MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-CHINA-TAIWAN RELATIONS, OBAMA'S

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000107 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, OBAMA'S INAUGURATION, NORTH KOREA ¶1. Summary: Taiwan celebrated the Lunar New Year holiday from January 24 to February 1, 2009. During this period, news coverage in major Taiwan Chinese-language dailies focused on the weather, traffic and New Year celebrations around the island. In terms of editorials and commentaries, several editorials in the English-language dailies discussed the new Obama administration and future U.S.-China-Taiwan relations. An editorial in the conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" said a trade war between Washington and Beijing seems unlikely at a time when the United States is struggling to weather its worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. An editorial in the pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" urged the Obama administration to consider Taiwan's "international and military predicament with sympathy and to act on it with resolve as necessary." An editorial in the pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" also called on the Obama administration to review its Taiwan policy, which "must highlight the importance of continuing defensive arms sales to Taiwan" and "reaffirm U.S. support for the existence and deepening of Taiwan's democracy. ..." A separate "China Post" editorial discussed the inauguration of U.S. President Barack Obama and said it would "mark the beginning of America's return to greatness by following the true spirit of the Founders and the Constitution." A third "China Post" editorial discussed the situation on the Korean Peninsula, saying that Obama's inauguration is "clearly a golden chance for Pyongyang to achieve two of its central foreign policy objectives, namely the normalization of diplomatic relations with Washington and the signing of a peace treaty that formally ends the Korean War." End summary. ¶2. U.S.-China-Taiwan Relations A) "A Sino-U.S. Trade War? Sounds Quite Unlikely" The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" [circulation: 30,000] editorialized (1/31): "... The issue of China's foreign exchange rate has been an irritant in U.S.-China trade for more than a decade. ... [Tim] Geithner's warning, however, may carry a hidden message, telling Congress the new administration will be tough on China on trade issues, and Congress needn't be in a hurry to initiate punitive legislation against China, when a trade war with China would have no winners. At a time when the U.S. is struggling to weather the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and when Obama needs money he doesn't have to jumpstart the economy, the dumbest thing to do is start a trade war with China - the largest buyer of U.S. Treasury bonds and other government-backed debt. He must place U.S. national interest uber alles. "Considering the circumstances, a trade war is very unlikely. According to Nielsen Report early this week, Obama called his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao over the weekend to express his hope for maintaining "strong, constructive" relations, and for closer cooperation in dealing with pressing world issues. So, what's in store for the Washington-Beijing relationship? To paraphrase Obama, 'it may get worse before it gets better.'" B) "How Obama Matters to Taiwan" The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 30,000] editorialized (1/24): "... For Taiwan, Obama's rise to the top has brought no shortage of apprehension. While Obama's principles are quite flawless, the record of his party on relations with Taiwan has been all too inconsistent. But there are two factors working in his favor: The likely line-up of Washington staffers with Taiwan and China responsibilities may not be as effusively pro-China as had been feared; and it is hard to imagine that things will get any worse than under the last years of former US president George W. Bush's administration. For Taiwanese, the overriding question is this: What will Obama do with a Chinese state that is becoming increasingly assertive and arrogant and that is no less willing to rationalize systematic crimes against its own people? "If there is such a thing as a unitary Taiwanese voice, then perhaps this is what it would say to President Obama: I honor and share your ideals, I wish to strengthen relations with an America that cultivates democracy and freedom and I have my own interests but they are not hostile to those of ordinary Americans. I reject despotism and the cynicism that flows from ossified structures of political patronage - and I ask humbly but urgently that you consider my international and military predicament with sympathy and act on it with resolve as necessary. I wish China no ill, but the current Chinese government bears ill will for Taiwanese and scorns American values. My present government does not respect the fears of people who see little promise in a Chinese government that crushes human rights and exploits the poor even as it claims to champion both. I am Taiwanese, and my identity is no less fundamental to my dignity and my future than that of a man who transcended hundreds of years of persecution of people of his kind to lead the most powerful and inspirational nation in the world." C) "Obama Needs Review of U.S.-Taiwan Policy" The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" [circulation: 20,000] editorialized (2/2): "... The current temporary cross-strait 'detente' is undoubtedly widely perceived as meeting U.S. interests, but some Washington pundits now suggest that the Obama administration should prepare contingency plans given rising uncertainty over just how the Chinese Communist Party-ruled PRC will respond to Ma's goodwill strategy and concern over the worsening of 'imbalances' in economic, political and military clout in the Taiwan Strait in China's favor. The inconvenient truth is that, underneath a veneer of 'stability," a grave crisis is building in the Taiwan Strait that bodes ill for the very survival of Taiwan's democracy and for long-term hopes for peace in the Taiwan Strait and fundamental U.S. interests in the East Asian region. The source of this undertow lies in the relentless pressure from the PRC that Taiwan must accept Beijing's 'one China principle,' which posits that Taiwan is part of the PRC, as a precondition for political talks instead of an issue subject to negotiation. ... "After years of drift during which Washington has neglected the fundamental undertow of the exacerbating strategic imbalance in the PRC's favor, Obama has a choice to make if he intends to apply his own declarations that 'America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity' and that the U.S. will resume 'leadership' to East Asia. The new U.S. president can 'say less and do nothing' and thereby become a bystander to Beijing's absorption of democratic Taiwan and ultimately face the threat of a new regional balance of power dominated by an authoritarian and expansionist PRC. Alternatively, the Obama government can act to restore balance by assisting the Taiwan government in strengthening its bargaining chips in negotiating with Beijing. "First, Obama should remind his PRC counterpart that Ma cannot disregard his duty to uphold Taiwan's democratic system despite his mandate to normalize relations with Beijing and that Washington insists on the principle, enunciated by former president Bill Clinton in February 2000, that any cross-strait settlement must be peaceful and have the democratic assent of the 23 million Taiwan people. Moreover, we urge President Obama himself to take note of the strategic importance of a democratic Taiwan for its intrinsic value and for its catalytic role in promotion of democratic values in China and East Asia and the continued value of Taiwan as a security partner in Asia and launch a comprehensive review of U.S. policy toward Taiwan. ... "Second, a new policy review must highlight the importance of continuing defensive arms sales to Taiwan in order to address the yawning imbalance of military force in the Taiwan Strait in the PRC's favor and the need for the U.S. to play a role as a balancer and arbitrator to ensure that the process of cross-strait negotiations is fair, impartial and transparent and that any results receive the assent of the 23 million Taiwan people. A new review should also stress that simply supporting Taiwan's 'international participation' in the World Health Organization, is insufficient and that the Obama administration should use its influence to persuade the PRC to cease its opposition to Taiwan's international space on an equal footing. Last but not least, a new policy review should reaffirm U.S. support for the existence and deepening of Taiwan's democracy by granting more flexibility for mutual visits and exchanges among high-ranking officials to ensure mutual senior dialogue, by engaging in talks toward a free trade agreement and by advising the Ma administration that Taiwan's hard-won democracy should not be sacrificed for short-term cross-strait engagement." ¶3. Obama's Inauguration "America Is Likely to Lead Again" The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" [circulation: 30,000] editorialized (1/24): "... Never before has a new U.S. president faced greater challenges and a more difficult time than Obama, the first African-American president, since the Declaration of Independence in 1776. At home, an economic crisis is the worst since the Great Depression in the 1930s. Abroad, two costly wars are draining the country's resources and exacerbating its domestic woes. ... Obama's predecessor, George ¶W. Bush, believed in unilateralism and the supremacy of America's unparalleled military strength as the means for settling disputes. Obama, on the other hand, believes that 'power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please.' This is in line with Confucius' thinking that it's better to win over foes with virtue than with brute force. ... "The inauguration of Obama, hopefully, would mark the beginning of America's return to greatness by following the true spirits of the Founders and the Constitution. 'Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America,' he said. These words did not sound hallow, as the work of remaking America began on day one of the Obama presidency. He is seeking, and will get, quick congressional support for his US$800 billion stimulus plan to jump start the stalling economy. His secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, is front and center in pushing forward diplomacy with a combination of soft and hard power to restore America's status and international prestige. Obama has surrounded himself with what political commentators called a "posse of 'hot nerds'" -- Democratic as well as Republican advisers. It is for this reason that we see the dawning of a new era -- an Obaman Era that would rival in importance with America's rebirth and revival after the Emancipation and Great Depression." ¶4. North Korea "North Korea Stirs up Trouble" The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" [circulation: 30,000] editorialized (2/2): "... While the move to 'scrap' all agreements with Seoul is certainly cause for alarm across the Asian region, this fits into the bizarre pattern of behavior that North Korea regularly engages in. when North Korea seeks to improve its bargaining position prior to engaging in negotiations with the international community, Pyongyang frequently resorts to 'brinksmanship' tactics aimed at evoking more concessions. Here in Taiwan, we certainly do not want to see inter-Korean relations deteriorate further. We also never want to see another war break out in Korea, as this would have tremendous humanitarian consequences, not to mention tossing a wrench into the already suffering regional economy amid the ongoing global economic crisis. However, we also do not want to see the international community, and especially the United States under its new President Barack Obama, get cajoled into granting concessions that Pyongyang clearly does not deserve. ... "Clearly, North Korea is dead-set against reforming its economy and opening up to the outside world because its people would quickly learn how much better the lives of their cousins in South Korea are. Regime survival, rather than any concern for the livelihood of the North Korean populace, is all that Pyongyang cares about. But even from the narrow perspective of preserving the regime, there is much to be gained if Pyongyang eventually does begin talking to the new government in Washington and cooperating with South Korea and the international community. The election of Barack Obama to the White House is clearly a golden chance for Pyongyang to achieve two of its central foreign policy objectives, namely the normalization of diplomatic relations with Washington and the signing of a peace treaty formally ending the Korean War. These objectives could even be achieved without undertaking the economic and political reforms that North Korea is desperately in need of. ... "Eventually, Pyongyang is going to reach a point where it will have to begin reforming its economy and opening up to the outside world. Leaders in North Korea will have to make a choice about whether their regime will play a central role in implementing these reforms, like their counterparts in Beijing and Hanoi have done with great success, or hold out as long as they can before the regime implodes amid growing poverty and hopelessness among the people." WANG