MEDIA REACTION: SIX-PARTY TALKS, CHINA'S ANTI-SATELLITE

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000313

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: SIX-PARTY TALKS, CHINA'S ANTI-SATELLITE
MISSILE TEST, TAIWAN'S POLITICS



1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused
February 8 on KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou, who proactively visited the
Taiwan High Prosecutor's Office Wednesday to further explain his
role in the alleged misuse of a special allowance during his tenure
as Taipei mayor; on the DPP's proposed legislation concerning
transitional justice and its plan to remove military guards and MPs
stationed at Chiang Kai-shek's mausoleum; and on other political
issues.


2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, the "International
Outlook" column of the pro-status quo "China Times" discussed the
Six-Party Talks and said it will be ridiculous if the Bush
administration decides to restore the 1994 framework, which the
United States itself had torn down. An op-ed piece in the
limited-circulation, pro-independence, English-language "Taipei
Times" discussed the recent Chinese anti-satellite missile test.
The article said "The U.S. won the Cold War. But in China it faces
a different kind of challenge." With regard to the DPP's recent
move to remove statues of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek from
military compounds and parks around the island and its plan to
eliminate military guards and MPs stationed at Chiang's mausoleum,
an editorial in the limited-circulation, conservative,
pro-unification, English-language "China Post" criticized the move
as de-Sinicization, while an editorial in the pro-independence,
English-language "Taiwan News" welcomed it as a move to push for
justice. End summary.


3. Six-Party Talks

"Is United States Going to Restore the 1994 Agreement?"

The "International Outlook" column of the pro-status quo "China
Times" [circulation: 400,000] noted (2/8):

"The 'Six-Party Talks' on the nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula
resumed February 8. But a bizarre episode has taken place, namely:
The talks seem to have returned to the 1994 framework, which the
United States itself had torn down. The Bush Administration, in
particular, refused to recognize this framework. Wouldn't it be
ridiculous if Washington decides to restore it right now? ... The
1994 agreement is something the Bush Administration has
consistently opposed. NOW Christopher Hill, the U.S. negotiator,
intends to restore it in order to break the current impasse. How is
the Bush Administration going to explain itself?"


4. China's Anti-Satellite Missile Test

"Hu Jintao, Military Clash over Strategies"

Paul Lin, a political commentator based in Taipei, opined in the
pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation:
30,000] (2/8):

"... Despite China's insouciance, then going ahead with the test was
clearly intended to provoke the US. ... The reason different
Chinese officials gave different statements on the test hints at an
internal power struggle among high-level officials. Hu inherited
former president Deng Xiaoping's strategy of 'dimming our lights and
thriving in the shadow,' and has even toned down the strategy and
made it more manipulative. The PLA is taking the tougher, directer
approach and wants in particular to manifest the military's
influence before this autumn's 17th National Congress of the Chinese
Communist Party (CCP) or to help former Chinese president Jiang
Zemin and his supporters pose a potential challenge to Hu.

"This will without a doubt vex Hu, since he has been working hard to
present China to the international community as on the road to
'peaceful development' rather than posing a threat to other
countries. His reason for this is to gain access to more advanced
military and space technology from Western nations. But the PLA
could spoil Hu's strategy. What is happening NOW is a direct result
of escalating tensions between Hu and the PLA. ... The US has been
carefully watching the expansion of China's military abilities and
has applied stringent regulations on exports to China. But if Hu
continues his strategy of charming the international community, it
could succeed in getting those regulations changed. The US won the
Cold War. But in China it faces a different kind of challenge."


5. Taiwan's Politics

A) "Desinicization Hurts Tourism"

The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post"
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (2/8):

"Ever since the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party
(DPP) gained power, the government has been trying to rid the island
of everything that has to do with China and with Kuomintang (KMT)

MISSILE TEST, TAIWAN'S POLITICS

rule, regardless of whether it's practical and possible. ... The
mausoleum of the late President in Taoyuan County and Chiang
Kai-shek Memorial Park in Taipei are tourist attractions that draw
large numbers of visitors from the Chinese mainland. Changing the
status quo would certainly keep away many mainland tourists."

B) "Push for Justice Mustn't Be Delayed"

The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" [circulation:
20,000] editorialized (2/8):

"We strongly support the spirit of yesterday's decision by the
governing Democratic Progressive Party to accelerate moves to
promote transactional justice and human rights legislation, and
press the government to investigate official responsibility for a
wide range of human rights violations that may have occurred during
the decades of authoritarian rule by the former ruling Kuomintang.
... [C]ontrary to claims made by pan-KMT politicians of a new
'cultural revolution,' all that the DPP is advocating is returning
Taiwan to a more 'normal' state in which the fascistic values of
authoritarians do not receive special protection or propagation with
the resources and thus the authority of a democratic state. We
should not understate the difficulty or the importance of this
project. ...

"We need not naively assume that the DPP or its chairman have
launched this action free of political motivations. However,
critics in the authoritarian party should consider why the governing
party and its leaders believe that the support of both 'pan-green'
and 'middle' voters can be successfully gained by calls for
'transitional justice' and realize that the best way to reduce the
'market value' of the DPP's appeal is to help and not hinder the
process of realizing transitional justice in Taiwan."

YOUNG