MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-CHINA-TAIWAN RELATIONS

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001452 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: U.S.-CHINA-TAIWAN RELATIONS ¶1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies continued to center their reporting April 27 on four main stories: the corruption scandal surrounding former Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Chen Che-nan, the scandal concerning the SIPDIS construction of Taiwan's high-speed railway system, the controversy over the First Family's assets management, and the year-end Taipei mayoral race. Coverage also focused on President Chen's interview with the "Asian Wall Street Journal" Tuesday. The pro-independence "Liberty Times," Taiwan's biggest daily, ran a banner headline on its page two that said: "Bian [Says] When Interviewed with the Asian Wall Street Journal: the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party Join Hands to [Try to] Take Back the Ruling Power [of Taiwan] in 2008." The pro-independence "Taiwan Daily," in addition to reporting on Chen's interview on its front page under a headline similar to that of the "Liberty Times," also spent one third of its page three carrying various news stories on the same topic, and one of its news stories was topped with the headline: "The President [Speaks of] the Bush-Hu Meeting: the United States Did Not Allow China to Score Points on the Taiwan Issue." The "Taiwan Daily" also ran the results of an opinion survey conducted by the Taiwan Think Tank Wednesday, which said 77 percent of those polled said they are in favor of three-party talks by Taiwan, the United States, and China to discuss issues concerning cross-Strait peace, while 60 percent said they don't believe Chinese President Hu Jintao's pledge to maintain world peace and stability. ¶2. Several pro-independence papers editorialized on Chen's interview with the "Asian Wall Street Journal." A "Liberty Times" editorial urged the ruling DPP government to put aside their personal gains and infighting and do a good job so as to secure the party's victory in the 2008 presidential election. A "Taiwan Daily" editorial urged the United States to pay attention to Taiwan's determination to pursue democracy and to support Taiwan's elected government so that Washington will not lose its ally and interests in the Asia-Pacific region. Liu Kuan-teh, a Taipei-based political commentator, opined in the limited-circulation, pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" that "Taiwan should take the initiative by playing a positive role in pushing forward China's economic liberalization and democratic opening, while reinforcing the country's defensive capability." End summary. A) "To Safeguard the Taiwan-Centric Regime, [the Ruling Party] Had Better Get Rid of Its Individualism" The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 600,000] editorialized (4/27): "President Chen Shui-bian said during a recent interview with the 'Asian Wall Street Journal' that when he was elected president in 2000, China was waiting for Taiwan's opposition parties to impeach him, but such an attempt failed because they did not get enough support from the Taiwan people. When he was re-elected in 2004, Chen added, China waited again to see if the election lawsuits filed by the opposition parties could turn out in their favor, but they failed again. Chen said now China is working with the opposition parties in launching a 'soft decapitation[of attacks aimed at Chen's family and his administration]' plan, in an attempt to smear the Taiwan government and the Taiwan leader. ... "It now seems a very tough test for the Taiwan-centric administration [i.e. the pan-Green administration] to continue its rule in 2008, and if handled improperly, the pro-China administration will likely regain power again. ... This newspaper thus sincerely calls on the leaders of the ruling party to put aside their personal gains and infighting. In order to let the administration of nativism to continue its rule, the government officials must not pay attention to short-term benefits but should join hands together to do their jobs well and let the Taiwan people see their performance. ..." B) "The United States Must Attach Great Importance to Taiwan's Will to Pursue Democracy and Proactively Support [Taiwan's] Elected Government so that It Will Not Lose Its Ally and Interests in the Asia-Pacific Region" The pro-independence "Taiwan Daily" [circulation: 100,000] editorialized (4/27): "... We want to remind the U.S. government that should China succeed in its scheme to help the KMT to regain power over Taiwan, China will take control of Taiwan's politics. Also, should the old [pro-China] influences in Taiwan revive and Taiwan's democracy regress, China will annex Taiwan, gain sea dominance over the Taiwan Strait, and break the United States' strategy to use the island chains in the Pacific for its blockade tactics. In the face of the rise of totalitarian China, the United States and Taiwan, which are both democracies, are closely related and share the same interests. Taiwan is a faithful ally of the United States, and [as a result], the United States should attach great importance to Taiwan's democratic achievement, pay close attention to the Taiwan people's determination and will to pursue normalization of their country, and proactively support Taiwan's elected government and its leader. The United States cannot afford to lose its interests in the Asia-Pacific region by losing its ally." C) "US-Taiwan Relationship Needs Fresh Viewpoint" Liu Kuan-teh, a Taipei-based political commentator, opined in the pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 30,000] (4/27): "While the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) felt relieved after US President George W. Bush's simple reiteration of his official policy toward cross-strait relations, an essential element that constructs future US-Taiwan relationship must be incorporated in the decision-making process of President Chen Shui-bian's administration. ... The Chen administration should react to Bush's statement in a strategic way. One the one hand, because Bush did not bring up the democratic principle of respecting Taiwanese people's freedom of choice as his predecessor President Bill Clinton did before, Chen and the DPP should continue to push for the principle of 'the people decide' as the fundamental basis of US-Taiwan relations. "On the other hand, the DPP government should work harder with its US friends to strengthen the necessity of Beijing's leaders' engagement in dialogue with the duly elected leader of Taiwan and its democratically elected government. In light of Washington's policy to encourage China into being a 'responsible stakeholder' in the international system, Taiwan should take the initiative by playing a positive role in pushing forward China's economic liberalization and democratic opening, while reinforcing the country's defensive capability." YOUNG