MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-TAIWAN RELATIONS

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000742 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 ¶1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies gave significant news coverage March 31 - April 2 to the National Communications Commission's penalty on TVBS, a famous cable television network in Taiwan, for the network's violation of news ethics and principles of reporting by helping to shoot and air controversial video footage last Monday. News coverage also focused on a recent large-scale reshuffle of top prosecutors and on the 2008 presidential elections. The pro-independence "Liberty Times" front-paged a banner headline April 2 that said "Trial for the Use of Special Mayoral Allowance Case to Begin Tomorrow; Ma [Ying-jeou] Will Run [in the 2008 Presidential Election] Even If Convicted in the First Trial." ¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a weekly column in the pro-independence "Liberty Times" featured new TECRO chief Joseph Wu. The article described him as a person who puts Taiwan's interests as his top priority and is keen on communication with others. An op-ed piece in the pro-unification "United Daily News," on the other hand, discussed President Chen Shui-bian's "Four Wants and One Without" remarks and said Washington regards Chen's "wants" as "remote and unrealizable wishes." End summary. A) "For Joseph Wu, Taiwan Comes First, and Communication Is the Best Strategy to Resolve Confrontation" The "People of the Week" weekly column in the pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 500,000] noted (4/2): "... Beginning from his long-term research work at National Chengchi University's Institute of International Relations to his appointments as the deputy secretary-general of the Presidential Office, the chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council, and to the new representative to the U.S. recently. Joseph Wu's jobs have always focused on U.S.-China-Taiwan relations, and he always faces his jobs with an optimistic and enthusiastic attitude. Compared with other political figures who like to put on bureaucratic airs, Wu is a person that one can easily get intimate with when they meet for the firs time. Even though his contact may be someone from the opposition camp, Wu is capable of shortening their distance, starting communicating and becoming friends with him. ... "Not only having worked this way in Taiwan, Wu also upholds the same ideals when it comes to the triangular relationship among the United States, China and Taiwan. He tries his best to seek the U.S. support, and when dealing with China, he will not avoid it but will seek opportunities to communicate with China. This is because he is confident that only when a bridge of communication is established can both sides seek common ground while accepting the existing differences; he believes that [communication can] resolve the misunderstanding of the Chinese authorities caused by their failure to understand Taiwan's public view and thus prevent them from coming to a wrong judgment. ... "I am a DPP member, but this does not affect my appointment as a government official. Wu noted seriously, 'As long as Taiwan's interests are regarded as top priority, I believe that with sincere and honest communication, misunderstanding and confrontation will all be resolved.'" B) "I Don't Want Your 'Imperatives'" Washington correspondent Vincent Chang wrote in an op-ed piece in the pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (3/31): "Chen Shui-bian put forward the 'Four Wants' to prove his bravery and to state clearly that 'Taiwan wants independence.' In response to Chen's remarks, not only the United States and China sought to play them down, but several pro-independence bigwigs also believe that there was no need to take A-Bain's statements seriously. Those wise pro-independence heavyweights have seen through A-Bian, and exactly as they expected, the 'Four Wants' were indeed drawn back the next day. Fearing that the Americans might lecture Taiwan, the Presidential Office, the Executive Yuan, and the DPP all unanimously but somewhat mentally deranged defended A-Bian by saying that the 'Four Wants' do not clash with the 'Four Nos.' ... "But the Bian administration did a great job by using a very erudite English word - 'imperative' - in its position papers for other countries to describe the simple 'want.' Taiwan's official position papers thus called the 'Four Wants' as 'Four Imperatives.' The word 'imperative' is a very strong word; it means not only 'want' or 'desire' but the strong-handed 'must have/be.' When reading the word 'imperative,' U.S. officials' heartbeats went faster, thinking that A-Bian might mean it seriously this time. But as they read along and saw that 'Taiwan wants independence' was translated into 'It is imperative for Taiwan to be independent, they immediately breathed a sign of relief. It turned out that A-Bian was just bluffing and he did not mean what he said to the foreigners. The 'independent' in the English position paper is an 'adjective,' when translating the English back to Chinese directly, it means 'Taiwan has to be independent.' Isn't this the 'status quo' of Taiwan? Why not just say 'It is imperative that Taiwan be independent and build a nation?' Why use the word 'imperative' together with an adjective just to deceive itself? "Few people really talked about it when Taiwan's official English version of the 'Four Wants' made debut; moreover, there was 'pirated version.' Chinese ambassador to China Zhou Wenzhong used 'Four Wants,' a move that means he took A-Bian's 'Four Wants' seriously. But U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East-Asian and Pacific Affairs Thomas Christensen used the words 'Four Wishes' when testifying before Congress. The 'Four Wants' has been turned into 'remote and unrealizable wishes' by the Americans. This translation seemed to be the interpretation that understands A-Bian's words and behaviors best, and it also manifest Washington's mentality in dealing with the Four Wants - namely, I don't want your 'imperatives!'" WANG