MEDIA REACTION: CAMPAIGN TO OUST PRESIDENT CHEN, U.S. ARMS

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 003120

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - DAVID FIRESTEIN
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A


TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: CAMPAIGN TO OUST PRESIDENT CHEN, U.S. ARMS
PROCUREMENTS, CROSS-STRAIT TRADE



1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies gave
significant coverage September 8 to the prosecutors' secret
questioning of President Chen Shui-bian and First Lady Wu Shu-chen
in August, and former DPP Chairman Shih Ming-teh's campaign to oust
President Chen, which will kick off tomorrow. The pro-unification
"United Daily News" ran a front-page banner headline that said
"Prosecutors: Bian and Chen Are 'Potential Defendants.'" The
pro-status quo "China Times" also ran a banner headline on page two
that read "Aware of, Authorized, and Assisted, Can Be Turned into
Defendants at Any Moment; Bian, Chen Can Hardly Get Rid of Fact Were
Accomplices to Forgery." With regard to the U.S. arms procurements,
several papers reported on inside pages that KMT Chairman Ma
Ying-jeou and Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng agreed
Thursday that the U.S. arms procurement bill will be reviewed in the
upcoming legislative session.


2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, an editorial in the
pro-independence "Liberty Times," Taiwan's biggest daily, criticized
the campaign to oust President Chen, saying it will be heavy cost
for Taiwan society. A "China Times" editorial, however, said the
campaign is a result of the Taiwan people's constitutional right to
tell Chen that they will no longer tolerate his corruption and
disgraceful behavior. An opinion piece in the mass-circulation
"Apple Daily" discussed the arms deal of F-16C/D fighter jets,
saying that Taiwan's inner polarities, stalemate, and political
struggles over the past few years have completely exhausted the
island's resources in building Taiwan-U.S. strategic relations. An
editorial in the limited-circulation, conservative, pro-unification,
English-language "China Post" commented on cross-Strait trade
relations, saying closer ties with China will contribute to
stability in the Taiwan Strait and help to improve Taiwan's economy.
End summary.


3. Campaign to Oust President Chen

A) "Democratic Nations Should Not Have Violent and Intense
Protests"

The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 600,000]
editorialized (9/8):

"... The sit-in rally to oust Bian is about to kick off, and the
stern atmosphere of confrontation will again prevail in Taiwan
society. The general pubic will surely feel disturbed all the time
under circumstances in which conflicts may easily break out at any
moment. In particular, the fact that the leaders of the protests
have repeatedly announced in a brutal language that they have no
plans to back down also add unpredictable variables to the rally,
and will surely create heavy costs for our society. Frankly
speaking, Shih Ming-teh's campaign to oust Bian is part of the means
constantly adopted by the anti-Bian camp following the transfer of
power in 2000; it is also an extension of the polarity between the
Blue and Green camps in society. There is no need to underscore the
historical significance of such a movement here. But for President
Chen Shui-bian, who has been a ruler for over six years, he really
needs to review and reflect on himself for his failure to eliminate
the conflicts between different political parties and between
different ethnic groups. ..."

B) "Let Taiwan's History Remember this September"

The pro-status quo "China Times" [circulation: 400,000]
editorialized (9/8):

"... Back to the question itself, this rally is [the result of] a
constitutional right exercised by the people on their accord, and
its objective is directly pinned on the corruption and disgraceful
behavior of the state leader. The people may have used their votes
to re-elect President Chen two years ago, but two years later,
Chen's conduct proves that he is no longer suitable to stay on in
his position. Given the DPP's obstruction, the people were not
given an opportunity to vote Chen out. They could only choose to
voice their outrage on Ketagalan Boulevard, where Chen goes to work
every day, to let the president know that the people are no longer
willing to stand idly by and tolerate Chen and his family's alleged
involvement in all the corruption scandals concerning stocks, gift
certificates, jewelry assets, and the special state affairs fund.
...

"We have always believed that it is the ruling party that should
feel most worried. They should know that Chen has openly
acknowledged that [his family] has accepted SOGO Department Store
gift certificates and that other people's invoices and receipts were
used to claim reimbursement from the Presidential Office's state
affairs fund. The prosecutors have clearly indicated that Chen and
the First Lady may 'very likely' have been involved in forgery and
corruption, and suggested that they be accompanied by their lawyers.
As the situation stands now, the DPP not only overlooked what is

happening but has also tried its best to side with Chen and conceal
his faults. The only action the DPP took was to see Chen off and
welcome him back at the airport en masse. The DPP's action
indicated that the party is determined to put aside the core values
they once embraced and has chosen to side with corruption, which
Chen is involved in. Perhaps the DPP is anticipating that the rally
to oust Bian will have a magnificent beginning but a poor finish, or
that it will hardly sustain; or the party may also believe that Chen
will survive eventually. There is such a possibility, but the DPP
must be mentally prepared that should an unprecedented large crowd
gather, its protest energy will be unprecedented, and the effect
triggered by this rally in Taiwan and even in the international
community will not be easily underestimated. ..."


4. U.S. Arms Procurements

"Use F-16 C/D Fighter Jets to Demonstrate [Taiwan's] Determination
of Arms Procurements"

Mei Fu-hsing, director of the "Taiwan Defense Review," noted in the
mass-circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 500,000] (9/8):

"... Other complicated factors are also involved in the F-16s deal.
The Bush administration reasoned that Taiwan has yet to make a final
decision on the procurement of the weaponry package it agreed to
sell to the island in 2001. Taiwan's internal political factors
have constantly resulted in the stalling of the three major weapons
deal. The United States, on the other hand, believes that over the
past five years it has paid a high price for the deal in terms of
its relations and commercial interests with Beijing. Washington is
not willing to approve any other major arms deal before Taipei is
sure of its procurement and guarantees it has the budget for such
deals, so as to prevent triggering any pressure or retaliation from
Beijing. Under such circumstances, to insist that the military get
a formally approved quotation from the U.S. first is akin to the
problem of which comes first, the chicken or the egg. Of course,
this is also a posture deliberately made by the United States at the
current stage in order to push Taiwan's ruling and opposition
parties to handle the arms procurement bill as early as possible.
...

"The U.S. put out an indicator position of 'we'll talk after you
have the money' with regard to its arms sales to Taiwan. Such a
move has in reality indicated that Taiwan's major diplomatic
achievement of having the arms procurements processed through a
normal channel ... has become a hollow victory. The sadder fact is
that within just five years, Taiwan's inner polarities, long-term
stalemate, and political struggles have completely eroded the
island's resources in building Taiwan-U.S. strategic relations."



5. Cross-Strait Trade

"Closer Ties with China Needed for Peace, Growth"

The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post"
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (9/8):

"There was recently a debate between the American Chamber of
Commerce in Taipei (AmCham) and the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU)
about relations between Taiwan and mainland China. It was an
interesting argument deserving attention from those concerned about
the island's future. ... In our view, increased cross-strait trade
relations can contribute to stability in the Taiwan Strait and lead
to improvement in the Taiwan economy. The government's current
restrictions on cross-strait trade have been impeding economic
growth. Taiwan will be further isolated and marginalized if it
shuts its doors to interaction with the fast-growing mainland
market."

YOUNG