MEDIA REACTION: JAPANESE HISTORY TEXTBOOK

UNCLAS TAIPEI 001785

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/RSP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD -
ROBERT PALLADINO
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: JAPANESE HISTORY TEXTBOOK
CONTROVERSY

Summary: The focus of the major Chinese-language Taipei
dailies has again shifted back to local politics April
14, even though almost all the Chinese-language
newspapers carried in their inside pages the reports on
Japan's decision to begin processing applications to
let Japanese companies drill for natural gas in a
disputed area of the East China Sea. Several Taipei
dailies also printed State Department Spokesman Richard
Boucher's remarks Tuesday that the United States urges
both China and Japan to maintain a friendly
relationship and resolve their disputes in a harmonious
and peaceful manner. A pro-independence "Taiwan Daily"
commentary sought to analyze the anti-Japanese protests
in China and cautioned that China's inflammation of
nationalism might lead to a fatal domestic riot for
itself. End summary.

"Inciting the Nationalistic Sentiments: Beginning of
China's Domestic Riots"

Washington correspondent James Wang commented in the
"Washington Commentary" column of the pro-independence
"Taiwan Daily" [circulation: 150,000] (4/14):

". Over the past few years, nationalism has been rising
in Japan, too, and Tokyo is gravely on its guard
against any movement by China. Japan and the United
States are building a closer relationship with Taiwan
out of concern that the balance of power in East Asia
might be endangered. Both Tokyo and Washington
included peace in the Taiwan Strait as their common
strategic objective; they also oppose China's enactment
of the Anti-Secession Law and seek to strengthen their
relationships with Taiwan. All such moves have hit
China hard . . China wants to drive U.S. force out of
Asia and become a regional hegemony itself. The ploy
it uses is to sow discord between the United States,
Japan and Taiwan. In the past China tried to use its
potential market as an incentive, but its military
expansionist behavior has caused this to fail. As a
result, China decided to change its strategy, using the
`public view' formed by its anti-Japanese education [as
a basis] to oppose the proposal of making Japan a
permanent member of the United Nations Security Council
and thereby further mobilizing anti-Japanese protests
in its major cities. .

"No matter whether China wants to use the anti-Japanese
protests as a ploy to blackmail [Japan] or as an
instrument to find a release valve for its internal
problems, these protests . cannot solve the problems
China is facing both domestically or internationally.
Beijing was very good at manipulating the mob in the
past when all exchange of information was blocked. But
now that China cannot totally suppress the flow of
information, it is facing the boiling discontent among
its people. Beijing may be playing with fire with
regard to the anti-Japanese protests as they might just
explode into a fatal domestic riot."

PAAL