Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06AITTAIPEI1743
2006-05-22 09:04:00
UNCLASSIFIED
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION: TAIWAN'S NATIONAL SECURITY REPORT,

Tags:  OPRC KMDR KPAO TW 
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VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #1743/01 1420904
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 220904Z MAY 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0287
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5231
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6443
UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001743 

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: TAIWAN'S NATIONAL SECURITY REPORT,
U.S.-TAIWAN RELATIONS


UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001743

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: TAIWAN'S NATIONAL SECURITY REPORT,
U.S.-TAIWAN RELATIONS



1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused their
coverage May 20-22 on President Chen Shui-bian's apology for the
First Family's involvement in the recent insider trading scandal;
alleged involvement by Chen's son-in-law in the snowballing insider
trading scandal; Taiwan's first National Security Report; the DPP's
internal feud; the island's bid to join the WHO; and the year-end
Taipei and Kaohsiung mayoral races. In addition, almost all papers
carried on inside pages AIT Director Stephen Young's first press
conference with the Taiwan media last Friday.

The pro-independence "Liberty Times," Taiwan's biggest daily, ran a
banner headline on page two May 22 that said "To Set up a
Cross-Strait Anti-Bird Flu Hotline, [Taiwan Health Minister] Hou
Sheng-mou Invites His Chinese Counterpart to Talks." The
pro-independence "Taiwan Daily" ran a banner-headline news story on
page four May 22 that read "[Defense Ministry] May Likely Withdraw
[U.S.] Arms Procurement Bill and Include It in [Ministry's] Annual
Regular Budget for Next Year."


2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, an editorial in the
pro-status quo "China Times" called the National Security Report
insignificant, as the government has failed to specify its strategic
thinking and the measures it will adopt to cope with the challenges
facing Taiwan. A "United Daily News" analysis also described the
report as a patchwork that has been revised many times without
coming to the point. An editorial in the limited-circulation,
conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" said
there is nothing new in the report, whereas the many promises listed
inside are unenforceable. "Taiwan Daily" Washington correspondent
James Wang, on the other hand, criticized Deputy Secretary of State
Robert Zoellick's recent remarks in a congressional hearing. Wang
said Zoellick has made some serious, inappropriate remarks, as he
took China's position as the United States' position in terms of
cross-Strait relations. An opinion piece in the
limited-circulation, pro-independence, English-language "Taipei
Times" said Taiwan-U.S. ties are strong enough to survive the recent
spat over Chen's transit. End summary.



3. Taiwan's National Security Report

A) "How Can a National Security Report Be Binding If It Has No
Influence at All?"

The pro-status quo "China Times" [circulation: 400,000]
editorialized (5/22):

"... A genuinely significant National Security Report that deserves
everyone's attention is not something that [the government will] use
to teach its people a lesson in international relations or frighten
its people about how fierce Beijing is. Instead, the report should
clearly tell its people what the government's strategic thinking is
with regard to coping with the relevant challenges, and what the
government's measures are to cope with them. Also, it should
clearly explain to its people why the measures the government
proposed are effective and can solve the problems [facing Taiwan].
Unfortunately, this is exactly the part in the entire National
Security Report that 'shows nothing new at all.' When it talks
about 'building high-quality, proper-quantity national defense
capabilities,' ... to 'promote flexible diversified diplomacy,' to
'strengthen an economy of sustainable development and competitive
edge,' or to 'rebuild social relations,' these are all policy
objectives, rather than viable strategies. Even if they were policy
objectives that the ruling authorities believe they should
implement, why didn't they do that in the past six years? Isn't it
already too late, now that it occurred to the government that it
should rebuild social relations and make the island's economy
competitive and diplomacy more flexible, when there are only two
years remaining in its term? Do they really want to promote these
policies in a hurry in two years? If the government is already
pushing these policies, how can it explain the so many problems
facing Taiwan now? ..."

B) "A Quilt That Has Been Patched Numerous Times"

Journalist Huang Ya-shih commented in a news analysis in the
pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (5/21):

"... AIT Taipei Director Stephen Young recently welcomed [Taiwan's]
National Security Report and emphasized that it was made from
'Taiwan's perspective.' But Young also admitted that he had
exchanged views [on the report] with his 'good schoolmate' Chiou
I-jen many times and that Chiou must be very happy, now that the
long-awaited report has finally came out. What Young implied seemed
to mean that Taiwan has revised its report repeatedly and it finally
'passed the interview.'

"When reading into the report, it does look like a 'big quilt' that
has been revised numerous times, bearing with it 'the U.S. shadow,'

the 'theory of China's threats' to please the pro-independence
faction, and the 'pie of cross-Strait exchanges' that is used to
deal with those who advocate [cross-Strait] opening. But each idea
proposed in the report seemed to merely touch upon the issue without
really coming to the point. Perhaps for the Bian administration, it
is better now to remain pointless than to bring about extra
complications, both internally and externally."

C) "A 'National Security Report'"

The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post"
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (5/22):

"... It's a non-report, if you allow us to coin that word. It
doesn't tell anything we don't know about Taiwan's national
security. It doesn't propose anything that can be done under the
existing circumstances. ... Though it's a non-report, the bulky
document can be considered a political party platform. It seems
President Chen is laying down the Democratic Progressive Party
platform long before a candidate is to be nominated next year,
albeit he himself cannot run for a third term. As the party
platform goes, his National Security Report is full of promises,
which, of course, are by and large breakable. ..."


4. U.S.-Taiwan Relations

A) "Which Country's Deputy Secretary of State is Zoellick?"

Washington correspondent James Wang noted in the "Washington Review"
column of the pro-independence "Taiwan Daily" [circulation: 100,000]
(5/20):

"... In response to some American congressmen's criticisms of the
State Department's tactless mistreatment of President Chen
Shui-bian's transit, Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick made
a few inappropriate remarks that did not suit his position at all:
Taiwan is an 'economy,' 'Taiwan independence means war,' and that
Taiwan will keep running into a wall if it keeps bumping up against
the United States' long-lasting 'one China' policy. As the U.S.
deputy secretary of state, Zoellick's statements went beyond
President George W. Bush's position, and he took China's position to
be the United States' position. For a diplomat, Zoellick has made
some serious, improper remarks. ...

"Taiwan wants to bump up against the United States' 'one China'
policy because ... doing so is in Taiwan's interest and this is
something Taiwan should do. Washington fails to review new
situational developments and fails to kindly respond to Taiwan's
expectations. Instead, Zoellick even put on a hegemonic face,
denounced Taiwan not to bump against the U.S. policy, and echoed
China by saying 'Taiwan independence means war.' [Zoellick's]
hypocrisy and arrogance make people doubt the United States'
sincerity in advocating democracy and freedom."

B) "Taiwan-US Ties Strong Enough to Survive Spat"

Huang Tien-lin, national policy adviser to the president, opined in
the pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation:
30,000] (5/20):

"... Are Taiwan-US relations really so fragile that the US would
abolish the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) because of a simple spat over
Chen's transits? If they were, the two would have severed relations
long ago... But money can achieve anything. China is not only
expanding its economic interests into the US, but also building its
dominance in Southeast Asia. The difficulties of Chen's transit
were a direct result of China's economic and military expansion.
Hence, I would like to advise those Taiwanese lawmakers who warn
that the US may abolish the TRA that if you are really worried about
Taiwan's future, you should stop pushing proposals in the
Legislative Yuan that promote cross-strait economic integration and
trade."

YOUNG