MEDIA REACTION: PRESIDENT MA YING-JEOU'S INAUGURAL SPEECH

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000714 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: PRESIDENT MA YING-JEOU'S INAUGURAL SPEECH Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language papers focused their May 22 news coverage on President Ma Ying-jeou's first international press conference Wednesday, in which Ma defined the party-to-party talks between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as a "second-track" dialogue; on new DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen and how she is going to lead her party; on the new Cabinet's plan to raise gasoline prices and increase electricity charges; and on the controversy over whether a KMT legislator still retains U.S. citizenship. In terms of editorials and commentaries, an op-ed piece in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily" discussed new problems arising from improved U.S.-China-Taiwan relations. The article said the chances are slim for both sides of the Taiwan Strait to unify, but the trend of the times is that, in terms of trade and economics, Taiwan will integrate with China and eventually with the entire East Asian region, and it remains to be seen how the three sides will interact with each other. End summary. "New, Difficult Problems Amidst Guarded Optimism for Taipei-Washington-China [Relations]" Professor Edward Chen of Tamkang University's Graduate Institute of American Studies opined in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 520,000] (5/22): "... President Ma said [he] wants to strengthen cooperative relations with the United States, [Taiwan's] security ally and trading partner, and he will rationalize the island's defense budget and acquire necessary defensive weaponry. He also said he will resume dialogue with mainland China on the basis of the '1992 Consensus.' All of these remarks will, without a doubt, make Washington feel relieved. The KMT, when serving as the main opposition party previously, used to oppose the high-priced arms procurement package. Likewise, the United States, out of POLITICAL concerns, was also opposed to selling F-16 C/D fighter jets to Taiwan, does not support Taiwan's development of Hsiung Feng-IIE cruise missiles, and has been hesitant about selling submarines to Taiwan. But times have changed. Will the Ma administration and the Bush administration each have new considerations [with regard to arms procurements], particularly after Taiwan and the United States have recovered their mutual trust? "In the face of China's military edge, how is Taiwan able to build a solid defense crack force if it does not develop it by itself or purchase certain necessary defensive weapons? How will it be able to have the confidence to negotiate with Beijing? Obviously, when it comes to what and which are necessary defensive weapons, there are many differences between Taiwan and the United States that remain to be resolved. In his inaugural speech, Ma did not say a word about signing a free trade agreement between Taiwan and the United States. Similarly, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte did not mention any such agreement during a recent hearing at the U.S. Senate Foreign RELATIONS Committee. It appears that both Taipei and Washington have yet to reach a consensus on this issue. But the question is: Given that the Bush Administration is unwilling to set an example by signing a free trade agreement with Taipei, how can Taipei possibly expect Beijing to be willing to allow ASEAN to negotiate with Taiwan over a similar agreement? ... "Using Cold War thinking, Washington is concerned that unification between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait will be unfavorable for the United States' national and strategic interests. But judging from the perspective of post-Cold War thinking, with the two great powers -- the United States and China -- standing next to each other, chances are slim for both sides of the Taiwan Strait to unify. But the trend of the times is that, in terms of trade and economics, Taiwan will integrate with China and eventually with the entire East Asian region. It is noteworthy as to how the three sides will interact to face such a trend." WANG