KMT MAINLAND AFFAIRS DIRECTOR CHANG JUNG-KUNG

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TAIPEI 001094 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/24/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON CH TW SUBJECT: KMT MAINLAND AFFAIRS DIRECTOR CHANG JUNG-KUNG DISCUSSES CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS AND MA ADMINISTRATION REF: TAIPEI 1059 Classified By: AIT Director Stephen M. Young, Reasons: 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (C) Summary: KMT Deputy Secretary-General Director Chang Jung-kung told a visiting INR analyst and AIT on July 17 that cross-Strait relations have made significant progress with the start of weekend charter flights on July 4 and the opening of those flights to mainland Chinese tourists on July ¶18. Despite criticism by the opposition, Chang expects President Ma Ying-jeou to continue liberalizing cross-Strait economic relations. According to Chang, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has been largely bypassed in recent decision making on cross-Strait economic liberalization, with initiatives coming from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, other economic agencies, and the Executive Yuan. KMT leaders Lien Chan and Wu Poh-hsiung will attend the opening of the Beijing Olympics, but no substantive meetings with Chinese leaders are expected. The next round of the KMT-CCP forum is being planned for October or November in Taipei. Despite progress on cross-Strait relations, Ma has struggled domestically, in part because he tried at first to downplay the importance of the party, Chang maintained. End Summary. So Far, So Good on Cross-Strait Opening -------------- ¶2. (C) AIT officers and a visiting INR analyst met with KMT Deputy Secretary-General and Mainland Affairs Director Chang Jung-kung on July 17 to discuss cross-Strait developments. Chang emphasized that relations between Beijing and Taipei have made significant progress with the start of weekend charter flights on July 4 and the opening of those flights to mainland Chinese tourists on July 18. Chang said he expects President Ma Ying-jeou to continue liberalizing cross-Strait economic relations. The DPP opposition charges that recent initiatives give China too much leverage while providing little boost to Taiwan's economy. However, Chang explained, the KMT is more concerned that Taiwan will be economically marginalized in the region if it does not increase ties with the mainland. ¶3. (C) Chang said pro-DPP media have tried to paint the KMT as moving too close to China by running "spurious" stories alleging that Ma intends to reinstate the National Unification Council suspended by former President Chen and jumping on Hong Kong media reporting that KMT Vice Chairman John Kuan had allegedly said the party was looking forward to "peaceful unification." Despite such negative articles, the government's policy direction will not change, Chang said. However, he added, Ma and other KMT leaders will be more cautious and will emphasize the benefits Taiwan will derive from the various economic opening initiatives. MAC Bypassed on Some Policymaking? -------------- ¶4. (C) Recent cross-Strait economic liberalization measures have been initiated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, other economic agencies, and the Executive Yuan, Chang noted. By contrast, according to Chang, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC),which under the Chen administration applied the brakes to various liberalization proposals, has been bypassed. Chang asserted that MAC Chairperson Lai Shin-yuan and newly promoted Vice Chairman Fu Don-cheng did not support the recently announced relaxation of restrictions on Taiwan investment in the mainland (reftel). According to Chang, NSC Secretary-General Su Chi and his advisors are running cross-Strait policy. Communications between the party and the NSC are good, Chang added, noting that he regularly talks to Su to report on the content of KMT exchanges with the CCP. Future KMT-CCP Exchanges -------------- ¶5. (C) Beijing is relieved the DPP is out of power, Chang noted, but it does not have any illusions the KMT will start TAIPEI 00001094 002 OF 003 to move Taiwan toward unification. For now, Chinese leaders are satisfied that Taiwan under the KMT will not be pushing for de jure independence. The Chinese leadership understands that pressuring the KMT over sovereignty issues would only help the DPP, creating more problems for Beijing down the road. Chang concluded that because of such concerns the CCP to date has not raised the issue of unification in discussions with the KMT. ¶6. (C) Chang stated that recent exchanges with CCP officials have focused on preparations for the Beijing Olympics. Chang said Taiwan Affairs Office Director Wang Yi had given Taiwan a verbal reassurance in June that use of "Chinese Taipei" (zhonghua taibei),vice "China, Taipei" (zhongguo taibei), would be enforced as the official name for the Taiwan Olympic team. Wang focused most on concerns that Taiwan Falungong activists would take advantage of cross-Strait charter flights to "sneak" into China and demonstrate either at the airport or at Olympic events. Chang said former KMT Chairman Lien Chan and current Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung will attend the Olympic opening ceremony, but neither side has plans for substantive meetings. Although Chinese officials are likely to host large receptions or banquets that would include the KMT visitors, such events would be social in nature, Chang explained. In addition to Wu and Lien, People First Party Chairman James Soong also plans to attend the Olympic opening ceremony, Chang noted. ¶7. (C) Chang said the next KMT-CCP dialogue is being planned for October or November in Taipei and will be hosted by the KMT's think tank, the National Policy Foundation (NPF),which is responsible for conducting the party-to-party dialogue. NPF Chairman Lien Chan will likely preside over the meeting, with Chairman Wu delivering the opening address, and, Chang suggested. Wang Yi would probably be the Chinese counterpart. (Note: This is the first we've heard of a possible visit by the new TAO director. We suspect the politics of this will be carefully thrashed out here in Taipei before a final decision is made on such a prominent party visitor to Taiwan, particularly given the plans for a visit during the fall by ARATS Chairman Chen Yunlin for the SEF-ARATS dialogue.) The agenda has yet to be decided. Lien Chan, who was unhappy with proposals from the party to focus on a detailed non-controversial topic, wants the dialogue to cover a large economic framework for cross-Strait relations. The KMT-CCP channel will also be useful for discussing "sensitive" issues with Beijing before they appear in the SEF-ARATS dialogue, Chang suggested. For example, the KMT has broached the topic of Taiwan's participation in the WHO and other international organizations. Beijing is resisting the idea of taking a case-by-case approach to different organizations, and is asking Taiwan to make a comprehensive proposal that would address all of its international organization requests in one package. On Ma Administration's Domestic Problems -------------- ¶8. (C) Chang observed that the Ma administration has received positive marks for cross-Strait progress. On domestic issues, however, the Ma team's performance has been weak and it made a series of early gaffes, in part because initially Ma had distanced himself from the KMT and tried to downplay the party's importance. As a result, Ma suffered a setback when the Legislative Yuan (LY) rejected some of his nominees for the Control Yuan late last month. The party, explained Chang, is the main lever to exert influence over KMT LY members because it holds the power to nominate candidates. Although Ma's attitude toward the party appears to be changing, his cabinet members, including Premier Liu Chao-shiuan, have hurt the administration by giving an impression of "arrogance." Comment -------------- ¶9. (C) Chang's characterization of the central KMT role in cross-Strait successes is self-serving, and may overstate the facts to some extent. At the same time, the prominent role TAIPEI 00001094 003 OF 003 of the party, and particularly Lien Chan, in liaison with Beijing is probably a sore point with Ma, given the bad blood between the two and Ma's desire to distance himself from the party as president. The trouble is that so long as Beijing pushes these channels and Ma is unwilling to seek a messy showdown here, they are likely to continue, a reflection of the CCP's penchant for "united front" tactics when it comes to Taiwan. YOUNG