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

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001452

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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

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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