MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-TAIWAN RELATIONS, U.S.-ROK FTA

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001501 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - BROOKE SPELLMAN DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-TAIWAN RELATIONS, U.S.-ROK FTA ¶1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news coverage June 30-July 2 on the 2008 presidential election; on Hong Kong's commemorating a decade of Chinese rule; on the island-wide university entrance exam; and on a Taiwan High Court ruling last Friday, which handed down the death penalty on three convicts in a 1991 murder case. In addition, all papers carried news reports on a decision by the Cabinet's referendum review committee last Friday, which rejected the DPP's proposal to hold a referendum on Taiwan's bid to join the United Nations under the name "Taiwan." ¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, an editorial in the pro-independence "Liberty Times" criticized the United States' intervention in Taiwan's democracy and urged the U.S. executive branch to follow a House committee resolution to remove its restrictions on the visits to the United States by high-ranking Taiwan officials. An op-ed in the pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" also said "the people of Taiwan are waiting for Washington to change its view on the status of Taiwan, and for it to view Taiwan as a country that can participate in international affairs and have its share of international rights and obligations." An op-ed in the pro-unification "United Daily News" discussed the U.S.-ROK free trade agreement (FTA) and said the rapid economic and trade integration in East Asia and the formation of FTAs among China, Japan and South Korea will produce a much bigger impact on Taiwan than an FTA signed between the ASEAN and China. End summary. ¶3. U.S.-Taiwan Relations A) "It Is about Time That U.S. Executive Branch Allows High-ranking Taiwan Officials to Visit the United States" The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 500,000] editorialized (6/30): "U.S. House Committee on International Affairs [sic -- House Committee on Foreign Affairs] recently passed a resolution urging the Executive Branch to remove its long-standing restrictions on visits to the United States by high-ranking Taiwan officials, including its elected leaders. This is not the first time that such an initiative has been raised, but the fact that this resolution was passed at a time when the U.S. executive branch expressed opposition to Taiwan's holding a referendum on 'its UN bid under the name Taiwan' still carried symbolic significance. "In fact, such a resolution happened to show that there is a huge blind spot in the U.S. government's one-China policy, which has deviated from its diplomatic strategic idea of promoting democracy all over the world. Congressman Steve Chabot pointed out that the current U.S. policy is a humiliation for Taiwan, because elected Taiwan officials are not allowed to visit the capital of the United States, while leaders of authoritarian China can enjoy treatment as state guests [in the United States]. Indeed, such a wrong message [sent by the United States] has reinforced Beijing's aggressiveness to annex Taiwan, including China's moves to target nearly a thousand missiles at Taiwan and increase its military threats against the island, and has thus greatly increased the United States' costs to maintain peace in the West Pacific. "Democracies in the world all follow the lead of the United States, and the U.S. deeds and its attitude toward Taiwan can thus be viewed as a trial balloon. Over the past decade, the U.S. president has sent two carrier battle groups to the Taiwan Strait to [help Taiwan] cope with the crisis of Chinese test-firing missiles at Taiwan; he has also referred to the island publicly as the Republic of Taiwan and reiterated [U.S.] commitments toward Taiwan. ... One can say that, on the level of actual action, the United States has been treating Taiwan as a sovereign state. ... Now the Taiwan people want to abolish the [name] Republic of China (ROC),which neither the United States nor the international community believes still exists. But the United States says it does not support the Taiwan people's decision made out of a democratic process. It is really confusing that neither the United States nor the international community acknowledges the existence of the ROC, yet they disallow the name ROC to be changed. Isn't such inconsistency weird? "Over the past few years, the United States has more than once reiterated that it does not support Taiwan's moves to uphold its sovereignty, resulting in this absurd situation whereby 'the [name] ROC can neither be used or changed.' Such an approach has created a negative impact on Taiwan's democracy and is thus worth the attention of the United States. The United States' intervention in Taiwan's democracy now is akin to establishing a limit for Taiwan's democracy. It is thus imaginable how the Taiwan people are disappointed with the United States. ... "Even though the United States' 'one-China policy' differs from China's 'one-China principle,' it has after all become incoherent in its the current status. ... For the constructive development of Taiwan-U.S. relations, now is indeed the time for the U.S. executive branch to abolish its restrictions on visits to the United States by high-ranking Taiwan officials." B) "History Creates Present Problems" Chen Hurng-yu, a professor at Tamkang University, opined in the pro-independence "Taipei Times" [circulation: 30,000] (7/2): "President Chen Shui-bian recently expressed his support for holding a referendum to decide whether to apply for UN membership under the name Taiwan. The US State Department said it opposed this plan. This was not the first time the State Department had said it was against a referendum in Taiwan, but while in the past it said it did not support a referendum, this time around it clearly opposes it. As the US is a democratic country, surely the State Department knows that this statement is a brazen meddling in the internal affairs of another country. ... "Yet, if we look closely at the State Department's statement, Chen supposedly breaking his pledge is surely only an excuse. What the US really means is in the second part of the statement, when it says: 'The United States opposes any initiative that appears designed to change Taiwan's status unilaterally. This would include a referendum on whether to apply to the United Nations under the name Taiwan. Such a referendum would have no practical impact on Taiwan's UN status, it would increase tensions in the Taiwan Strait.' ... But the 'status quo' the US talks about is not Taiwan as neither independent nor a part of China, but Taiwan's status remaining undetermined. The US opposes any unilateral move that would change the 'status quo' from undetermined to determined. ... "If it is US strategy to view Taiwan's status as undetermined, it should make a public appeal to all the peace-loving people in the world, especially China's government and its people, to respect the Taiwanese people's will. As long-term, US allies, the people of Taiwan are waiting for Washington to change its view on the status of Taiwan, and for it to view Taiwan as a country that can participate in international affairs and have its share of international rights and obligations." ¶4. U.S.-ROK FTA "U.S., ROK Sign the Free Trade Agreement; Will There Be a Stage for Taiwan?" Chinese National Association of Industries Deputy Secretary-General Tsai Hong-ming opined in the pro-unification "United Daily News" SIPDIS [circulation: 400,000] (7/2): "... For Taiwan, the Ministry of Economic Affairs' initial estimation showed that a U.S.-ROK free trade agreement will impact Taiwan's exports to the United States to as high as US$2 billion, and the island's high-tech businesses will also face the problems of market and technology loss. In fact, what's more noteworthy is that the rapid economic and trade integration in East Asia and the formation of free trade agreements among China, Japan and South Korea, will produce a bigger impact on Taiwan than the 'free trade agreement signed between ASEAN and China.' ..." YOUNG