MEDIA REACTION: THE LAUCHING OF DIRECT CHARTER FLIGHTS

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000966 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: THE LAUCHING OF DIRECT CHARTER FLIGHTS ACROSS THE STRAIT Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news coverage July 3 on the allegations surrounding Chang Chun-yen, nominee for president of the Examination Yuan; on the university entrance examination; and on the preparation for welcoming the arrival of the first batch of mainland Chinese tourists' on July 4. In terms of editorials and commentaries, an editorial in the pro-independence "Liberty Times" rebutted President Ma Ying-jeou's remarks about China being both a threat and an opportunity and criticized China for only being a threat and not an opportunity for Taiwan. An editorial in the pro-unification "United Daily News" expressed its optimistism about the launching of direct flights across the Strait and the potential for Taiwan to become a hub in the Asia-Pacific region. An editorial and an op-ed in the pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" both expressed serious concern that China might adopt a "Trojan horse" strategy against Taiwan by taking advantage of the launching of direct charter flights across the Strait. End summary. A) "What China Poses to Taiwan Is Only 'Threat,' Not 'Opportunity'" The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 720,000] editorialized (7/3): "... In general, what China poses to Taiwan is only 'a threat,' definitely not 'an opportunity.' Regardless of China's arbitrariness, the Ma [Ying-jeou] Administration still has fantasy about China's 'goodwill.' President Ma regards China as 'a threat as well as an opportunity' according his speech delivered at the [graduation ceremony for] military institutions of higher learning [on Wednesday]. In reality, in the Ma Administration's mind, China is definitely not a threat but an opportunity. The reason that Ma bracketed threat and opportunity together was just a way to deceive the public. ..." B) "From the Direct Flights across the Strait to the Platform of Asia-Pacific" The pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] editorialized (7/3): "... There are two important meanings of the arrival of mainland tourists via direct flights. First, it demonstrates that the hostility across the Strait has decreased while the exchange has increased. This is precious progress in terms of the psychology of both the ruling and opposition parties across the Strait. Second, as this article described, direct flights across the Strait have finally made it possible for Taiwan to become a 'platform for Asia-Pacific' by connecting with mainland China's transportation links, plus other auxiliary measures. If there will be one day when passengers on direct flights across the Strait are not only tourists across the Strait, but also elites of several international institutes plus international tourists, then it might be a symbol that Taiwan's political and economic role and status have changed. ..." C) "Has Ma Been Hypnotized on Defense?" The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 30,000] editorialized (7/3): "... US Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia James Shinn recently expressed concerns that the threat of a Chinese attack on Taiwan has markedly increased in the past few years, as the balance in the Taiwan Strait tilts toward Beijing. "Unless it has been blinded by wishful thinking, the KMT government must be aware of this. If it is not, then it needs to be reminded that China's ultimate goal remains the same: annexation, whatever it takes. "Civilian flights could provide the Chinese military with the cover it needs to penetrate Taiwanese airspace and launch a strike against command-and-control infrastructure... "In its haste to improve relations with Beijing, the KMT government has undermined national security and - despite his calls for military readiness yesterday - Ma has made it likelier that Taiwan will be added to the inglorious list of countries that play down feasible threats and suffer the consequences." D) "This Is Not the Time for Complacency on Defense" Chen Kuo-hsiung, Vice General-Secretary of the World United Formosans for Independence and General-Secretary of the Taiwan National Security Institute, opined in the pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 30,000] (7/3): "While the government has announced it would open up eight domestic ACROSS THE STRAIT airports to handle direct cross-strait chartered flights, China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) and Civil Aviation Administration held a military drill earlier last month at Shijiazhuang Airport, Hebei Province, assessing eight civilian aircraft on long-range air drops in emergency situations. "This provided ample evidence that the apprehensions of national security specialists that China could adopt a 'Trojan horse' strategy against Taiwan were well founded. ... "Philip Breedlove, vice director of the US' Joint Staff for Strategic Plans and Policy, recently stated at a congressional hearing that Beijing had completed required military preparations and launched drills along the coastline across Taiwan prior to the March presidential election in the eventuality that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate won the election and the UN referendums passed. "At the time, cross-strait relations were in such a precarious state that the US Pacific Command dispatched three aircraft carriers - the USS Kitty Hawk, the USS Nimitz and the USS Abraham Lincoln - to the waters just outside the territorial waters in the Taiwan Strait. "Sixty US warships and hundreds of combat aircraft also gathered in the area, resulting in the largest deployment in the region since the 1958 Taiwan Strait Crisis. The mobilization even dwarfed the 1996 crisis. This is evidence of the extent to which China covets Taiwan and of the US government's determination to safeguard Taiwan. ... "The Ma government's ambiguity on arms procurement, its aloofness in its relations with the US and bellicose attitude vis-a-vis Japan over the Diaoyutai islands incident - an indication of drifting national strategy - have begun to erode the foundations of mutual trust between the three countries. Little wonder that Robert Shutter, a professor at Georgetown University who once worked for the CIA, warned last month that Taiwan should make sure it fully understands the fundamental interest of the US government. If the government turns away from the US and curries favor with Beijing, the US would not rule out achieving agreements with Beijing at the expense of Taiwan. "There is no national defense without psychological defense. The Ma administration has failed to build such psychological protection against China's military threat and has instead drawn close to China without distinguishing between friend and foe. "This shortcoming represents the biggest threat to Taiwan's national sovereignty." YOUNG