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