MEDIA REACTION: TAIWAN AND BUSH-HU MEETING

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 002067 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - NIDA EMMONS DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: TAIWAN AND BUSH-HU MEETING ¶1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies gave extensive coverage September 7 to the meeting between U.S. President George W. Bush and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao at APEC Thursday, and to President Chen Shui-bian's videoconference with the American Enterprise Institute Thursday on Taiwan's UN referendum. Coverage also focused on the death of legendary opera tenor Luciano Pavarotti Thursday; on a strong earthquake that rocked the island early Friday morning; and on the controversial Olympic torch relay route. The pro-independence "Liberty Times" front-paged a banner headline that read "UN Referendum Is Not Mentioned in the Bush-Hu Press Conference." The pro-unification "United Daily News," however, front-paged a news story with the headline "Bush-Hu Meeting Opposes the UN Referendum." The same paper also ran a banner headline on page two that said "Bian: Taiwan Will Join the UN as a New Member." ¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a "Liberty Times" analysis said the fact that Bush did not further criticize Taiwan during his meeting with Hu Jintao showed that Washington does not want to create another predicament for itself or put itself in a dilemma. An editorial in the pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" chimed in by calling Washington's attention to the results of a new opinion survey by Taiwan Thinktanks, which showed that the majority of Taiwan people remained resolved to support Taiwan's UN bid regardless of the U.S. opposition. A news analysis in the centrist, KMT-leaning "China Times," however, said the way that Washington and Beijing handled Taiwan's UN referendum reflected that Taiwan is being marginalized. A "United Daily News" analysis said Washington has defined Taipei as a "provoker" in the cross-Strait relations and has extended the battle line against Taiwan's UN referendum to the UN Assembly ten days from now. End summary. A) "Slowing down Its Speed on the Taiwan Matter, the United States Avoids Creating a Predicament for Itself" Deputy Editor-in-Chief Tsou Jiing-wen noted in an analysis in the pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 720,000] (9/7): "Following the impertinent remarks that U.S. deputy secretary of state and senior director at the National Security Council made to Taiwan, [U.S. President George W.] Bush did not choose to have himself, obviously of a higher ranking, further criticize Taiwan openly during his meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao. Such a development indicated that Washington does not want to create another predicament for itself or put itself in a dilemma. ... During the closed-door meeting, Bush told Hu in the face that he 'is gravely concerned about' Taiwan's UN referendum. This remark can be interpreted as a move to backpedal at an appropriate speed. ... Ever since the two major political parties in Taiwan started planning to hold a referendum in tandem with next year's presidential election, the U.S. criticism against Taiwan has been overwhelming, with numerous unpleasant remarks made to the leaders of both the Blue and Green camps, but the result Washington has been hoping to achieve was nearly zero. The problem lies in the fact that the United States only imposed pressure on the political elites but failed to lobby or communicate with the Taiwan people. Washington overlooked the nature of democracy, thus its efforts were used in a wrong direction. This is why in the wake of the United States' roar, a high percentage of public opinion remained unafraid and urged [the government] to continue pushing for the UN referendum. "The public opinion in Taiwan, slowly but surely, no longer takes unreasonable U.S. requests as granted. In addition to the constantly evolving political environment in Taiwan, the crux of such elevated consciousness on the Taiwan's part of making one's own decision lies in the United States' compromise and concession in handling issues concerning totalitarian China over the past few years. Washington might not be at its wit's end, but its appeasement and laisser-faire approach have left a deep impression on the Taiwan people, who are thus eager to pick its own path. ... "Bush has stopped and is looking around for the time being; he may be waiting for Taiwan's reaction, and he is also watching China's next move. But under the big banner of opposition to any change in the status quo, Taiwan is flying a peace flag -- there is no way that Taiwan will allow the UN referendum to dance to the tune of China; this is something that Washington will have to take very seriously." B) "Hu, Bush Scare Turns into Fluff" The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" [circulation: 20,000] editorialized (9/7): "... During a news conference after the conclusion of the ninety-minute summit meeting in Sydney's Intercontinental last night, Bush did not even mention Taiwan and Hu confined himself to relating that 'President Bush also explicitly stated the U.S. position consistent with a position of opposing any changes in the status quo.' ... Clearly the two heads of state discussed the situation in Taiwan at the initiative of the PRC President, but obviously did not have a true meeting of minds on the subject, despite the evident and openly manifested annoyance in Washington with the refusal of democratic Taiwan to 'behave' and cease efforts to enter the United Nations and conduct referendums on the subject, sponsored separately by the governing DPP and the opposition Kuomintang. "In addition, Washington was apparently quite annoyed with moves engaged by the PRC on the Taiwan issue, notably the statement, evidently at Beijing's suggestion, by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in late March that 'Taiwan is part of the PRC' and a rumored plan by the PRC to submit a U.N. General Assembly resolution that would have specifically named Taiwan as part of the PRC. ... In any case, the expected storm in Sydney over Taiwan's U.N. referendums failed to congeal as the momentum of the APEC meeting to focus on its own agenda has surfaced. "Another important development took place in Taipei with the announcement of the results of a new opinion poll that should be considered by Washington closely as it points to the reason for the resolve by President Chen and the DPP to press the question for Taiwan's U.N. entry. The results of an opinion poll of 1,068 Taiwan adults conducted from August 30 to September 2 and released yesterday by Taiwan Thinktank indicates that while open opposition from the U.S. together with the PRC has some impact, the majority of Taiwan citizens remain resolved to support Taiwan's application to join the U.N.. ... Moreover, almost the exact same proportion of 56 percent to 34 percent of Taiwan adults expressed support for persisting in holding the DPP's U.N. referendum even though the United States has openly opposed the initiative. We hope Bush and other officials in Washington and Beijing take note." C) "Washington and Beijing Handle [Taiwan's UN Referendum] Coldly; Taiwan Is Being Marginalized" Journalist Chinag Hui-chen noted in an analysis in the centrist, KMT-leaning "China Times" [circulation: 400,000] (9/7): "... The ambiance as a whole revealed by the few-minute press conference following the meeting between U.S. President George W. Bush and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao was the contrast between a seemingly peaceful rising China and the United States, which is trapped in the quagmire of North Korea and Iran. The rational and mild attitude that Hu has tried deliberately to put on is exactly the 'peaceful' fireworks China is trying to show to the international community before the Olympic Game in 2008. At the Bush-Hu meeting, the 'UN referendum,' a highly controversial issue in Taiwan, has turned into China's internal affair. Bush gave Hu promises that he will continue imposing pressure [on Taiwan], while Hu, in return, has gained the international support before the Olympic Game. "The United States has been playing a double-handed strategy against Taiwan. It started by having its national security system on the table (i.e. National Security Council senior director for Asian affairs Dennis Wilder) and the hearsay under the table (i.e. The Nelson Report) make harsh remarks about him being ready to teach Taiwan a lesson during the APEC meeting, in an attempt to suppress the 'UN referendum.' But on the APEC stage, Bush let Hu step forward to talk about the Taiwan issue instead. The 'UN referendum,' with which Taiwan expects to break the international barriers has nothing left but the only value for the Green camp to boost its campaigning. ... Have Beijing and Washington made concession to Taiwan? Has Taiwan's pushing the envelope succeeded in helping it move a step forward? In the wake of the 'Bush-Hu meeting,' Taiwan's crisis has not been resolved, but perhaps its anxiety has grown heavier." D) "Taiwan Has Become a Provoker; Battle Will Extend to the UN Assembly" Washington correspondent Vincent Chang noted in an analysis in the pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (9/7): "... One might have misevaluated the situation if he took the low-profile manner of both Bush and Hu as a concession to Taiwan's push for the UN referendum, or even, as a major victory for Taiwan's public opinion. This is because the United States has just extended the battle line of its fight against the UN referendum to the 'real' UN Assembly ten days from now. The White House has made it very clear that it will continue monitoring the development of Taiwan's UN referendum; it even said it 'does not want to see anyone being provoked by Taiwan's activities.' Such remarks were akin to defining Taiwan's position, in terms of its push for the UN referendum, as a 'provoker' in the cross-Strait relations. ... "The U.S. government's remarks are clear enough, but politicians of both the DPP and the KMT, who are eager to push for the UN referendum, seemed to have never thought of any 'exit mechanism' for the referendum under the big framework of U.S.-Taiwan relations and regional security. Perhaps each side is waiting to jeer at the other for being a chicken that jumps out of the car first. But it has never occurred to them whether they will bring the car of Taiwan down the cliff." WANG