Monday, December 06, 2010

Wikileaks.org could strain China-U.S. relations

Chatter from U.S. diplomats in leaked documents paint Chinese officials as difficult and Beijing's foreign policy as abrasive - characterizations that are likely to further harden the Chinese leadership's distrust of Washington.

Revelations in the diplomatic memos published by WikiLeaks cover a range of topics Beijing would rather not see publicly discussed - from corruption in the ruling Communist Party to a senior leader's alleged ordering of a hacking campaign against Google.

The personal preferences of the highly secretive leadership also appear. Vice President Xi Jinping is described as a fan of "Saving Private Ryan" and other Hollywood movies even though Beijing blocks most foreign film imports to promote Chinese culture.

While no major rupture in ties is likely, the leaking of the diplomatic memos over the past week further aggravates relations - soured by disputes over currency, North Korea and human rights - that both sides want to improve before President Hu Jintao makes a key visit to Washington next month.

-Washington Post

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