MEDIA REACTION: PRESIDENT CHEN'S PROPOSAL TO

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000549

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: PRESIDENT CHEN'S PROPOSAL TO
ABOLISH THE NATIONAL UNIFICATION COUNCIL, AND THE U.S.



1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused
their coverage February 22 on U.S. National Security Council
Senior Acting Director for Asian Affairs Dennis Wilder's
visit to Taiwan February 13-17 to persuade President Chen
Shui-bian to abandon his plan to abolish the National
Unification Council (NUC) and National Unification
Guidelines (NUG); U.S. arms procurements; and new Premier Su
Tseng-chang's administrative report to the Legislative Yuan

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Tuesday. The pro-status quo "China Times" ran a banner
headline on its front page that read: "U.S. Secret Envoy
Comes [to Taiwan] to Stop Bian from Abolishing NUC and NUG
but Meets with Rejection," while the front-page story of the
pro-unification "United Daily News" said: "United States
Sends Secret Envoy to Meet with Bian But Fails to Persuade
[Chen] to Stop the Abolition of the NUC and NUG." The
"United Daily News" ran a news story on its third page with
the headline: "Dennis Wilder [Conveys U.S.] Last Diplomatic
Message; Washington Really Means It This Time." The "China
Times" also carried a news story on its fourth page topped
with the headline: "Is Washington's [Move to] Expose [the
Taiwan Visit of] Its Special Envoy an Alternative Way to
Pressure Bian?" The pro-independence "Liberty Times,"
Taiwan's biggest daily, on the other hand, ran a banner
headline on its second page that said: "[Taiwan's National
Security Council's] Study on [President Chen's Proposal to]
Abolish the NUC and NUG Will Be Submitted to the President
This Week."

With regard to U.S. arms procurements, most papers reported
on Defense Minister Lee Jye's remarks at the Legislative
Yuan Tuesday in which he said his ministry needs all three
weaponry items listed in the U.S. arms procurement bill, but
added that he has cancelled the plan to upgrade Taiwan's PAC-
2 missile batteries and will not include the budget for PAC-
3 missiles in the bill in order to show respect to the
opposition party.


2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, journalist Sean
Liu said in a news analysis in the "United Daily News" that
Washington is really concerned that President Chen is
"pushing for a plan that he did not talk about [publicly] in
an attempt to change the status quo across the Taiwan
Strait." Professor Chen I-hsin of Tamkang University's
Graduate Institute of American Studies also opined in the
pro-unification "United Daily News" that Washington can tell
the DPP government via private channels [e.g. sending an
envoy to Taiwan] why the DPP should not rashly abolish NUC
and NUG. If Chen still insists on carrying out his plan,
the article added, Washington should then make the 23
million people of Taiwan understand the danger caused by the
abolition of the NUC and NUG. Washington correspondent
James Wang criticized Washington in the pro-independence
"Taiwan Daily," saying that the United States has deviated
from its major interests by failing to proactively maintain
the Taiwan people's right to self-determination and for
allowing China to interfere in Taiwan's domestic affairs.
End summary.

A) "The United States Is Not Simply Concerned About
[President Chen Shui-bian's] Proposal to Abolish National
Unification Council but Bian's `Next Step'"

Journalist Sean Liu said in a news analysis in the pro-
unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000]
(2/22):

". Like the reasons why Washington was concerned about
Taiwan's defensive referendum in 2003, the focus of U.S.
concern this time is not simply `whether [Taiwan] will
abolish the National Unification Council and National
Unification Guidelines.' Instead, Washington is concerned
that President Chen is pushing for a plan that he did not
talk about [publicly] in an attempt to change the status quo
across the Taiwan Strait. In other words, the United States
is concerned about Chen's `next step.' .

"Taiwan relies on the United States' assistance in areas
such as [the island's] security and foreign relations.
There are many ways that the United States can penalize
Taiwan. Chen did not pay too much attention when Washington
sent National Security Council Senior Director for Asian
Affairs Michael Green to Taiwan in 2003 to communicate about
the referendum issue. President George W. Bush, as a
result, soon `taught Taiwan a lesson' personally. If the
Presidential Office continues to overlook the U.S. warning
this time, Taipei had better be mentally prepared about how
severely Washington will chastise Taiwan."


B) "When U.S. Envoy Fails to Stop [Chen] from Abolishing the
National Unification Council ."

Professor Chen I-hsin of Tamkang University's Graduate
Institute of American Studies opined in the pro-unification
"United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (2/22):

". [Some] DPP officials mistakenly compared the referendum
held in 2004 with [President Chen Shui-bian's] proposal to
abolish the NUC and NUG. They believe that as long as
Taiwan stands firm in its position, the follow-up
developments will be just like last time where the then-U.S.
Secretary of State Colin Powell, who was opposed to Taiwan

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holding a referendum, gave in. However, the DPP officials
overlooked the fact that the referendum on [buying] missiles
and [Taiwan's] mainland policy differs from the move to
abolish the NUC and NUG in terms of these issues' levels [of
importance]. The referendum was simply about a public
policy, whereas the move to abolish the NUC and NUG has
entered the level of national security. If [Taiwan]
abolishes the NUC and NUG, followed by the holding of a
referendum on a new constitution that seeks to change the
island's national flag and national title, it will mean that
the matter has entered the constitutional level and has thus
directly touched the red line drawn by the United States.

"As a result, U.S. President George W. Bush will ask his
secret envoy to clearly tell the Chen Shui-bian

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administration that if Washington gives in with regard to
the abolition of the NUC and NUG, it is akin to agreeing to
the DPP government's [plan] to remove the last safety valve
for maintaining peace across the Taiwan Strait. [If] the
United States fails to stop the DPP government from
abolishing NUC and NUG, it will likewise fail in stopping
[Taiwan's plan to hold] a referendum on the new constitution
and other future moves pushing for Taiwan independence.
Once Beijing uses forces against Taiwan, forcing Washington
to make a choice between Beijing and Taipei, Washington's
decision may not be something that the Taiwan people are
happy to see.

"Nevertheless, the United States can make it clear to the
DPP government via a private channel why the latter should
not rashly abolish the NUC and NUG. If the Chen Shui-bian
administration still insists on going along with its plan,
Washington should then make the 23 million people of Taiwan
understand the danger caused by the abolition of the NUC and
NUG."

C) "The Interests of Superpowers and Taiwan's Democratic
Choices"

Washington correspondent James Wang said in the "Washington
Review" column in the pro-independence "Taiwan Daily"
[circulation: 100,000] (2/22):

". The United States supports Taiwan's democracy, but it
does not recognize Taiwan's democratic results, [and] even
restricts Taiwan's democratic development. Washington holds
no particular position toward [China-Taiwan] `unification',
but it goes by China's position [by saying] it `does not
support Taiwan independence.' Washington supports Taiwan's
right to reject China's annexation [of the island], but it
suppresses the [Taiwan people's] democratic principle of
self-determination. .

"The United States not only fails to proactively safeguard
Taiwan people's rights of self-determination but also allows
China to interfere with Taiwan's domestic affairs and use it
as a means to annex Taiwan. The United Stats has abandoned
the democratic and just position it should have and deviated
from its major interests. . Where will Taiwan's long-term
interests lie if its people just sit back and let the United
States constrain the island and allow China to sabotage the
island's national security via a foreign political party? .
Now that Taiwan people are their own masters, who can they
blame if they don't stand up and fight the actions of a big
country [i.e. the United States]? ."

KEEGAN