MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-CHINA-TAIWAN RELATIONS

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001290 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - NIDA EMMONS DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-CHINA-TAIWAN RELATIONS Summary: As Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies continued to focus news coverage August 28 on former President Chen Shui-bian and his family members' alleged money laundering and insider trading cases; and news reports about Beijing striking up its usual tune in objecting to Taiwan's bid for UN participation also appeared in nearly all Taiwan's papers. The pro-independence "Liberty Times," however, front-paged a banner headline reading "Ma [Ying-jeou] Tilting toward China, and the United States Announces Its Position: There Should Be No Hint that China Has Sovereignty over Taiwan." According to the article, AIT Chairman Raymond Burghardt expressed the United States' positions and conveyed "two noes" to Taiwan in August, namely that there should be no hint that China has sovereignty over Taiwan, and that Beijing cannot have the final say regarding any of Taiwan's participation or activities in the international community. A "Liberty Times" analysis discussed the U.S. position and said the imbalanced developments across the Taiwan Strait has forced the United States to draw a red line. End summary. "Imbalanced Developments across the Taiwan Strait Forces the United States to Draw a Red Line" Journalist Su Yung-yao wrote in the pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 700,000] (8/28): "In the face of the Ma Ying-jeou Administration's rapid tilt toward China, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice emphasized during an interview in late June that, even though the United States encourages developments in cross-Strait relations, she needs to remind [the world] that 'it [the U.S.] has a relationship with Taiwan as well.' It is evident nevertheless that Taipei has not tried hard enough [in terms of its relations with Washington], or even that [its actions] have gradually sabotaged the balance in the Taiwan Strait, forcing the United States to address this. "...If the former Bian Administration were deemed to be over-maneuvering Taiwan's confrontation with China, then the current Ma Administration could well be viewed as swinging to the other extreme by seeking wholeheartedly a goodwill gesture from Beijing. Such a trend also fails to tally with the U.S. perspective. ... With regard to the 'two noes' message delivered by the United States recently, it is akin to a step forward [by Washington] to draw a red line. When [Washington says that], in terms of Taiwan's [international] participation, there should be no hint that China has sovereignty over Taiwan, it means to include both the name and the way [Taiwan adopts] when [seeking to] participate in [international] organizations. Also, [when Washington says that] it is opposed to Beijing having the final say [regarding any of Taiwan's activities in the international community], it means involvement the process of how Taiwan participates in such activities. As a matter of fact, the aforementioned contents were meant not only for the ears of Taipei but also those of Beijing's. "In the wake of the Beijing Olympics, cross-Strait relations will get more complicated. China may act calmly and composedly [when dealing with the cross-Strait relationship], but Washington will certainly not keep mum about it. Besides, Taiwan's attitude is also very important. Only when it is able to revise its policy strategy of putting cross-Strait relations ahead of the island's foreign relations and make the best use of key strengths such as [its relationship with] the United States can Taiwan truly acquire an important position in the international community." WANG