MEDIA REACTION: JOSEPH WU'S APPOINTMENT AS NEW TECRO CHIEF

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000639 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: JOSEPH WU'S APPOINTMENT AS NEW TECRO CHIEF ¶1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news coverage March 21 on the 2008 presidential election, on the government's new language policy, and on local murder and kidnap cases. Several papers carried the remarks by President Chen Shui-bian and AIT Taipei Director Stephen Young during an American Chamber of Commerce's annual post-Chinese New Year gathering Tuesday evening. The pro-unification "United Daily News" ran a news story on page 12 with the headline: "Stephen Young: If Taiwan Wants to Prosper, Both Sides [of the Taiwan Strait] Need to Open up More." ¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a column in the pro-independence "Liberty Times" commented on the appointment of incumbent Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Joseph Wu as the new TECRO chief. The article said Wu can handle Taiwan-U.S. relations better because he has a more understanding of China. A commentary in the pro-unification "United Daily News," on the other hand, said Washington approved of Wu's appointment because it does not want to see any more surprises from the Chen Shui-bian administration. An editorial in the limited-circulation, pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" said "Chen's appointment of a seasoned veteran in cross-strait affairs to represent Taiwan in Washington clearly demonstrates his view that cross-strait relations are an extension of Taiwan-US relations." End summary. A) "Thoughts on Joseph Wu's Appointment as New TECRO Chief" Columnist Paul Lin noted in the pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 500,000] (3/21): "Most importantly, Taiwan-U.S. relations are in reality about the relations among Taiwan, the U.S., and China, and this point determined that the chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) also shares the responsibility to go the United States to communicate with Washington. Now that incumbent MAC Chairman Joseph Wu has been appointed to head the TECRO office in Washington, he can handle Taiwan-U.S. relations better than those officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, because he has a more profound understanding of China. In addition to being able adequately to estimate the Chinese factor in Taiwan-U.S. relations, Wu can also help Washington better understand China and how many common strategic interests both Taiwan and the United States share. Given his profound understanding of China, Wu has better knowledge of how to handle the relations between Taiwan and China more appropriately. "In contrast, when one looks at U.S.-China relations, [one will find that] major changes have taken place since President George W. Bush assumed office in 2000. There are genuine 'China hands' in the United States, such as John J. Tkacik, but mainstream 'China hands' do not really understand China... They are obsessed with Confucianism, but they lack knowledge of Chinese political trickery and rogue culture. [We] hope that Wu's appointment can compensate for the U.S. deficiency on this score. Also, Wu's strategic goal should be to urge Washington gradually to get rid of the restraints [imposed by] 'one China.' ..." B) "The United States Hopes there are no more 'Surprises'" Journalist Sun Yang-ming said in the "United Notes" column in the pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (3/21): "The most straightforward reason why the United States agreed to have Joseph Wu replace David Lee as the TECRO chief was because it hopes there will no longer be any more surprises during the last year of the Chen Shui-bian administration, particularly in the crucial election year. In other words, what Washington hopes is that during the following year, it can gain full control of the direction of the Chen administration, especially at a time when China's military is about to mobilize. "Any surprise that happens in or before 2008 can draw the United States into a bottomless abyss. In other words, Joseph Wu is actually the man that the United States desires. Wu said himself that he can fully grasp Chen's ideas, and this is exactly what the United States wants. Washington may even expect that he can inform it of the intent of the Chen administration beforehand. "The biggest long-term problem for the Bian administration is that it has failed to gain full trust of the United States. Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Thomas Christensen has not hidden such a view, even with the reporters' tape recorder in front of him. Surely this will be the biggest problem that Wu will face. Washington has been highly vigilant, particularly after Chen tossed off his 'Four Wants and One Without' remarks. "Long before the 'Four Wants and One Without' announcement was made, Washington had actually learned that Chen would come up with some new 'statements.' Relevant people at AIT even kept full alert during the Lunar New Year holidays just in case Chen might launch 'surprise attacks,' as he did last year with the 'cessation of the functions of the National Unification Council.' But, obviously, TECRO failed to fully communicate this with the United States. "In the wake of Chen's 'Four Wants and One Without' remarks, the initial reaction of the United States is moderate, but this did not represent Washington's real opinion. As a matter of fact, the State Department differed in views about how to inform the Bian administration of the U.S. displeasure, mainly because Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Christensen were both in SIPDIS Beijing and no one could make a final decision. Such a development indicated that, in addition to the previous relatively moderate statement, the State Department will likely have a second round of movement. Washington's approval of Wu's appointment should be viewed as one of the steps it will take. "Among the people on the U.S. side who know the inside stories, probably no one would believe that the 'Four Wants and One Without' announcement was not serious. Even though TECRO has a smooth channel for working with the United States, it has failed to function in this incident, and that makes Washington's approval to replace David Lee a reasonable consequence." C) "Mr. Wu Goes to Washington" The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 30,000] editorialized (3/21): "With just a year left until he leaves office, President Chen Shui-bian has finally decided to appoint a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) member to be the nation's top representative to the US. By selecting Mainland Affairs Chairman Joseph Wu, Chen has fit the last piece into the DPP's diplomatic puzzle. US-Taiwan relations are crucial to the nation's diplomatic, security and cross-strait interests, so the appointment of Wu was a very good decision. ... Although Taiwan-US relations are fundamentally diplomatic affairs, Washington ahs always been a main battleground during exchanges between China and Taiwan. Since Beijing began enlisting the US' help in restraining Taiwan from changing the 'status quo,' Washington has become the most direct and effective shortcut for each to exert pressure on the other. "This has been especially true since former US deputy secretary of state Robert Zoellick began encouraging China to become a 'responsible stakeholder.' For example, during a visit to the US in 2005, Chinese President Hu Jintao said the US and China should 'jointly manage the Taiwan Strait.' Last week Chen said that Taiwan, the US and China should work together to manage cross-strait peace, security and stability. Clearly all three countries have accepted that the US holds an important position in cross-strait relations. Chen's appointment of a seasoned veteran in cross-strait affairs to represent Taiwan in Washington clearly demonstrates his view that cross-strait relations are an extension of Taiwan-US relations. In doing so, he has established a strategic triangle between the three countries. ..." YOUNG