MEDIA REACTION: TAIWAN'S FOREIGN RELATIONS, CROSS-STRAIT

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000987 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: TAIWAN'S FOREIGN RELATIONS, CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS ¶1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused their July 8 news coverage on the commodity prices hike in Taiwan; on the controversy over the construction of the Suhua Freeway; and on the screening process of the Examination Yuan candidates nominated by President Ma Ying-jeou. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a column in the pro-unification "United Daily News" discussed the prospect of President Ma's planned visit to Paraguay and his possible transit stop in the United States in August. The article questioned the substantive interests such "transit diplomacy" will create for Taiwan. An editorial in the conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" expressed its optimism about the closer links between Taiwan and China. An editorial in the pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times," however, warned Ma not to become China's tool and act in China's interests rather than Taiwan's. An editorial in the pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" also criticized the Ma Administration's hasty cross-Strait policy, saying it lacks an overall strategy to ensure Taiwan's benefits and national security. End summary. ¶2. Taiwan's Foreign Relations "President Ma Going onto the Diplomatic Frontline?" New York correspondent Jeremy Fu wrote in the "United Notes" column of the pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (7/8): "Taipei is planning for President Ma Ying-jeou's visit to Central and South America in August. Before the diplomatic truce across the Taiwan Strait is finally realized, perhaps there is need for Taipei to push for 'head-of-state diplomacy' at this moment to secure its relations with its allies that are on the verge of switching diplomatic recognition [to Beijing]. But it remains a test [for the Ma Administration] as to whether such a move will be able to break the pattern set by previous administrations. ... "What is even more twisted is that Taipei's head-of-state diplomacy has grown narrower and actually transformed into 'transit diplomacy.' Over the past few years, whenever a Taiwan president went overseas to visit other countries, the visit itself became less important, while at the same time, his transits in those countries that are not Taiwan's diplomatic allies, particularly the United �0A;States, became the focus of those visits. [Former President] Chen Shui-bian's transits in New York in 2001 and 2003, respectively, were perhaps the peak of [Taipei's] 'transit diplomacy' in the United States. With the strong support and tacit agreement of the Bush administration at the time, Bian's activities in New York were no longer a simple 'transit' but truly a 'visit'... But how many substantive interests can such transit diplomacy create for Taiwan? "If President Ma makes an overseas trip in August, Paraguay will certainly be a key leg of his visit. ... In the meantime, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is very likely planning for Ma to transit the United States. MOFA's top choice [for Ma's transit] will be a metropolitan city on the East Coast, in order to compensate his loss for not being able to visit Washington before he took office. But Beijing will be holding the Olympic Games in August; is Ma going to conduct 'transit diplomacy' with much fanfare again this time? ..." ¶3. Cross-Strait Relations A) "Mainland Links Steadying" The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" [circulation: 30,000] editorialized (7/8): "... Upon his election on March 22, the president-elect surprised all by pledging to start cross-strait direct flights on July 4, a date so famous and a wish so soon to materialize that many were left in doubt. Now the U.S. Independence Day will also be remembered as the day for Taiwan and the mainland to start air links to boost their blood ties. ... Hopes are high that tourism and other measures will help Taiwan's economy. Those hopes have become more urgent as Taiwan has raised fuel prices, battled inflation and seen its stock market fall dramatically in Ma's first six weeks in office." B) "Is Ma the 'Manchurian Candidate'?" The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 30,000] editorialized (7/8): "... Never mind China's deployment of more modern surface-to-air missiles that threaten Taiwan's airspace, or the fact that cross-strait flights are skewed in favor of Chinese airlines and eat into Taiwanese airlines' income, or that the promises of an economic miracle from Chinese tourism seem to be getting flimsier by the day. Such rapacious behavior on Beijing's part was to be expected and the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou, intoxicated with the promise of better relations with China, seems to have fallen for the hype hook, line and sinker. Beyond all this, there is now a perception, as reported by Christopher Hughes of the London School of Economics, that Ma has finally adopted Beijing's views and will do what it wants him to do - that he has become Beijing's man in Taipei, who will open the gates of the castle and bring about the dream of annexation. ... "Despite the flexibility he has shown to date on matters of sovereignty, Ma is not Beijing's man, some brainwashed Manchurian candidate that can be radio-controlled to do its bidding. Even if he were, the checks and balances of a democratic system would stop him before he could do irreparable damage to Taiwan's sovereignty. Nevertheless, the comments made by Chinese academics and officials run the risk of reinforcing the perception that he is a tool of China, which can only make it more difficult for him to exercise his presidential powers. Even so, vigilance is in order. The president's every move, along with those of his immediate circle, must be scrutinized, and any indication that he is about to act in China's interests rather than Taiwan's should be met with the strongest opposition." C) "Hidden Risks of Direct Links" The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" [circulation: 20,000] editorialized (7/8): "... The careful use of opening of cross-strait linkages may help the revitalization of Taiwan's economic resources, but rushing to adopt piecemeal unilateral liberalizations without an overall strategy to ensure balance of benefits and a secure environment will certainly minimize any beneficial impact, much less 'revitalize the economy' as Ma and leading government officials have promised. Instead, excessive haste could cause even more damage to Taiwan's economy through the distortion of priorities and the loss of alternative opportunities than is alleged to have been inflicted by the cautious 'be patient' strategy adopted by former president Lee Teng-hui and continued, with variation, under former president Chen Shui-bian's Democratic Progressive Party government. "The most immediate risks concern dangers to our citizens because of inadequate preparations or even insufficient manpower and resources in fields such as immigration control, disease control and public safety and even air safety caused by the rash decision to open all eight of Taiwan's airports for direct flights and Chinese tourism. ... We suggest that the Ma government take some time before the next set of cross-strait talks to carefully evaluate all of the costs and risks as well as the benefits of further cross-strait liberalizations before rushing forward." YOUNG