MEDIA REACTION: WANG YOU-THENG'S CASE, TAIWAN'S NAME CHANGE

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000283

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - LLOYD NEIGHBORS
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: WANG YOU-THENG'S CASE, TAIWAN'S NAME CHANGE
PLAN, U.S.-CHINA



1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies gave
significant coverage February 3-5 to Wang You-theng, founder of the
debt-ridden Rebar Group, who is NOW held in custody at the San Pedro
Processing Center after having been refused admission to Singapore
and returned to Los Angeles. News coverage also focused on the 2008
presidential elections and on former President Lee Teng-hui's recent
remarks on Taiwan independence. The pro-independence "Liberty
Times," Taiwan's largest-circulation daily, front-paged a banner
headline February 4 that said "Wang You-theng Detained; United
States Will Decide the Disposition [of His Case] within the Week."
The pro-unification "United Daily News," on the other hand, ran a
banner headline on page four on February 4 that read "Change in
[Its] Strategy toward Taiwan, Beijing Starts All-out [Effort] to
Develop Relations with the Green [Camp]."


2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a "Liberty Times" column
strongly urged the United States not to accept Wang You-theng's
request if he seeks political asylum in the United States. A
"Liberty Times" editorial discussed the recent name change of two
state-run enterprises, saying the move was meant to carry out the
Taiwan-centered values and thereby transform Taiwan into a normal
country. An op-ed piece in the "United Daily News," on the other
hand, discussed Chinese President Hu Jintao's intensive visits to
Africa and urged Washington to pay close attention to China's
interaction with Sudan. End summary.


3. Wang You-theng's Case

"Asylum for Criminals?"

The "Free Talk" column in the pro-independence "Liberty Times"
[circulation: 550,000] noted (2/5):

"[Rebar Group founder] Wang You-theng put up a desperate fight in
the United States, and sources said he might act on some experts'
advice and seek political asylum there. It will be completely
outrageous and humiliate the founding spirit of the United States if
the U.S. immigration agency accepts his request. The United States
might turn into an asylum for criminals if it does so. ....

"How firm the Bush administration has been in dealing with
terrorism; it waged wars against, and overthrew, the totalitarian
regimes of Afghanistan and Iraq. Despite the fact that President
Bush was lashed out by some people, he has won applause from many
more people. As for Wang You-theng, he is clearly a criminal who
hollowed out Taiwan's economy; he does not possess a U.S. passport,
and he has no reason to stay in the United States. It is in
accordance with the principle of justice that he be deported back to
Taiwan and judged here. As a result, how the United States handles
Wang's case and whether it will meet the universal principles of
democracy and the Taiwan people's expectations is a test of the U.S.
Government's wisdom."


4. Taiwan's Name Change Plan

"CPC Taiwan Makes a Belated Start for Taiwan's Name Change
[Efforts]"

The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 550,000]
editorialized (2/5):

"The state-run Chinese Petroleum Corporation (CPC) decided to change
its name to CPC Taiwan. This is yet more progress for Taiwan's
society in its name change efforts following the change of Chiang
Kai-shek [International] Airport to Taiwan Taoyuan Airport. Even
though the administrative branch is already behind its schedule for
name changes, we still welcome this decision made by the Ministry of
Economic Affairs. ...

"The rectification of Taiwan's name is by nature the engineering of
social transformational justice which needs to be implemented after
Taiwan got rid of the governance by an alien party. Just as the
recent revisions to history textbooks for high school students, in
which Sun Yat-sen's [title of "father of the country"] was rectified
and the historical perspective of an alien party was removed, the
name change [of CPC Taiwan] is also meant to carry out
Taiwan-centeed values. ... We look forward to joint efforts from
the public and private sectors to transform Taiwan into a normal
country via name changes as early as possible."


5. U.S.-China Relations

"Beijing Pays Intensive Visits to Africa to Compete with the United
States for Foreign Relations"

Yen Cheng-sheng, a research fellow at National Chengchi University's
Institute of International Relations, opined in the pro-unification
"United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (2/5):
PLAN, U.S.-CHINA


"... It is all right that Washington does not care about its
bilateral relations with seven of the eight countries that [Chinese
President] Hu Jintao recently visited. But the United States must
pay close attention to the exchanges between China and Sudan,
particularly when the latter was sanctioned by the international
community for its ethnic extinction action in Darfur, and it is
implicitly related to international terrorist organizations,
including bin Laden and al Qaeda. This is because this development
[of China-Sudan relations] will affect the United States' leadership
in the international community and its global plan for the war on
terrorism."

YOUNG