruptions of the
Olympic torch relay had made them feel more patriotic.
XXXXXXXXXXXX added that her undergraduate classmates
who are currently studying abroad have had the strongest
reaction and many have added patriotic slogans to their instant
messaging IDs. XXXXXXXXXXXX and her classmates, however,
cautioned against exaggerating the long-term impact of the
anti-French/ anti-West protests. While emotions are still
running high XXXXXXXXXXXX said, "all of this will be
forgotten if the Games go well."
Singapore Media "Most Reliable"
-------------------------------
¶8. (C) While focusing most of their ire on Western media and
governments, the students also had harsh reviews of the
Chinese leadership. XXXXXXXXXXXX criticized the Chinese
Government's rhetoric on Tibet as "overly shrill" and
"ineffective" in swaying international opinion.
XXXXXXXXXXXX said China's official press provided inadequate
coverage of the Lhasa riots and did not provide enough information
to counter the "biased" Western media reports. XXXXXXXXXXXX
and other students said that, in addition to Beijing University's
internal Internet bulletin board, they rely most heavily on
Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao newspaper for information on Tibet
and the torch relay. Singapore's media "understands" China
better than Western papers, they said, yet is not subject to
Chinese Government censorship. The same could not be said of
Hong Kong-based Phoenix Television, they told PolOff. Though
widely available on Beijing University's campus, Phoenix is
"too close to the Chinese Government" to be of much use.
"We Saved the Tibetans"
BEIJING 00001618 003 OF 003
-----------------------
¶9. (C) Two twenty-something professionals, both of whom were
recently accepted into Duke University's MBA program, echoed
the frustrations of the Beijing University students in a
conversation with PolOff April 23. XXXXXXXXXXXX ,
complained about the "bias" of CNN. Westerners do not understand
the "true story" about Tibet, Li asserted, adding that China "saved
Tibetans from slavery." XXXXXXXXXXX said his
generation is more "pro-establishment" than young people in
most other parts of the world. Members of China's "80s
generation," XXXXXXXXXXXX added, have benefited greatly
from China's reforms and, though young, still remember the relative
poverty of the late 1980s and early 1990s. While this does
not mean all Chinese youth support the Communist Party,
XXXXXXXXXXXX explained, pride in China's recent
accomplishments does make them rally around the flag when
they see China criticized abroad. XXXXXXXXXXXX, however,
said China's Government has moved quickly to limit the anti-French
protests because it wants to avoid a repeat of 2005, when
anti-Japanese protests "got out of control."
¶10. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX said young Chinese tend to be
suspicious, even dismissive, of government propaganda except
when it comes to issues of national unity. A lifetime of political
indoctrination has conditioned Chinese of all ages to react
emotionally to perceived separatists threats, which makes China
appear irrational and thin-skinned to the outside world.
XXXXXXXXXXXX, however, noted positive differences between
recent anti-French demonstrations and the 2005 anti-Japanese
protests. First, he said, the number of actual demonstrators
outside Carrefour branches was very small. In most cases,
spectators greatly outnumbered the protestors. Second, in
contrast to previous nationalist incidents, there was a much
wider debate on the Internet about the appropriateness of
anti-Western protests. XXXXXXXXXXXX said he was struck
by the large number of Chinese netizens who voiced opposition
to the Carrefour boycott. He said this is a "positive sign" that
may indicate Chinese attitudes towards the outside world are
growing more mature.
Comment
-------
¶11. (C) Patriotic sentiment, especially among students,
appears sincere and on the rise, even though the Government
has clearly played a role in fanning such feelings. Chinese
Government efforts over the past week to put a lid on overt
nationalist demonstrations has so far been effective. The
message now emphasized by China's propaganda organs is that
holding a successful Olympics, not rash protests, is the best
answer to Western criticism. Our contacts quoted above, all
of whom are well-educated and internationally oriented, agree
with this sentiment. Nevertheless, they do appear to have
been genuinely stung by what they see as a sudden and
"unfair" rejection of China by many Western countries.
PICCUTA