Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05TAIPEI4609
2005-11-17 23:04:00
UNCLASSIFIED
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION: BUSH'S KYOTO SPEECH, APEC, BIRD FLU

Tags:  OPRC KMDR KPAO TW ESTH 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 004609 

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 ESTH
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: BUSH'S KYOTO SPEECH, APEC, BIRD FLU

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 004609

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 ESTH
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: BUSH'S KYOTO SPEECH, APEC, BIRD FLU


1. Summary: Taiwan dailies gave considerable front or second
page coverage on November 17 to U.S. President George W.
Bush's speech delivered in Kyoto on Wednesday, in which he
lauded Taiwan as a model of freedom for China. Coverage
also focused on the pan-Blue legislators' move to slash the
Mainland Affairs Council's budget for 2006; a court ruling
ordering former President Lee Teng-hui to pay People First
Party Chairman James Soong NT$10 million in compensation for
a defamation suit; China's confirmation of its first three
human bird flu cases; and local scandals. All major Chinese-
language Taiwan newspapers also reported how the Taiwan
Presidential Office welcomed Bush's endorsement of Taiwan's
democracy, saying it meant a lot to the island that Bush
praised Taiwan at the start of his trip to Asia. The
centrist "China Times" ran a story on page two saying that
prior to Bush's visit to Beijing this coming weekend, a
former White House official paid a secret visit to Taiwan
and met with President Chen Shui-bian to advise Taiwan not
to make any provocative moves now.


2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, an editorial in
the pro-independence "Taiwan Daily" commented on Bush's
speech, saying that when Bush compared Taiwan to democratic
models like Japan and South Korea, he in fact endorsed
Taiwan as an independent, sovereign state. An opinion piece
in the centrist, pro-status quo "China Times" discussed the
nature of APEC and said that APEC will be hollowed once the
East Asia Summit, from which the United States will be
completely excluded, really takes shape. An editorial in
the limited-circulation, pro-independence, English-language
"Taiwan News" said Taiwan should take the initiative to
propose cooperation within APEC to study and produce
vaccines against avian flu. An editorial in the limited-
circulation, conservative, pro-unification, English-language
"China Post" also called for international cooperation to
curb avian flu. End summary.


1. Bush's Kyoto Speech

"Bush Wants China to Learn from Taiwan's Democracy and
Freedom. How Could the Pan-Blue Camp Be So Merciless as to
Destroy Taiwan's Democracy!"

The pro-independence "Taiwan Daily" [circulation: 100,000]

commented in an editorial (11/17):

"[U.S. President George W.] Bush delivered a speech in Kyoto
Wednesday, lauding Taiwan's democracy, freedom and
prosperity and saying Taiwan is a model for China to learn
from. .

"It is noteworthy that in a few days, Bush will meet with
Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beijing. Bush will ask China
to continue implementing its currency reform policy,
increase U.S. exports to China, and protect intellectual
property rights. Sources said the neo-conservative force in
the U.S. hopes that the Bush administration will adopt a
tough position toward Beijing with regard to issues like
human rights and religious freedom. Bush, on the other
hand, hopes to influence China's social transformation via
economic and trade development. .

"Bush's speech stressed the value of Taiwan's democracy and
clearly pointed out China's totalitarianism. It is
particularly pleasing to see that when Bush listed Taiwan,
together with Japan and South Korea, as democratic economic
models and asked China to play an aggressive role [in this
aspect], he has in fact endorsed Taiwan's [status] as a
country, an independent sovereign state. ."


2. APEC

A) "How Much Can [We] Expect from APEC?"

Wang Chen-yu, a visiting research fellow at Harvard
University's Law School, said in an opinion piece in the
centrist, pro-status quo "China Times" [circulation:
400,000] (11/17):

". Since the nature of APEC is totally different from that
of closed regional organizations (such as the North American
Free Trade Agreement and European Union),most APEC member
nations attend the [annual] meetings with the attitude that
it is at least better than nothing. But the United States
tends to define the APEC meetings as an important occasion
to influence the direction of Asia's economy and trade. As
a result, Washington is akin to becoming a leader of APEC,
dictating all agenda relevant to the United States while
other countries pay only little attention to the meetings. .
Some subtle changes, however, have occurred in this
situation over the past few years. Given the tight schedule
of a series of summit meetings followed by the ASEAN Plus
Three and plans to organize free trade [zones], Asian
nations have shown a greater interest in establishing closed
free trade zones rather than a `tasteless' open regional
forum like APEC. .

". If the `East Asia Summit' really takes shape, APEC will
become hollowed. More importantly, the United States will
be completely excluded from this closed regional
organization that ASEAN nations and China are eager to
build. Such a development has led the United States to
criticize the East Asia Summit recently for being a `black
box;' all the more, it indicates Washington's anxiety of
being marginalized. ."

B) "No More Insults in APEC Meetings"

The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News"
[circulation: 20,000] editorialized (11/17):

". The [Taiwan] government should intensify its
comprehensives international publicity and dialogue efforts
in order to win affirmation in the world community for
Taiwan's existence and development and its efforts to
realize the values of democracy, freedom, peace, progress
and sustainability.

"Hence, we urge our delegation [to APEC] to make positive
use of this opportunity, despite the PRC's interference, to
manifest Taiwan's existence and potential contribution to
the world community and help other delegates and countries
to better understand our diligence and friendship.

"Last year, Taiwan was the first to raise the proposal in
APEC to intensify research and production of vaccines
against infectious diseases and received widespread approval
for this initiative. In light of the rising threat of avian
influenza in the Asia-Pacific region and in the world,
Taiwan should also take the initiative to propose
cooperation within APEC to research, develop and produce
vaccines and other medicines to deal with avian flu and its
possible mutations. ."


3. Bird Flu

"International Cooperation Needed to Curb Bird Flu"

The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China
Post" [circulation: 30,000] wrote in an editorial (11/17):

". Encouragingly, Taiwan and the United States are planning
to cooperate in a project to develop a vaccine against avian
flu, the Council of Agriculture announced during a seminar
on Tuesday. This joint effort should be a helpful step to
preventing the outbreak of the killer disease on this
island. .

". Yesterday U.S. President George W. Bush called on Asia-
Pacific leaders to learn from the outbreak of deadly SARS in
2003 and join forces to fight a potential worldwide spread
of bird flu. . The remarks are valid and noteworthy. Few
countries would be spared if a bird flu pandemic that the
WHO warns of occurs. Countries around the globe should make
collective efforts to prevent that scenario from becoming
reality. Countries may squabble over certain issues, but on
a health issue such as the bird flu crisis, all should work
closely together as Bush has urged."

PAAL