MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-CHINA-TAIWAN RELATIONS

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 002096 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: U.S.-CHINA-TAIWAN RELATIONS ¶1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news coverage September 12 on the UN referendum, on the U.S.-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference held in Annapolis Tuesday, on the Olympics torch relay route, and on Taiwan's first draft "Telecommunication Broadcasting Management Law." The pro-independence "Liberty Times" ran an exclusive banner headline on page two that said "The United States Is Now More Capable of [Carrying out Its Commitment] to Defend Taiwan." The same paper also ran a news story on page two with the headline "U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Thomas Christensen: The United States Opposes Taiwan's UN Referendum Because It Involves a Change of [Taiwan's] National Name." ¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a "Liberty Times" editorial commented on the U.S.-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference. The article said the conference reminded the island that Taiwan's strategic values hinge on its determination and capability to defend itself. A separate "Liberty Times" editorial pointed out that "even though Washington opposes Taiwan's UN referendum, it opposes far more strongly the People's Republic of China's (possible) invasion of Taiwan." An editorial in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily," on the other hand, criticized President Chen Shui-bian for his attempt to put the majority Green supporters, the Blue camp, and even the United States and China on a short leash by pushing for the UN referendum. End summary. A) "Taiwan's Strategic Values Hinge on Its Determination and Capability to Defend Itself" The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 720,000] editorialized (9/12): "... Under pressure from the international community, China has published its white paper on national defense and has participated in the UN's military expense transparency system in a perfunctory manner, but still, all these moves have failed to gloss over its national defense policy, which is of an offensive nature. Taiwan poses no military threat to China for now, but China, in return, has deployed nearly a thousand missiles targeting Taiwan. China's proactive efforts to strengthen the weapons it would use to launch sea and air attacks against Taiwan alone are sufficient to reveal China's lie that its national defense is of a defensive nature. Besides, [Chinese President] Hu Jintao said immediately after his meeting with [U.S. President George W.] Bush at APEC that 'the next two years will be a highly dangerous period for the cross-Strait situation.' Isn't such a statement typical saber-rattling rhetoric? "Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait serve the common interests of the international community, and Taiwan's security is thus the focus of attention of the world. This illustrates the general climate, in which China dares not run the risks of attacking Taiwan. But Taiwan's stalling in passing the arms procurements budget and its moves to open investments in China proactively have constantly given the world the wrong impression, making the international community believe that the Taiwan people lack the determination to defend themselves. The 'U.S.-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference' provides a good opportunity which reminds us that [our] demonstration of the determination to defend ourselves and our efforts to strengthen the self-defense capabilities are exactly where Taiwan's strategic values lie. Both the ruling and opposition parties must view them as our top priority." B) "Taiwan Is By No Means Part of the People's Republic of China" The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 720,000] editorialized (9/11): "... [Chinese President] Hu Jintao said Monday after his meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush in Sydney, Australia, that Bush had reiterated to him his opposition to any alteration in the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. What is the status quo in the Taiwan Strait? Isn't it [the fact] that 'Taiwan is an independent sovereign state, which is independent of the reign of the People's Republic of China (PRC)'? Bush's reiteration was consistent with Washington's [position stated in its] formal letter to the UN Secretariat: Namely, Taiwan is not part of the PRC. It is thus SIPDIS clear that even though Washington opposes our referenda to join or rejoin the UN, it opposes far more strongly the PRC's invasion of Taiwan. "'Taiwan and China are each a country on either side [of the Taiwan Strait]' is the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. Today, what lies clearly ahead of us is the fact that it is the PRC that has been bent on altering the cross-Strait status quo. In order to realize its dream of the 'one China Empire,' Beijing has resorted to all the means it can to change the status quo of 'Taiwan being an independent sovereign state' and the status quo of 'Taiwan being independent of the reign of the PRC.' We hope that the United States can see [from China's attempts] that Taiwan's efforts in pushing for name change, writing of a new constitution and its UN bid are nothing but self-defense moves to prevent the island from being annexed by China and thus changing the status quo. It is China that is the real troublemaker!" C) "Bian Is Good at Putting Others on a Short Leash" The mass-circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 540,000] editorialized (9/12): "... President Chen told the World Federation of Taiwanese Associations in Japan during a video-conference Monday that Taiwan has to be independent, rectify its name, write a new constitution and enter the UN. An overwhelming majority of the Taiwan people will support what Chen called for as long as such an objective is not achieved at the expense of their lives and property. But two preconditions made us doubt the truth and viability of [Chen's objectives]: First, China will surely intervene with these objectives by use of force, and the United States will refuse to send troops to help defend Taiwan citing the excuse that Taiwan has unilaterally and proactively altered the cross-Strait status quo. Second, A-Bian has used such a sacred agenda as a campaign tool so many times that he has thus denigrated the sacredness of the agenda, which, as a result, no longer has the charm to attract people. The Taiwan independence ideal, which has been manipulated by Bian so constantly, is no longer respected or trusted by the Taiwan people. ... Bian has been working with a small group of Green stalwarts to put others on a short leash; the minority has put the Green majority, the Blue camp, Ma Ying-jeou, and even the United States and China on a short leash. ... What's even more outrageous is that he has put his party's presidential candidate Frank Hsieh on a short leash as well. Hsieh is now in a condition that he can neither support nor oppose Chen; Hsieh is at a loss of what to do and can only allow himself to be oppressed by Bian. ..." WANG