MEDIA REACTION: VIRGINIA TECH SHOOTING INCIDENT,

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000895

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: VIRGINIA TECH SHOOTING INCIDENT,
U.S.-TAIWAN RELATIONS



1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies continued to
focus news coverage from April 21-23 on the year-end legislators'
elections and the 2008 presidential election; on the Virginia Tech
shooting incident and its aftermath; and on other local political
and social issues. On April 22, the pro-independence "Liberty
Times" ran an exclusive news story on page six with the headline
"Taiwan Continues to Communicate with the United States over Its
Strategy to join the World Health Organization."


2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a column in the
pro-unification "United Daily News" discussed the Virginia Tech
shooting incident. The article said it will be a total loss for
everyone "if people fail to subdue their hatred toward the shooter
with rationality and instead, turn it into collective feud against
skin colors." An editorial in the limited-circulation,
conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" urged
the United States to tighten its gun control laws. With regard to
U.S.-Taiwan relations, the "Liberty Times" carried the Chinese
translation of an article by John J. Tkacik, a senior research
fellow at the Heritage Foundation, which urged Washington to give a
formal and detailed definition of the status quo in the Taiwan
Strait. An editorial in the limited-circulation, pro-independence,
English-language "Taiwan News" suggested that a new balance be
struck in Washington-Taipei relations. End summary.


3. Virginia Tech Shooting Incident

A) "The Original Sin of Skin [Colors]"

Journalist Wang Li-mei wrote in the "United Notes" column in the
pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (4/21):

"The aftermath of the Virginia Tech shooting incident can still be
felt. Some South Korean students, in fear of revenge, have chosen
to leave the United States and return to their country earlier than
scheduled. In other U.S. states, there were reports saying that
students from Taiwan were insulted and told to 'go back to Asia.'
The spread of hostility seemed to move even faster than the speed of
nuclear weapons. ...

"How a terrorist act by an individual student can turn out to be a
national or racial issue is a problem brewing beneath the surface
that can hardly be explained using common sense. In fact, the
American people will probably focus more attention on their gun
control laws [than on ethnic tensions] when they look at this
shooting incident. But immigrants from minority ethnic groups such
as those from South Korea, China, Taiwan, and other Asian countries,
cannot but feel worried about the hostility and revenge against them
from other ethnic groups. This is the reason why Beijing was
extremely nervous when rumor had it earlier that the gunman came
from mainland China. If Cho Seung-Hui were Chinese, the follow-on
effects, as a result of the competitive relationship between the
United States and China, would definitely be much stronger than what
they are now. ...

"The unfriendliness shown by the United States toward Arabs in the
wake of the September 11 attacks is the reason why ethnic groups in
Asia feel uneasy right now. It is fortunate that Americans in
general have demonstrated a certain degree of control and
rationality, and this is a learning process that a melting pot
society needs to undergo. It will be a total loss for all if
[people] fail to subdue their hatred toward Cho with rationality and
instead, turn it into a collective feud against skin colors."

B) "Time for U.S. to Act on Guns"

The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post"
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (4/21):

"The carnage at Virginia Tech this week, the worst gun rampage in
U.S. history and one that claimed 33 lives, is a grim reminder that
the United States should do something about its lax gun control
laws, which have made lethal weapons too readily available to its
citizens. ... If U.S. President George W. Bush is so determined to
eliminate the threat of weapons of mass destruction, or at least
stop the proliferation of WMDs, he should have the same zeal in
eliminating the real threat of at home-WMKs, or weapons of mass
killing. The old notion that deems sacred the right to bear
firearms is no longer true in the 21st century, when gun use and
violence in the United States is getting out of control. The easy
availability of WMKs wreaks havoc on the country. The death toll
from handguns is four times that of 9-11. Hopefully, the bloodbath
at Virginia Tech is tragic enough for Americans to do something
about their lax guan control laws. If they do, then the deaths of
33 people will acquire some meaning."


4. U.S.-Taiwan Relations

A) "Determine Taiwan's 'Status quo'"

The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 500,000] carried
the Chinese translation of an article by John J. Tkacik, a senior
research fellow at the Heritage Foundation (4/23 - English original
unavailable):

"... There is no need for Washington to react sensitively to the
change of status quo in the Taiwan Strait; instead, it needs a set
of premeditated policies that can pre-empt against such 'change,' or
dole out a penalty when the change becomes extreme. How to deal
with China's invasion [against Taiwan] may be termed the 'real
status quo,' which is more important than dealing with Taiwan's
efforts to articulate proactively its real existence as a nation.
Thus, it will be a positive move for the Bush administration's
National Security Council to define practically 'the status quo as
we determine it' -- or if necessary, it can be done in classified
documents -- before it attempts to react to any change to the status
quo. ...

"Washington's failure to give a formal and detailed definition of
'the status quo as we determine' is akin to ceding its leading role
in [defining the status quo] to Beijing and Taipei, and when tension
rises [across the Taiwan Strait], American diplomats can only
respond reactively, in a panic..."

B) "Taiwan-U.S. Ties Need New Balance"

The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" [circulation:
20,000] editorialized (4/23):

"There can be no doubt that relations between Taiwan and the United
States have experienced ups and downs during the seven years
coinciding with the Democratic Progressive Party administration of
President Chen Shui-bian and the Republican Party administration in
Washington of President George W. Bush. ... While pushing forward
the deepening of democratization through political reforms including
the holding of Taiwan's first national citizen referendums and
pushing constitutional reform, one of the biggest problems that
President Chen and the DPP government has faced internationally is
how to cope with the unfair but damaging image that Taiwan is a
trouble maker in cross-strait relations. ...

"In line with such preconceptions, the Bush administration has
repeated its warnings to President Chen to stick to his so-called
'four noes' pledge of May 2000 and to display more responsibility
and consistency. Although we believe most reform policies adopted
by the Chen administration have been in line with Taiwan's urgent
course of deepening democracy, it cannot be denied that a serious
gap over timing and judgment has occurred between Taipei and
Washington and that a balance needs to be struck, a state of affairs
which regretfully has not been recognized sufficiently by the two
sides so far. ...

"On Taiwan's side, President Chen may believe he has been careful in
not actually doing anything to give Beijing cause to literally go
'ballistic.' However, decision-makers in Washington (and other
capitals) are more concerned about the risks of miscalculation and
remain frustrated over the fact that the Taiwan government
apparently lacks the determination to bolster its own defensive
capability by passing the long-delayed budgets for three advanced
defensive systems and may even tend to take U.S. military assistance
in the case of a cross-strait conflict for granted. Regardless of
who is right or wrong, we believe the most important task is to
reinforce Taiwan's public diplomacy into U.S. constituencies as well
as strengthening communication between the two governments.

"Taiwan urgently needs to fundamentally readjust its public
diplomatic strategy and readjust manpower and other resources.
Effecting such as readjustment is partly the task of the new Taiwan
representative to the United States, former Mainland Affairs council
chairman Joseph Wu. ...In the face of the PRC's global propaganda
over its supposed peaceful development and aim to build a harmonious
international society, Taiwan needs to mobilize both official and
civic resources to launch a worldwide educational campaign that can
debunk Beijing's propaganda and allow the international community to
understand why Taiwan's continued democratic progress is vital to
the world community. ..."

YOUNG