Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06AITTAIPEI1311
2006-04-14 08:00:00
UNCLASSIFIED
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION: KMT-CCP ECONOMIC FORUM

Tags:  OPRC KMDR KPAO TW 
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VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #1311/01 1040800
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 140800Z APR 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9701
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5061
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6256
UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001311 

SIPDIS

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

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A


TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: KMT-CCP ECONOMIC FORUM

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001311

SIPDIS

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

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A


TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: KMT-CCP ECONOMIC FORUM


1. Summary: Taiwan's papers gave significant coverage April 14 of
President Chen Shui-bian's remarks Thursday that he would step down
if any of the first family had improperly accepted gift vouchers to
the SOGO Department Store. Coverage also focused on the KMT-Chinese
Communist Party (CCP) Economic Forum, which kicked off in Beijing
today; the corruption scandals surrounding former Presidential
Office Deputy Secretary-General Chen Che-nan; and other local
political issues. The pro-independence "Liberty Times," Taiwan's
biggest daily, ran a banner headline on its second page that read:
"[Former President] Lee [Teng-hui] Criticizes the KMT-CCP Forum as a
Move to Help China to Use Economic and Trade Ploys to Annex
Taiwan."


2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a news analysis in the
pro-unification "United Daily News" said KMT Honorary Chairman Lien
Chan will hold a lot of leverage in future interactions between
Washington, Beijing and Taipei. A separate "United Daily News"
commentary called the KMT-CCP forum another window of opportunity
opened for both sides of the Taiwan Strait, adding that it may very
likely be a result of the United States' hard work. A commentary in
the limited-circulation, pro-independence, English-language "Taipei
Times," however, said "Lien might be able to act pompous when he has
the CCP behind him, but the CCP is playing to a home audience,
strengthening its position by promoting unification between China
and Taiwan." End summary.

A) "Beijing Lays Itself out to Treat Lien Chan as One of Its Own
People"

Journalist Yang Yu-wen commented in a news analysis in the
pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (4/14):

"One year after Lien Chan and Hu Jintao jointly created the history
of reconciliation between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party,
the two met again in Beijing [Thursday]. Over this past year, the
two men have been working together to gradually push for steady
development of an interaction mechanism across the Taiwan Strait.
...

"In addition to his influence shown in the [KMT-CCP] platform, Lien
in fact continues to play a leverage role in the interactions
between Washington, Beijing and Taipei, and his influence should not

be easily overlooked. In the wake of President Chen Shui-bian's
decision to cease the functions of the National Unification Council,
a move that irritated the United States, which, as a result, sought
to belittle Ma Ying-jeou in an attempt to revenge Chen, the current
development is that Washington is forming a 'follow-up consensus'
with Taiwan's presidential hopeful [i.e. Ma] over the Five No's
pledge; the two sides have even gone so far as to discuss the
so-called modus vivendi across the Taiwan Strait. Beijing does not
have a direct role to play in Washington interactions with Ma. But
Lien and Hu's joint efforts to promote the KMT-CCP forum at this
time has, to a certain extent, secured the KMT's route of
reconciliation with regard to cross-Strait relations. ...

"No matter what plans Ma has in mind, while the KMT-CCP forum is
already able to further shape policies and stabilize current
cross-Strait relations, the situation jointly created by Lien and Hu
will have formulated a new and fully-developed status by 2008.
Given the competition and cooperation of the two frameworks - the
KMT-CCP forum and the U.S.-China-Taiwan dialogue, Washington may not
be the only one that can direct the future situation. Judging from
this grand perspective, this chess move by Lien and Hu has actually
carried far-reaching implications."

B) "Another Window of Opportunity"

Journalist Luo Chia-wei opined in the "United Notes" column of the
pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (4/14):

"... Since President Chen announced the 'proactive management and
effective opening' policy in his New Year's Day speech, a tightened
cross-Strait trade relationship has become the [government's] main
policy direction in Chen's remaining term. But given Ma Ying-jeou's
successful visit to the United States and pressure posed by the
forthcoming meeting between U.S. President George W. Bush and
Chinese President Hu Jintao, the DPP's policy direction seems to
have swung over to the opening side again. ...

"President Chen himself revealed recently that he has met with AIT
Taipei Director Stephen Young four times already [over the past
month]. Were these meetings just to clear up the messy situation
created by [Chen's announcement to] cease the functions of the
National Unification Council? While Chen and Ma, in their recent
meeting, called on Beijing to clarify the definition of the 1992
Consensus, it was not simply a move aimed at mug-slinging each
other. All these signs showed that this suddenly opened window of
opportunity may very likely bear traces of the United States' hard
work. ..."

C) "What Would Chiang Do? Call on the Firing Squad"

Cao Changqing, a Chinese-born freelance journalist currently
residing in the United States, opined in the pro-independence,
English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 30,000] (4/14):

"... This time, Lien is making another trip to Beijing, amid great
fanfare, to take part in the so-called KMT-CCP Economic Forum. This
should remind the Taiwanese people that, even though the KMT has
been relegated to the opposition, its leaders have not lost their
dictatorial mindset. Their attitude has been that if they can't
govern, they can at least stir things up in Taiwan, and form a
relationship with their old enemy in China. This is an attempt to
secure their goals any way they can, but history has shown that this
is bound to lead to disaster. ... Lien might be able to act pompous
when he has the CCP behind him, but the CCP is playing to a home
audience, strengthening its position by promoting unification
between China and Taiwan. ..."

YOUNG