MEDIA REACTION: PENTAGON REPORT ON CHINA'S MILITARY POWER

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001791 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: PENTAGON REPORT ON CHINA'S MILITARY POWER ¶1. Summary: Taiwan's dailies all gave front-page coverage May 25 to the prosecutors' questioning of President Chen Shui-bian's in-laws Wednesday and the detention of Chen's son-in-law Thursday morning for his alleged role in a snowballing insider trading scandal. Coverage also focused on the U.S. Defense Department's 2006 report on China's military power; talks between Taiwan and Chinese military officials scheduled in July in Hawaii; the DPP's disputed nomination process for the year-end Taipei and Kaohsiung mayoral races; and other local corruption scandals. The pro-independence "Taiwan Daily" front-paged: "United States Urges [Taiwan and China to] Talk about Cross-Strait Military Buffer Zone in July." The pro-status quo "China Times" also ran a banner headline on an inside page with the headline "United States Invites Both Sides [of the Taiwan Strait] for Military Talks Next Month." The "Taiwan Daily," in addition, ran a banner headline on page three that read "U.S. Defense Department Report Warns That [China] Needs to Assess Possibility of U.S. and Japanese Involvement If It Uses Force Against Taiwan." ¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, an editorial in the pro-independence "Liberty Times," Taiwan's biggest daily, criticized pan-Blue legislators for blocking the U.S. arms procurement bill while the U.S. Defense Department report warns of unbalanced military powers across the Taiwan Strait. A "China Times" analysis, on the other hand, said that even though China-U.S. military exchanges have been going on for over twenty years, the United States still cannot figure out how to assess China's intentions and its force operations. End summary. A) "United States Is Concerned About Unbalanced Military Powers in Taiwan Strait. What About Us?" The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 600,000] editorialized (5/25): "... Over the past few years, when the United States published its annual report on China's military, it always reminded the world of the potential threat to world peace caused by China's rise. The unbalanced military powers across the Taiwan Strait are, in particular, a focus of U.S. concern. Washington's consent to sell major weaponry to Taiwan, such as submarines, anti-missile systems, and anti-submarine aircraft, is aimed at strengthening Taiwan's defense capabilities, deterring China's aggression to invade [Taiwan], and ensuring cross-Strait and world peace. It is a pity that the pan-Blue camp keep blocking the arms procurements, a move that is akin to tearing down Taiwan's defense capabilities; and [the pan-Blue camp's] joining hands with Chinese Communist Party to restrain Taiwan is also designed to tear down Taiwan's psychological defense capabilities. Once Taiwan's national and psychological defenses both fall apart, perhaps China can annex Taiwan without having to waste any single soldier or bullet. ..." B) "United States Fails to Figure out China's Strategic Thinking" Journalist Chi Lo-i wrote in a news analysis in the pro-status quo "China Times" [circulation: 400,000] (5/25): "Chinese people are indeed difficult to understand. The fifty-page report on 'The Military Power of the PRC' fully reveals the United States' bitter anxiety and expectations for strengthening military exchanges with Beijing. Military exchanges between China and the United States have been going on for over twenty years, but the United States still cannot figure out how Beijing exercises its strategic powers. This is the major concern expressed in this year's 'China Military Power Report.' ... "The military power report lists in detail the general directions of Beijing's hawkish force, pointing out how many of these moves are aimed at Taiwan. But behind all its intelligence obtained from surveillance, the United States has no idea about how to assess Beijing's intentions or weapons operations. ... The U.S. idea, as indicated in the report, is that the more it cannot figure out, the more it needs to strengthen communication [with China]. Strictly speaking, this year's China military power report is more or less the same as last year's. It is a result of [Washington's] evaluation following continued observation. Political motives aside, its description of the external developments of Beijing's military power is, in general, objective. ..." YOUNG