MEDIA REACTION: PRESIDENT CHEN SHUI-BIAN'S OVERSEAS TRIP

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001552 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 OVERSEAS TRIP AND THE U.S. ¶1. Summary: Taiwan's dailies gave significant coverage May 5 to President Chen Shui-bian turning down Washington's stopover offer and making instead a transit of Abu Dhabi Thursday. The pro-unification "United Daily News" front-page banner-headlined: "[Taiwan Foreign Minster] James Huang Strongly Protests to United States for [Chen's] Failure to Transit Lebanon," while both the pro-status quo "China Times" and mass-circulation "Apple Daily" front-paged Chen's anger with the U.S. transit plans and speculated about Chen's whereabouts. The "Apple Daily" ran an eye-catching color headline on page two that said: "Transits Hit One Snag After Another, Bian and United States Break Up." The pro-independence "Liberty Times," Taiwan's biggest daily, carried a news story on page two with the headline: In Pre-departure Remarks, Bian Criticizes China for 'Driving Taiwan to the Wall.'" The "China Times," however, ran a news story on page two with the headline: "Not Wanting to Play [Chen's] Game, the United States Deliberately Leaks Message [of Chen's Decision Not to Transit Alaska]." ¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, an "Apple Daily" editorial said that while being turned down by Washington, Chen could seize the opportunity to win back the support of pro-Green voters. A "China Times" editorial criticized Chen for inviting humiliation on himself, and a separate "China Times" news analysis said U.S. good will is worn out and that the Chen administration is badly hurt. An editorial in the conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" urged the Chen administration to find out why the U.S., a longtime ally of Taiwan, has become so unfriendly. An editorial in the pro-independence "Taiwan Daily," on the other hand, criticized Washington's "rude" behavior toward Chen, saying the United States has slapped itself in the face and trampled on the core values of democracy and freedom. End summary. A) "Bian Suffers Loss in One Place but Makes Gain in Another" The mass-circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 500,000] commented in an editorial (5/5): "... As a matter of fact, having undergone such an embarrassing process [of applying for transits in the U.S.], no one in the role of president will want to transit Alaska. ... Thus, refusing to transit was A-bian's only choice. We can blame Bian for damaging Taiwan-U.S. ties and thus asking for humiliation himself. But as it stands now, Bian's choice to turn down Washington's humiliation was the right decision; he has maintained minimum dignity for himself and Taiwan. "For Taiwan's part, pan-Green supporters are biding their time and waiting for Bian's clear signal. Bian can seize this opportunity to win back the support of those pan-Green voters. For the United States, it will not hurt Taiwan because of Bian's refusal to transit America. This is because Washington has decided to treat Bian and Taiwan separately. Also, for the United States, Taiwan is of strategic interest, so it will not hurt Taiwan's security. ..." B) "[Chen] Asking for an Insult and Not Striving for Taiwan's Foreign Relations" The pro-status quo "China Times" [circulation: 400,000] editorialized (5/5) "... [President Chen's overseas trip] has not only generated the most embarrassing record in the history of overseas visits by Taiwan's leaders, but is also the most humiliating visit by a Taiwan leader since the invention of the so-called 'stop-over diplomacy.' ... "We must say that with regard to Chen's trip to Central and South America this time, Taiwan has made serious mistakes and misjudgments in terms of situation assessment at the strategic level and real operations at the tactic level. For the strategic level, the ruling authorities, judging from the way they handled [Chen's] stop-over diplomacy this time, have evidently had a few serious blind spots and mistakes with regard to perception of the current status of Taipei-Washington-Beijing ties. First, they mistakenly believe that the uproar triggered by Chen's decision to 'cease the functions of the National Unification Council NUC)' early this year is already over. Second, they misjudged the situation and believe that Taiwan has more room to maneuver since Washington-Beijing ties did not significantly improve in the wake of U.S. President George W. Bush's meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao, in which Bush did not publicly criticize Taiwan. Third, since KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou had received a privileged reception during his trip to the United States [in March], the authorities unilaterally judged that Washington would at least offer a balanced treatment of Chen's transits in the U.S. The key to such strategic misjudgments lies in the wishful thinking of the Taiwan authorities, that they can still be a 'player' in the triangular relationship between Taipei, Washington, and Beijing. But the truth is that after all the reckless moves of conducting [Taiwan's first] referendum and ceasing the functions of the NUC, Taiwan long ago became a bargaining chip that both the United States and China want to proactively 'manage.' ..." C) "U.S. Goodwill Has Worn Out, Bian Administration Badly Hurt" Journalist Wu Tien-jung wrote in analysis in the pro-status quo "China Times" [circulation: 400,000] (5/5): "... The damage done to Taipei-Washington relations is far greater than that which occurred after the Taiwan referendum incident in ¶2004. [Some] American people confirmed that, following this series of surprises, they no longer know Chen Shui-bian's future direction, and they don't know who on earth can really influence Bian. ... But Washington turned down the request by the ROC president to transit the U.S. mainland this time, and Chen also determinedly refused to transit Alaska. Both sides were actually using a very strong and extreme way to prove what has been reported in the media over the past few years - namely, there are some problems, and not small ones, in the relationship between the DPP government and the United States. ..." D) "We Must Examine Why U.S. Is Behaving Unfriendly" The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" [circulation: 30,000] editorialized (5/5): "Washington's refusal to allow President Chen Shui-bian to transit through America proper is widely seen as a deliberate snub to him, a new sign that suggests Taipei's relations with the Bush administration remain strained in the wake of the nasty row early this year over a controversial plan to abolish the National Unification Guidelines. The incident is truly regrettable. But regret aside, the matter of why a longtime ally has now become so unfriendly to use deserves a sober review. ... The last-minute decision to drop Anchorage from his Taipei-Paraguay flight apparently was a move made deliberately by Chen to show his displeasure with the U.S. government about the way it handled his transit application this time. He chose to transit through Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. This new twist is likely to add to the transit dispute causing bitterness between Taipei and Washington. ... "It is yet unknown as to whether Chen will still transit through Anchorage on his return flight on Thursday next week from Costa Rica, the other destination, beyond Paraguay, of his two-nation Latin American visit. But what is clear now is a need for Taipei to take the initiative to repair the bilateral relationship strained by the recent series of unpleasant events. Maintaining friendly relations with a country which absorbs the bulk of Taiwan's technology products and provides with defense support is of great importance to this island." E) "Disrespect for Taiwan's Leader Is Akin to Inflicting a Blow to Freedom and Democracy. The United States Should Re-evaluate Its Strategy Toward Taiwan" The pro-independence "Taiwan Daily" [circulation: 100,000] editorialized (5/5): "... The Bush administration's rude behavior today showed no respect to Taiwan's duly-elected leader, Chen Shui-bian, and the 23 million people of Taiwan; all the more, it has slapped itself in the face and trampled on the core values of democracy and freedom. The results of Chen's transit negotiations with the United States this time have not only harmed Taiwan but also dealt a heavy blow to the universal values of freedom and democracy. The United States takes pride in being the stronghold of global democracy, but its determination and actual behavior in safeguarding freedom and democracy need to be re-examined and evaluated. ..." YOUNG