MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-TAIWAN, KOIZUMI CABINET

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 004501

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - ERIC
BARBORIAK
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-TAIWAN, KOIZUMI CABINET
RESHUFFLE



1. Summary: As major Chinese-language Taipei dailies
continued November 5-7 to dig up more scandals related to
the shady recruitment practices regarding the Kaohsiung mass
rapid transit system, coverage also focused on the year-end
3-in-1 elections, the Government Information Office's row
with TVBS, cross-Strait tourism exchanges, and the funeral
of KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou's father. Several newspapers
reported on November 5 in their inside pages TECRO Chief
David Lee's statement that the U.S. government had actively
expressed concerns over the GIO-TVBS dispute. The centrist
"China Times" also carried the remarks by Premier Frank
Hsieh at the Legislative Yuan last Friday in response to an
inquiry about Washington's concerns. Hiseh was quoted as
saying the United States will respect Taiwan's
implementation of its domestic law and that "Taiwan does not
need to ask for Washington's instructions" or change its
policy because of the U.S. attitude. The pro-unification
"United Daily News," on the other hand, spent its entire
page three on November 7 reviewing Taiwan's economic
situation over the past five years and posing a question of
how long Taiwan's people will have to suffer given the
island's poor economic performance.


2. Most newspapers continued to editorialize on the local
scandals. An editorial in the pro-independence "Liberty
Times" discussed Washington's concerns over the TVBS dispute
as well as its connection to Taiwan's democracy and freedom.
The article urged the Taiwan government to clarify the
dispute with Washington and communicate with the United
States about how to jointly defend their strategic interests
of freedom and democracy. One editorial in the limited-
circulation, conservative, pro-unification English-language
"China Post" and an opinion piece in the limited-
circulation, pro-independence English-language "Taipei
Times" both discussed the cabinet reshuffle in Japan. The
"China Post" editorial expressed a pessimistic outlook for
China-Japan relations, and the "Taipei Times" article urged
Taiwan to avoid any wishful thinking about Japan. End
summary.


1. U.S.-Taiwan

"Let's Talk about Taiwan's Democracy and Freedom"

The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 600,000]
wrote in an editorial (11/7):

"Taiwan's representative to the United States, David Lee,
said the other day that U.S. officials had expressed
concerns to him about the TVBS incident. Lee said he had
clarified the situation with the United States after
receiving relevant instructions from the Taipei government.
According to Lee, Washington expressed concerns over the
incident because [it believes that] the incident might
affect the United States' strategic interests, which,
[according to Washington,] also include democracy and
freedom.

"This newspaper is not sure whether or not Washington's
concerns over this incident are related to the pan-Blue's
speaking ill [of the Government Information Office] to the
United States. But since Lee said Washington expressed
concerns over the incident because it involved strategic
interests such as democracy and freedom, this newspaper
believes that the government should not only clarify the
incident, but also communicate with Washington how to defend
the joint strategic interests like democracy and freedom. .

". Justice will be served as long as Taiwan democracy and
freedom continue to thrive, allowing the 23 million people
to determine their future and allowing Taiwan to become a
fully normal country. Some countries said they are
concerned about Taiwan's democracy and freedom, but they are
unwilling to recognize Taiwan's sovereign status due to
bluffing from totalitarian China. These countries, when it
comes to the implementation of democracy and freedom, only
use a red line to frame Taiwan or adopt a double standard
toward Taiwan. Will it meet the United States' strategic
interests if Taiwan people start to question their moves?"


2. Koizumi Cabinet Reshuffle

A) "Yasukuni Dims Prospects for Better Sino-Japan Ties"

The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China
Post" [circulation: 30,000] said in an editorial (11/5):

"It seems that Beijing-Tokyo relations, which have never
been smooth in the past five years, will face a tough ride
in the future when Japan's hawkish prime minister Junichiro
Koizumi steps down next year and hands the reins to another
hard-line successor.

"The reason for this downbeat view is not difficult to see.
Standing in the way of improved relations between the two
Asian giants is the `Yasukuni issue' - a shrine that houses
14 Class-A war criminals of World War II that Koizumi has
visited five times in as many years as prime minister, in
disregard of Beijing's protests against such visits that
they regard as a gesture to justify Japan's war of
aggression. .

". [A] recent poll in Japan showed that 48 percent of
Japanese were in favor of Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni,
compared with 45 percent who were against. The mass-
circulation Sankei Shimbun said Beijing's resort to suing
the `history card' has proved useless. Therefore, it can be
anticipated that Koizumi's successor will follow the
footsteps of his predecessor.

"Beijing, however, is unlikely to abandon the `history
card.' On the contrary, Beijing regards the Yasukuni issue
as a prerequisite for improving Sino-Japanese relations.
Beijing, in the face of a popular anti-Japan sentiment, is
unlikely to beat a retreat. Likewise, Japan's next
government of hard-line conservatives seems certain to take
a get-tough-on-China stance. With the support of public
opinion, Japan's hawks will resist outside pressure from
Beijing and Seoul and continue their bold march to the
shrine, casting a dark shadow on their mutual ties."

B) "Avoid Wishful Thinking on Japan"

Tsai Zheng-jia, Assistant Research Fellow at the Institute

SIPDIS
of International Relations of National Chengchi University,
commented in the pro-independence, English-language "Taipei
Times" [circulation: 30,000] (11/7):

"Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi recently carried
out the third and most extensive Cabinet reshuffle of his
team. Among the 14 new members, nine of them are members of
the pro-Taiwan Japan-ROC Diet Members' Consultative Council
- the highest number ever. .

"From that observation we can draw the following
conclusions. First, Japan's tilt toward the US is not
necessarily a tilt toward Taiwan. After Koizumi came to
power, he has always followed the US anti-terror policy and
strategic arrangement in East Asia, while gradually changing
Japan's domestic defense policy to fit the new US policy.
Japan mostly focuses on defense against North Korea and
China. But this does not mean that Taiwan has already been
included in the umbrella of US-Japan security cooperation,
or that Tokyo will get involved if a war breaks out in the
Taiwan Strait. Thus, Japan's pro-US policy is only a result
of its concern about its homeland security.

"Second, being tough does not necessarily mean being anti-
China. After Koizumi came to power, Japan has replaced its
cautious and fearful attitude toward China with a tougher
diplomatic line. . But this does not mean that Tokyo wants
to fight against Beijing or compete with it for a dominant
role.

"Finally, being anti-China does not necessarily equate with
being pro-Taiwan. . Therefore, we have to break away from
our old thinking and myths about Taiwan-Japan relations in
the post-Koizumi era, and throw away unrealistic
expectations of the Japanese government. This is the only
way for us to avoid wishful thinking about Japan."

KEEGAN