MEDIA REACTION: PRESIDENT CHEN SHUI-BIAN'S CONSTITUTIONAL

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 003322

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: PRESIDENT CHEN SHUI-BIAN'S CONSTITUTIONAL
REFORM PROPOSAL


1. Summary: Taiwan major Chinese-language dailies focused their
coverage September 26 on Premier Su Tseng-chang's plan to confer
with major political party leaders for a settlement of the current
political stand-off; on the follow-on movements of former DPP
Chairman Shih Ming-teh's campaign to oust President Chen Shui-bian;
and on the U.S. State Department's reaction Monday to President
Chen's proposed constitutional reforms that touch on the island's
territory. Both the pro-status quo "China Times" and the
pro-unification "United Daily News" front-paged the remarks by the
State Department Monday. The "China Times" news story ran with a
headline that said "United States Warns Bian That Constitutional
Reforms Must Not [Involve] Territorial Change," and the headline of
the "United Daily News" story said "United States Does Not Permit
Taiwan to Change Territory." The pro-independence "Liberty Times,"
Taiwan's largest circulation daily, also carried a news story on
page two with the headline "United States Reminds: Bian Has Pledged
That Constitutional Revision Does Not Touch on Territory."


2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, an opinion piece in the
"United Daily News" said President Chen's constitutional reform
proposal that touches on territorial definition can no longer
trigger a cross-Strait crisis. A "China Times" editorial also
criticized Chen for leading the DPP in trying to push the envelope.
An editorial in the limited-circulation, conservative,
pro-unification, English-language "China Post" said, "What Taiwan's
people want now is not a better Constitution but a clean and honest
president and a responsive and responsible government." End
summary.

A) "Writing a New Constitution to Stir up More Trouble? Bian Cannot
Cause a Ripple"

Professor Edward Chen of Tamkang University's Graduate Institute of
American Studies opined in the pro-unification "United Daily News"
[circulation: 400,000] (9/26):

"The new constitutional issue regarding unification and independence
raised by Chen Shui-bian will no longer be able to trigger a crisis
in the Taiwan Strait. ... Why has it become unlikely for the
constitutional issue with regard to territorial change issue that he
has tossed off to cause reverberations in the United States, China,
and Taiwan?

"Judged from Washington's perspective, first, the United States
knows that Chen is anxious to extricate himself from the troubles
caused by the campaign to oust him. But Washington does not believe
that the scandal-plagued Chen is capable of launching a movement to
push for the writing of a new constitution or to conduct a
referendum on the new constitution at this moment. Second, the
United States judges that, given the development of the 'Oust Bian'
campaign, the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) led by Lee Teng-hui has
changed its initial plan to draw a line between itself and Chen;
instead, the TSU is hoping to reap where it has not sown by taking
this opportunity to take over the voters who want to support neither
Bian nor the Blue camp. Even the TSU, which has always been keen on
the unification versus independence issue, has come to realize that
writing a new constitution is simply a trick Chen is using to get
himself out of trouble. As a result, the future prospect of the
move to write a new constitution or to conduct a referendum on a new
constitution is already self-evident.

"In addition, from June to September this year, Chen has twice
explained his stance to AIT Chairman Raymond Burghardt, assuring him
that constitutional reforms would not touch on sensitive issues, nor
would they exceed the current constitutional stipulations. Even
though Chen is mercurial, and it will not come as a surprise if he
breaks his promise again, does he really dare to turn against the
United States now? Besides, even though Stephen Young, the
inspector that Washington has posted to Taipei, has a gentler
attitude compared with that of his predecessor Douglas Paal, he is
certainly not ambiguous when it comes to principles. ..."

B) "Starting Dialogue Is the First Step for Resolving Stand-off"

The pro-status quo "China Times" [circulation: 400,000]
editorialized (9/26):

"... In addition to the inappropriate moves by the ruling party to
mobilize its supporters to counterattack the campaign against the
president, President Chen seems to be very eager to move closer to
the radical Taiwan independence force. Chen has been taking bolder
and bolder actions, starting from changing the name of the [Chiang
Kai-shek] airport, to pushing for Taiwan's bid to join the United
Nations using the name of Taiwan, and to showing intentions to
change the articles in the Constitution concerning Taiwan's
territory.

"It is really difficult to figure out the strategic logic behind the

line [Chen] is taking now and his appeal [to his party]. Did he do
so just to show his stance to the hasty independence force, which
accounts for less than 20 percent of the people in Taiwan, in
exchange for a limited sense of security? One must know that, over
the past three months, Chen has twice guaranteed to the United
States that Taiwan's future constitutional reforms would not touch
on sensitive issues such as the country's title and its territory.
Now, not only is the country's title to be changed, but the proposal
of a new constitution [redefining] Taiwan's territory has also
become a mainstream view of the DPP. All the more, Chen is leading
his party personally to push the envelope. Is it possible that Chen
will not stop until wars start to break out everywhere [on the
island]? ..."

C) "Charter Change a Diversion"

The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post"
[circulation: 30,000] wrote in an editorial (9/26):

"President Chen Shui-bian and his Democratic Progressive Party are
at it again - championing China-provoking constitutional reforms to
divert public attention from the scandal-plagued president and the
growing unpopularity of the ruling party. Immediately after he put
his signature on the new charter, President Chen pledged to push for
debates on a new Constitution, including the explosive issues of
sovereignty, territory and formal independence for the self-ruled
island. Chen's relentless pursuit of Taiwan independence has
incurred the wrath of the island's No. 1 enemy China and the
irritation of its mentor and protector the U.S., causing political
upheavals, economic stagnation and social division at home. ...

"Constitutional reform is welcome when necessary, but not desirable
when it irritates foes and allies alike and disturbs internal
political stability. What Taiwan's people want now is not a better
Constitution but a clean and honest president and a responsive and
responsible government."

WANG