MEDIA REACTION: ASEAN/EAS AFTERMATH, U.S. ARMS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 004913

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: ASEAN/EAS AFTERMATH, U.S. ARMS
PROCUREMENTS


1. Summary: As major Chinese-language Taiwan dailies
continued December 17-19 to report and speculate on the
possible candidates for the next premier and the race of the
DPP chairmanship, coverage also focused on the U.S. arms
procurement bill. The centrist "China Times" ran a banner
headline on its front page December 18 that read: "Bian Is
Willing to Make Concession and the Pan-Blue Camp Is willing
to Talk about the [U.S.] Arms Procurements." The newspaper
also spent its whole page four discussing how the Chen Shui-
bian administration and the pan-Blue camp can work to
resolve the deadlocked U.S. arms procurement bill and which
items of weaponry the Taiwan military wants to buy. With
regard to the WTO ministerial meetings in Hong Kong, Taiwan
papers gave moderate coverage to a WTO interim deal reached
Sunday to end farm export subsidies by 2013 and the protests
staged in Hong Kong.


2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, several opinion
pieces discussed the recently-concluded East Asia Summit in
Kuala Lumpur and its impact on Taiwan's future development.
In addition, an editorial in the pro-independence "Taiwan
Daily" urged the pan-Blue camp to renounce political
manipulation and boycotts against the U.S. arms procurement
bill so as to show Taiwan's determination to defend itself.
End summary.


1. ASEAN/EAS Aftermath

A) "An Integration Model That Is Characteristic of East
Asia"

Hung Tsai-lung, associate research fellow at the Taiwan
Institute of Economic Research, said in an opinion piece in
the centrist, pro-status quo "China Times" [circulation:
400,000] (12/19):

". Even though the East Asia Summit (EAS) has yet to touch
upon any substantive issues, its current development showed
that a big framework for East Asia's future regional
integration has emerged. In other words, EAS did not
replace `ASEAN plus three' as it was originally designed to
do; instead, both EAS and ASEAN will co-exist and complement
each other. The EAS, which has more member states and is
basically an opener and more outward-looking organization,
will focus on non-economic and trade issues such as regional
security and political cooperation, while the core `ASEAN
plus three' will be responsible for promoting economic and
trade integration in East Asia. It remains to be seen
whether such a parallel development system can operate
effectively and successfully, but at least a regional
integration model that is characteristic of East Asia and
different from that of the European Union and the North
American Free Trade Agreement is taking shape. .

"It is generally expected that as regionalism grows more
effective in East Asia, the United States will react more
strongly [to such a development]. The most convenient
method [for the United States to cope with such a
development] will be to strengthen the function of APEC, in
an attempt to use the broader `Asia Pacific' area to weaken
the regional nature of `East Asia.' Other possible
strategies [that may be adopted by the United States]
include signing bilateral or multilateral free trade
agreements with the East Asian nations in an effort to
eliminate or at least reduce the weight of regionalism in
East Asia. ."

B) "EAS Belittled by Actions of ASEAN"

Chen Hurng-yu, professor of political history at National
Chengchi University, wrote in an opinion piece in the pro-
independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation:
30,000] (12/19):

". Unexpectedly, the East Asian stats, always planning and
scheming, declared that EAS will be led by ASEAN, and that
future summits will be held in ASEAN states. This was a sly
gamble and ASEAN defeated the major economic powers that had
been so eager to try their luck. The future direction and
progress of the EAS will now be determined by ASEAN,
something that surely vexes China, Japan and Australia. .

"It could be said that these developments are belittling the
EAS. If ASEAN had from the outset intended to really open
up the EAS, it should have let it become a true East Asian
organization, with nations from throughout the region
enjoying equal membership and rotating hosting rights. This
is the only way of giving the organization historic
significance and value."

C) "Taiwan Deserves a Seat at the EAS Table"

Darson Chiu and Alex Hsu, both assistant research fellows at
the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research, noted in an
opinion piece in the pro-independence, English-language
"Taipei Times" [circulation: 300,000] (12/19):

". From a trade and economic standpoint, there is no reason
to exclude Taiwan [from the East Asia Summit]. However,
lacking common roots, the idea of East Asian integration can
only emerge if East Asians come to share a common vision of
the future and are happy with their roles in such a vision.
But the current reality is that East Asia is still far from
fulfilling that vision. . If opportunities for participation
don't exist, Taiwan should create them. By taking advantage
of its location, Taiwan could serve as the hub between
northeast Asian and southeast Asian business networks."


2. U.S. Arms Procurements

"Only When the Pan-Blue Camp Renounces Political
Manipulation and Boycotts Can There Be Real Hope for [the
Passage] of U.S. Arms Procurement Bill"

The pro-independence "Taiwan Daily" [circulation: 100,000]
editorialized (12/19):

". In an attempt to push for the passage of the U.S. arms
procurement bill, all relevant government agencies,
including the Defense Ministry and the Executive Yuan,
should take the initiative to engage in open-minded
communication with the opposition parties and work out a
resolution that is acceptable for both sides. Defense
Minister Lee Jye's plan to visit KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou
in person to lobby and win Ma's and the KMT legislative
caucus' support for the bill is a positive move that
deserves our encouragement. The Executive branch has the
responsibility to do all it can to ensure that the bill will
be finally passed.

"Taiwan is under increasing military threats from China as
Beijing is deploying missiles along its southeastern coast
aiming at Taiwan and also strengthening its navy combat
capabilities. Taiwan, as a result, must use concrete
actions to prove its determination to defend itself so that
it can the attention of the international community to this
situation. Both the ruling and opposition parties, in the
wake of the [island-wide] elections, must put aside their
partisan ideology, work together to ensure that the package
arms procurement bill will be reviewed by the Legislative
Yuan's Procedure Committee by the end of this session. Only
by doing so can Taiwan demonstrate its determination and
efforts to defend itself."

PAAL