Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06AITTAIPEI3991
2006-11-29 08:43:00
UNCLASSIFIED
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION: CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS AND U.S. MIDDLE EAST

Tags:  OPRC KMDR KPAO TW 
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VZCZCXYZ0007
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #3991 3330843
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 290843Z NOV 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3230
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6007
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 7231
UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 003991

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: CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS AND U.S. MIDDLE EAST
POLICY


Summary: Taiwan's major dailies November 29 focused on State Public
Prosecutor-General Wu Ying-chao's demand to adopt "a consistent
standard" for either investigation of the special allowance case
involving Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou, or Tainan Major Hsu Tien-tsai;
the earliest possible date (December 23) for the Taiwan High-Speed
Railway to begin operations; and the seizure of marijuana and
hydroponic equipment used for cultivating it in Taipei. In inside
pages, the focus was on whether President Chen Shui-bian's son, Chen
Chih-chung, has applied for immigration to the United States.


In terms of editorials and commentaries, Taiwan's pro-independence,
largest-circulation daily "Liberty Times" editorialized that the
Taiwan authorities should not again help China to be a kingdom of
silicon wafers. Commentator Lin Po-wen opined in the pro-status quo
"China Times" that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice should also
be blamed for the U.S. quagmire in Iraq. End summary.

A) "The Taiwan Authorities are Again Helping China to be a kingdom
of silicon wafers"

The pro-independence, Taiwan's largest "Liberty Times" [circulation:
600,000] editorialized (11/28):

"... The Investment Commission under the Ministry of Economic
Affairs (MOEA) said November 13 that the government will withdraw
restrictions on Taiwan investment of 0.18 micrometers manufacturing
process for wafers by the end of 2006; the MOEA also reached an
initial agreement with the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) that they
will allow the ProMOS Technologies and the Powerchip Semiconductor
Corp to set up 8-inch wafer fabs in China. After a few days, the
MAC Chairman [Joseph Wu] also confirmed that he will greatly ease
the restrictions on the enlargement of the 'mini-three links' and
0.18 micrometers manufacturing process for wafers. It seems that
the DPP government is making another wave of 'grand liberalization'
after its 'proactive liberalization' [policy] in 2002 in order to
satisfy the needs of Taiwan businesspeople in China and
entrepreneurs who seek achievements in the Chinese mainland.

"... We consider that the government's policies, including those in
the economic and financial sectors, should list the benefit of all
Taiwan people as well as national security as a priority; this is
also the prerequisite for businesses. 'Liberalization' is not an
aimless policy. Rather than allowing Taiwan's silicon wafer fabs to
expand their production quantities in China, we consider it better
to persuade these businesses to spend capital, human resources, and
time on the R&D of new technologies; they might be arduous for the
time being, but they will benefit business operations in the future.
..."

B)"The War in Iraq is in a Quagmire; Former National Security
Practitioners Criticized that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is
Also to be Blamed"

Commentator Lin Po-wen opined in the pro-status quo "China Times"
[circulation: 300,000] (November 29):

"U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was forced to step down;
insiders in Washington D.C. all know that Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice was behind this, since she was bullied by bossy
Rumsfeld. Recently, however, some former national security
practitioners from both parties consider that Rice should be at
least partially responsible for the Bush Administration's quagmire
in Iraq; they even criticize Rice in public.

"... Claire McCaskill, a Democratic Senator-elect for the State of
Missouri who just beat her Republican rival, criticized President
George W. Bush's Iraq policy by saying in her victory address that
'[we] might be able to establish a regime, but not a democracy, at
the barrel of a gun.'

"[If] [e]ven a local politician has sense like this; doesn't Rice,
who has a Ph.D. in political science and has worked in the field of
national security for years, know about it? No wonder Vice
President Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld led
Rice around by the nose. After taking on the position as Secretary
of State, Rice's subordinates can only show off how Rice has
traveled around the world, and has flown tens of thousands of miles.
But where are her diplomatic accomplishments?"

YOUNG