MEDIA REACTION: NORTH KOREA, TAIWAN'S NAME CHANGE CAMPAIGN

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000431

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: NORTH KOREA, TAIWAN'S NAME CHANGE CAMPAIGN



1. Summary: With the week-long Lunar New Year holidays coming to an
end, Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies continued to focus
their coverage February 24-26 on possible candidates vying for the
2008 presidential elections, and on the upcoming sixtieth
anniversary of the 2-28 Incident. In terms of editorials and
commentaries, a column in the pro-status quo "China Times" commented
on North Korea. The article speculated that Washington and
Pyongyang are secretly discussing plans to establish diplomatic
ties. An editorial in the limited-circulation, conservative,
pro-unification, English-language "China Post," on the other hand,
criticized the DPP government's name change campaign, saying the
move may not do any good for Taiwan. End summary.


2. North Korea

"Are the United States and North Korea Secretly Discussing
Establishment of Diplomatic Ties?"

The "International Outlook" column in the pro-status quo "China
Times" [circulation: 400,000] wrote (2/26):

"... Pyongyang is indeed changing its attitude. Kim Jong Il said
this year will be North Korea's year for developing its economy.
[Should this be true,] the country will then have to achieve some
breakthroughs in its foreign relations. [For Pyongyang,] as long as
it sticks to its position with regard to the stored nuclear weapons,
it seems viable to freeze or demolish nuclear facilities in exchange
for economic benefits. As for the United States, it will be
basically acceptable as long as it is able to get Pyongyang to keep
only a minimum of non-threat nuclear weapons and stop nuclear
proliferation on the Korean Peninsula. As it stands now, it seems
certain that the two countries will have to normalize their
relations. If the North Korean nuclear issue can be resolved this
way, it will not be as difficult as people have imagined for
Washington and Pyongyang to establish diplomatic ties."


3. Taiwan's Name Change Campaign

"Re-naming Doesn't Pay"

The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post"
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (2/24):

"On the surface, President Chen Shui-bian's re-naming of state-owned
enterprises to drop 'China' or 'Chinese' in favor of 'Taiwan' or
'Taiwanese' is a step benefiting his cause for Taiwan independence.
In reality, however, the move may not work to his advantage. First
of all, Washington is not amused. U.S. State Department Spokesman
Sean McCormack has stated bluntly that 'the United States does not
support changes in terminology for entities administered by Taiwan
authorities.' Perhaps more seriously, he warned that 'President
Chen's fulfillment of his commitments will be a test of leadership,
dependability and statesmanship, as well as his ability to protect
Taiwan's interests, its relations with others, and to maintain peace
and stability in the Taiwan Strait.' There are harsh words. The
name change, while giving Taiwan a separate identity, is in fact
admitting that Taiwan is a part of China, a claim by the Beijing
regime from the beginning. ..."

YOUNG