MEDIA REACTION: PRESIDENT CHEN SHUI-BIAN'S "FOUR WANTS"

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000530

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: PRESIDENT CHEN SHUI-BIAN'S "FOUR WANTS"
REMARKS, U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION



1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news
coverage March 8 on the pairing between possible candidates vying
for the 2008 presidential elections; on Vice President Annette Lu,
who on Wednesday demanded a written apology from the Associated
Press and CNN for using "Scum of the Nation" in the headlines of
their reports of her announcement to run for the 2008 presidential
election; and on other local political issues. Two Chinese-language
dailies -- the pro-status quo "China Times" and the pro-unification
"United Daily News" -- and the three English-language papers all
front-paged the agreement reached between former KMT Chairman Ma
Ying-jeou and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng to run on a joint
ticket for the 2008 presidential elections.


2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, the "Black and White"
column in the "United Daily News" continued to comment on President
Chen Shui-bian's recent "Four Wants and One Without" announcement.
The article satirized Chen for putting up a big show of Taiwan
independence while discovering in the end that only one of the four
DPP bigwigs wants to follow his lead. An op-ed piece in the
limited-circulation, pro-independence, English-language "Taipei
Times," on the other hand, commented on the U.S. presidential
election in 2008 and its relation to Asia. The article said
"because of the United States' unique role in many walks of Asian
life," Asia is more "intense" in watching the U.S. presidential
contest. End summary.


3. President Chen Shui-bian's "Four Wants and One Without" Remarks

"How Sad [President Chen's] Cry Is"

The "Black and White" column in the pro-unification "United Daily
News" [circulation: 400,000] noted (3/8)

"Chen Shui-bian tossed off the 'Four Wants and One Without' remarks,
but both Washington and Beijing have actually seen through the fact
that he looks tough in manner but is cowardly at heart. Even though
Washington reprimanded him harshly and Beijing also issued a
statement rebuking him, these were nothing but routine practices.
The only unfortunate one that bears the brunt of Chen's remarks was
the Taiwan stock market, from which some tens of billions of [New
Taiwan] dollars simply vaporized without any reason.

"Some people believe that Bian's 'Four Wants and One Without'
announcement has drawn a clear line limiting the four DPP bigwigs
vying for the presidential candidacy. But is this true? As
expected, Frank Hsieh, who once advocated "One China under the
Constitution" and "reconciliation and co-existence," should have
been the one who received the greatest impact from Bian's radical
slogans that emphasize independence and name change. But just look
at Hsieh's unhurried response; he said he believes Bian must have
had control of certain domestic information before he made such
remarks, and he totally disregarded the question of whether he
personally agreed with Bian or not. ...

"Bian wanted to draw a line for the four bigwigs to follow, but when
he looked around, he might find that only Yu Shyi-kun, who is the
weakest of the four bigwigs in terms of [political] strength, is
following him. For Bian, isn't it rather sad that his show
promoting Taiwan independence ends up this way?"


4. U.S. Presidential Election

"The American Election and Asia"

Kurt Campbell, chief executive officer and co-founder of the Center
for a New American Security, opined in the "On Taiwan" column in the
pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation:
30,000] (3/8):

"... While Europeans and others watch the US presidential contest
with interest and often have strong views about preferred outcomes,
Asia is in many ways unique and much more intense. This is because
of the US' unique role in many walks of Asian life - the ultimate
guarantor of peace and stability in Asia, the primary market for
most Asian exports of consumer goods, and still the agenda setter
for most matters of regional dialogue and discussion (despite
China's enormous gains). ...

"... Despite the desire to neatly compartmentalize Democrats and
Republicans into different boxes when it comes to policy approaches
to Asia, the most obvious truth about US politics when it comes to
Asia is that the most intense debates are often within the parties
rather than between them. ... US foreign policy and national
security debates currently are completely consumed by Iraq, and this
preoccupation on the dire circumstances of the Middle East is
decidedly bipartisan. This focus on the chaos and ruin of US policy
and what to do about it is likely to predominate in policy circles
for years to come and will easily cast the longest shadow on the
REMARKS, U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

2008 elections. Nevertheless, it's perhaps not too early to sketch
out at least some broad contours of likely policy approaches that
may transcend party differences when it comes to the future of Asia
in the coming campaign. ...

"There are obvious elements of both cooperation and competition in
Sino-US relations, but expect to hear more of the latter as the
campaign heats up. ... Indeed, there is an increasing appreciation
across the political spectrum that the maintenance of a US security
role in Asia is of critical importance to the nation (an area for
which the Bush team deserves but is unlikely to receive much
credit.) This is one area of good news for a coming political
campaign that is likely to be one of the bitterest and harshly
contested in modern history. ..."

YOUNG