MEDIA REACTION: CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TAIPEI 001979

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: CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS


1. Summary: As Taipei dailies continued to cover KMT
Chairman Lien Chan's China trip May 2, the focus has
moved to President Chen Shui-bian's remarks Sunday en
route to the Marshall Islands made with regard to PFP
Chairman James Soong's upcoming visit to China. The
front-page stories of the centrist "China Times" and
the pro-unification "United Daily News" and a page-two
news story of the pro-independence "Liberty Times,"
Taiwan's biggest daily, all reported that Chen has
asked Soong to act as his messenger and deliver certain
messages to Chinese leaders. Several newspapers
focused on the part of Chen's remarks about the United
States' attitude toward Lien's trip. The pro-
independence "Taiwan Daily" ran a banner headline on
its front page that read: "Bian: United States
criticizes Lien Chan's China trip [as an attempt to]
divide Taiwan." The "United Daily News" also carried a
news story on page four that said: "Bian: United States
placed pressure [prior to Lien's China trip]; Lien Chan
acted within the boundary and did not cross the line."
Another news story on page four of the "United Daily
News" also quoted a high-ranking DPP official as saying
that Washington has indeed helped the Taipei government
to stabilize Taiwan's political situation by urging
Beijing to reach out to the elected leaders of Taiwan.


2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a "Liberty
Times" editorial continued its strong criticism against
Lien's China trip, saying the trip will turn into a
disastrous journey for Taiwan. A "China Times"
editorial commented on Chen's remarks prior to his
departure for the Marshall Islands, noting that Chen
can treat the opposition leaders' trip to China as an
opportunity that might finally lead to a dialogue
between the DPP and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
A "United Daily News" commentary and a "China Times"
news analysis discussed the role of the United States
behind Lien's trip. The "United Daily News" commentary
said Washington is very concerned about the fact that
the KMT and CCP started talks without Washington. The
"China Times" news analysis noted that President Chen
sought to regain his leadership of cross-Strait issues
by dragging Washington into the game. End summary.

A) "Lien Chan's China Trip Must Be Stopped from Turning
into a Disastrous Journey for Taiwan"

The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation:
800,000] editorialized (5/2):

". Taiwan is facing a life-and-death crisis in the face
of China's attempt to annex the island. [KMT Chairman]
Lien Chan's China trip, on the other hand, raises the
island's internal struggles to the level of conflicts
between Taiwan and its enemy. Lien's attempt is to
join hands with the rival country to attack his own
government and political competitors. .Lien's China
trip took place at the time of the 30th anniversary of
Saigon's fall into the hands of the Communist Party.
As a result, Taiwan people must strive to stop the trip
from turning into a tragedy for Taiwan."

B) "President Chen Should Stand Firm on His Strategic
Commanding Elevation"

The centrist, pro-status quo "China Times"
[circulation: 600,000] commented in an editorial (5/2):

"Prior to his departure for a visit to Taiwan's allies
in the South Pacific, President Chen chose to make an
initial response to [KMT Chairman] Lien Chan's China's
trip. . If Chen's remarks will become his keynote
response to the meeting between Lien and [Chinese
President] Hu Jintao and even to the future meeting
between [PFP Chairman] James Soong and Hu, we then may
say that Chen has already taken control of the
strategic commanding elevation that he should be
standing on [as a president.] .

"At the current stage, both Chen and his party should
clearly sort out the current situation. Their real
rival is neither the KMT or the PFP but the Chinese
Communist Party in Beijing. Yes, the anticipated
effects of China's Anti-Secession Law, under Beijing's
consistent efforts, have moved toward a direction that
is favorable for China. As Taiwan's ruling party, the
DPP must not just proactively `smear' the opposition
parties. If viewed from a different perspective, why
cannot the DPP treat the opposition leaders' China
trips . as an `opportunity?' Maybe the necessary
process for cross-Strait dialogue should start from the
KMT, then PFP, and followed by the DPP. One must be
aware that the future dialogue between the DPP,
Taiwan's ruling party, and the Chinese Communist Party
will be the real show. Before that really happens, the
ruling party should spend its efforts in communicating
with the deep Green supports.. Likewise, Beijing also
needs time to get to know the DPP better, just like now
it has already changed its previously stereotyped
impression about the KMT. It is definitely a must for
the DPP to create a non-hostile atmosphere if it wants
to sit down and talk with Beijing. "

C) "KMT and CCP Talk without Washington; the United
States Is Concerned"

Washington correspondent Vincent Chang noted in the
"Observation from Washington" column of the pro-
unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 600,000]
(5/1):

". Since Washington has failed to pay attention to the
possible impact that exchanges between the KMT and CCP
might produce in the beginning and as a result, failed
to proactively contact the KMT, it will naturally fall
into a passive position as an observer when the formal
KMT-CCP talks began. Washington is now in a rare and
embarrassing position because it has no part in the
cross-Strait interaction. .

"Over the past few years, the statement that `the
shortest distance from Beijing to Taipei is to go
through Washington' has become an unspoken but widely
known consensus for many cross-Strait relations
specialists and even the governments on both sides of
the Taiwan Strait. . But given the successful meeting
between leaders of the KMT and CCP, plus the meeting
between James Soong and Chinese President Hu Jintao
that will soon take place, Beijing seems to have
silently gotten rid of Washington, the `leverage'
mechanism, and made use of its interaction with
Taiwan's opposition parties to pass over President Chen
Shui-bian and gradually take over the leading role in
the cross-Strait issues, which was originally
controlled by Washington. Beijing seems to have
managed to work on its own to develop a new road to
Taipei, without bothering to go through Washington.

"Such a development has astounded Washington.
Therefore, after Lien set foot in China, Washington has
repeatedly urged Beijing to communicate with `President
Chen and his Cabinet' after its contact with Taiwan's
opposition leaders. Washington also began to emphasize
the justified role of the Chen Shui-bian administration
in the hope that Beijing and the KMT and PFP, to a
certain extent, will not overplay [the game] with the
Chen Shui-bian administration and thereby try to take
back its territory with regard to the cross-Strait
issues."

D) "Bian Strives to Save His Leading Role in Cross-
Strait Issues by Dragging the United States into the
Game"

Journalist Lin Shu-ling said in the centrist, pro-
status quo "China Times" [circulation: 600,000] (5/2):

". Sources said President Chen did not consult with the
high-ranking officials in the Cabinet or the DPP before
he made the remarks about [KMT Chairman] Lien Chan's
trip to China [prior to his departure to South Pacific
Sunday]. Only a few core staff within the Presidential
Office joined in drafting Chen's remarks, and the whole
policy-making process was very hasty. The reason was
because the United States was very concerned that the
development of cross-Strait relations would get out of
its control following Lien's trip to China and that it
does not want to see China leading the development of
cross-Strait ties. Even though Chen mentioned Lien,
Soong and arms sales in his remarks Sunday, his only
purpose was to demonstrate his ability to control the
cross-Strait issue and to stabilize the whole situation
together with the United States.

"The United States has its global strategic need to
lead the development of cross-Strait issues, and U.S.
interests match those of the Chen Shui-bian
administration. When the United States saw from the
Lien-Hu meeting China's attempt to talk with Taiwan's
opposition parties in order to isolate the Chen Shui-
bian administration and get rid of the United States,
Washington started Saturday to urge Beijing to engage
in a dialogue with the Chen administration.
Washington's move and the card played by Chen can be
viewed as concerted attacks aiming at the same target.
."

PAAL