MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-TAIWAN RELATIONS, TAIWAN'S NAME CHANGE

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000295

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: U.S.-TAIWAN RELATIONS, TAIWAN'S NAME CHANGE
PLAN AND UN BID



1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused their
coverage February 7 on the DPP's government's recent move to remove
the statues of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek from military compounds
and parks around the island and its plan to remove military guards
and MPs stationed at Chiang's mausoleum; on the diseased pork found
in central and northern Taiwan; on the personnel reshuffle in the
Presidential Office Monday evening; on Wang You-theng, founder of
the debt-ridden Rebar Group; and on the speculation that KMT
Chairman Ma Ying-jeou may be indicted soon for alleged embezzlement
during his tenure as Taipei mayor.


2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, an editorial in the
pro-independence "Liberty Times," Taiwan's largest-circulation
daily, discussed the remarks by U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of
State Thomas Christensen in a written testimony recently on the
cross-Strait situation. The article criticized the Blue camp for
blocking the U.S. arms procurements budget and called for a popular
vote to decide on Taiwan's national security. With regard to
Taiwan's UN bid and name change plan, an editorial in the
limited-circulation, conservative, pro-unification, English-language
"China Post" lashed out at the DPP government, calling its recent
moves a kind of "Cultural Revolution" similar to the one launched by
the late Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong. An editorial
in the limited-circulation, pro-independence, English-language
"Taiwan News," however, welcomed the DPP government's proposed UN
bid under the name of Taiwan. End summary.


3. U.S.-Taiwan Relations

"Let Taiwan People Decide [Their] National Security"

The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 550,000]
editorialized (2/7):

"U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific
Affairs Thomas Christensen said in written testimony that the United
States was deeply concerned that China continues to deploy missiles
and weapons systems aimed at Taiwan and that the United States took
note that China has refused to give up the option of using military
force against Taiwan. The United States would have to respond
according to its duties laid out in the Taiwan Relations Act, he
added. ...

"But over the past few years, confrontations between the ruling and
opposition parties seem to have become a weak link of the 'Taiwan
Relations Act (TRA).' According to the TRA, the United States will
'provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character,' and it is
really rare and commendable that this rule remains valid now, even
given the impact caused by the Sino-U.S. 'August 17 Communiqu'
signed in 1982. To our great surprise, following the transfer of
political power in 2000, the pan-Blue camp, which used to emphasize
the extreme importance of Taiwan-U.S. relations, chose to join hands
with Communist China to restrain Taiwan after it became the
opposition party. The pan-Blue camp has repeatedly blocked the
[U.S.] arms procurements budget, even though the arms deal has been
approved and pushed by the United States. Given such a development,
Taiwan's national defense will become vulnerable and short on
defense capability. [Should this be the case,] what else will the
TRA be able to do?

"In consideration of Taiwan's stalled pace with regard to the arms
procurements, AIT Taipei Director Stephen Young held a press
conference last October in which he urged the Legislative Yuan to
pass the arms procurements budget in fall 2006 in an attempt to
resolve the military imbalance in the Taiwan Strait. Young added
that, as Taiwan's most important security partner, the United States
believes it is necessary to state its position and let the Taiwan
people clearly understand the U.S. position. Young also earnestly
exhorted: For the Taiwan people's sake, please pass the arms
procurements budget!

"Nonetheless, those who do not care about Taiwan's security
continued to oppose the arms procurements just for opposition's
sake. Some people thus proposed that a popular vote be held on the
stalled arms procurements, so that the public can decide on the
issue free of the severe struggles between political parties. In
other words, let Taiwan people defend the island. Honestly
speaking, this might work as a resolution. ..."


4. "Taiwan's Name Change Plan and UN Bid

A) "The DPP's Cultural Revolution"

The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post"
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (2/7):

"In China, Chairman Mao launched a 'Great Proletarian Cultural
Revolution' to get rid of the 'olds' - in other words, anything that
PLAN AND UN BID

connected the Chinese people to their past, and replace the culture
of the Chinese people with a new communist ideology. The Democratic
Progressive Party (DPP) is doing much the same with Taiwan. It
started innocently enough with 'common sense' changes like putting
the name 'Taiwan' on the Republic of China passports, and as we
predicted, this was only the thin end of the wedge. ...

"The DPP had bigger things in its sights, namely the Chiang Kai-shek
Memorial Hall. This impressive structure was built to preserve the
memory of the founder of modern Taiwan. ... No one cares about the
DPP and their narrow, inward-looking ideology. All the DPP has done
for Taiwan's international reputation is to blacken it by their
thuggish tactics in the Legislature. ... The DPP, with their narrow
interpretation of history and their Cultural Revolution, have no
concept of Chiang's important role in keeping Taiwan free and
opening the way to a more democratic future."

B) "Citizens Vote Needed for our U.N. Bid"

The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" [circulation:
20,000] editorialized (2/7):

"We support the proposal raised by lawmakers of the governing
Democratic Progressive Party in the past week to launch a national
campaign for a citizen's vote on whether our country should use the
name 'Taiwan' in an application to enter the United Nations. ...
Securing membership for Taiwan and our people in the U.N. and
affiliated international organizations has since been a priority
task of Taiwan's democratic movement and the DPP and has been
pursued with various strategies and little concrete results by both
the KMT government of Taiwan-born former President Lee Teng-hui, and
by the DPP government of President Chen Shui-bian. ...

"If we cannot enter the U.N. under the official and anachronistic
constitutional moniker, there is no reason why we should not simply
use 'Taiwan,' which is the best and simplest way to indicate our
national identity. ... Instead of continuing to allow itself to be
paralyzed by Taiwan's political divisions, the DPP leadership
appears to have finally realized that there are numerous issues that
offer the opportunity to build 'center-left' majorities by combining
the affirmation of Taiwan's national identity and democracy with
promoting a national bottom-up debate and citizen participation."

YOUNG