MEDIA REACTION: PRESIDENT CHEN SHUI-BIAN'S TRANSITS IN THE

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001510

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: PRESIDENT CHEN SHUI-BIAN'S TRANSITS IN THE
UNITED STATES



1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused their
coverage May 2 on the details of President Chen Shui-bian's transit
in the U.S., legislators' proposed constitutional amendments, the
corruption scandals involving First Lady Wu Shu-chen, and the
year-end Taipei and Kaohsiung mayoral race. The pro-status quo
"China Times" ran a banner headline on its front page that read:
"[U.S. President George W.] Bush Will Personally Decide on the
Cities for Bian to Transit [in the United States]." The
pro-independence "Taiwan Daily" also ran a news story on its page
two with the headline: "Is the United States Making Things Difficult
for the President's Transits? Taiwan's Foreign Ministry: Still
Negotiating [with Washington over the Issue]."


2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, the "Free Talk" column
in the pro-independence "Liberty Times," Taiwan's biggest daily,
pointed out that Washington's way of handling President Chen's
transits may be aimed at showing its displeasure with the DPP
government, but it has also humiliated all the Taiwan people. The
column added that Taiwan remains an independent sovereign state no
matter whether its president gets to transit in the United States.
A "China Times" editorial, however, criticized Chen and Taiwan's
high-ranking officials for using Taiwan's foreign relations as a
tool for the island's infighting. The editorial concluded by saying
that "the President's transits are actually a small matter; what
really matters is that Taiwan has now become something that
Washington and Beijing will jointly 'manage.'" End summary.

A) "[Taiwan] Refuses to Be a Wealthy Fool"

The "Free Talk" column in the pro-independence "Liberty Times"
[circulation: 600,000] wrote (5/2):

"[President] A-bian will depart for a visit to Central and South
America Wednesday, but as of now, the cities that he is going to
stop over in the United States are undecided yet. Even a layman who
knows nothing about foreign relations can tell that the U.S.
government is deliberately making things difficult [for Chen].
Washington's approach may be aimed at expressing its displeasure
with the DPP government, but it has humiliated all the Taiwan
people. Even if A-bian is willing to accept such humiliation, are
the Taiwan people willing to do so, too?

"The fact that our president, when visiting Taiwan's allies, tend to
regard his transits in other countries as a diplomatic breakthrough
or achievement, is indeed a move that has put the cart before the
horse. When the President makes stopovers in the United States, the
most he can do is to shake hands and dine with some overseas Taiwan
people. What else can he do? No matter whether the President is
able to transit in the United States, Taiwan is still Taiwan and it
remains to be an independent sovereign state. ..."

B) "An Incompetent and Senseless Way to Handle Diplomacy"

The pro-status quo "China Times" [circulation: 400,000]
editorialized (5/2):

" It is an unprecedented situation that our President Chen Shui-bian
has no clue at all as to which cities he will stop over even though
he is about to take off. But in fact there is more Taipei should
worry about. ... Chen is about to depart for a trip to Paraguay and
Costa Rica tomorrow, yet [until now,] the United States is reluctant
to formally announce the cities that Chen can transit in; it seems
that Washington does not want Taiwan to play up this issue. But
despite the trouble that could cause to Chen's safety and the
aviation operations, do we see any respect shown for a state leader
who has no idea where he will stop over when he is about to take
off? ...

"... What's worse is that Chen and other high-ranking officials have
used [Taiwan's] foreign relations as a tool for the island's
infighting. ... For example, the United States is Taiwan's most
important ally, but the bilateral relations [between the two] have
fallen from the peak to the lowest point just within a few years.
The mutual trust between Taiwan and the United States built over the
past years were severely damaged, and the United States' respect for
the Taiwan government was significantly jeopardized; Washington's
doubts are evident in the way it handles Chen's transits this time.
But the President's transits are actually a small matter; what
really matters is that Taiwan has now become something that
Washington and Beijing will jointly 'manage.' What is it exactly
that has made the United States feel that Taiwan is a more dangerous
variable that Washington can hardly control than China? ..."

YOUNG