Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09AITTAIPEI191
2009-02-19 09:16:00
UNCLASSIFIED
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:
MEDIA REACTION: SECRETARY CLINTON'S TRIP TO ASIA
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHIN #0191 0500916 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 190916Z FEB 09 FM AIT TAIPEI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0944 INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 8934 RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0384
UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000191
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: SECRETARY CLINTON'S TRIP TO ASIA
Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused February
19 news coverage on the economic recession facing the island, whose
GDP shrank by 8.36 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008, the
largest-ever quarterly drop; on a recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth
disease on pig farms in central Taiwan; and on the on-going
investigation into former President Chen Shui-bian and his family's
legal cases. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a column in
the pro-unification "United Daily News" described U.S. Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton's trip to Asia as "well considered in every
aspect" and concluded that "[A] clearer outlook for the United
States' Asia policy will emerge after Clinton completes her trip to
the four countries." An op-ed piece in the centrist, KMT-leaning
"China Times" discussed Beijing's analysis of the strategic set-up
of the Ma Ying-jeou Administration. The article said given the
warming relations across the Taiwan Strait, "it is expected that the
Taiwan issue is unlikely to become a major topic on the agenda
during U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's first visit to
China." End summary.
A) "[Secretary] Hillary [Clinton] Visits Asia -- [a Trip] Well
Considered in Every Aspect"
Professor Liu Pi-jung of Soochow University's Department of
Political Science wrote in his column in the pro-unification "United
Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (2/19):
"... Japan was [Secretary Hillary Clinton's] first stop, and the
move indicates that the United States wants to modify its previous
policy which 'attached greater attention to China than Japan' and to
rebuild U.S.-Japan ties in order to maintain a more balanced
[relationship] among the three. ... The second leg [of her Asian
trip] is Indonesia. In addition to the fact that [U.S. President
Barack] Obama resided in Indonesia during his youth, Clinton can
tell the Islamic world that the United States is not an enemy of
Muslims. ... Her third stop will be South Korea, and the major
issues on the agenda are economics and trade and North Korea, ...
which is obviously the focus of her trip this time. ...
"China will be the last stop [on Clinton's itinerary], but its
importance is by no means lower than that of the first leg.
Washington needs Beijing's [cooperation] on the North Korean issue,
which is also the case on economic and environmental issues. That
is why Clinton said that [Washington] wants to 'deepen and
strengthen' its relations with China. ... A clearer outlook of the
United States' Asia policy will emerge after Clinton completes her
trip to the four countries."
B) "Pro-U.S. and Maintaining a Friendly Relationship with China --
This Is the Key Point"
Chen Yu-chun, a Taiwan academic now working as a senior research
fellow at China's Tsinghua University, opined in the centrist,
KMT-leaning "China Times " [circulation: 140,000] (2/19):
"... Yet Beijing has an in-depth analysis, and it believes that the
Ma Ying-jeou Administration's strategic set-up is that 'politically
Taipei will continue its current line; economically it will take
advantage of China's [economic strength]; while in terms of security
it will rely on the United States.' Such an acknowledgement stands
as the main reason behind what [China's Association for Relations
Across the Taiwan Strait Chairman] Chen Yunlin stressed during his
visit to Taiwan [last November], the six-point speech delivered by
[Chinese President] Hu Jintao [on cross-Strait relations last
December], and Beijing's reiteration of 'economics first and
politics later' during a recent task force meeting on Taiwan. In
other words, in the political aspect, Beijing has limited
expectations for Ma, because Taipei wants to maintain the status
quo, and Ma is adamant about advocating 'no unification' [with
China]. Taiwan relies on the United States in terms of security
because it [concerns] the survival of Taiwan's national defense.
When it comes to Taiwan's current economic situation, Beijing is
aware that the Ma Administration wants to take advantage of the
factual situation of China's economic rise. Basically, there should
be no problem with the fact that Taiwan wants to take advantage of
China's economy, but the prerequisite should be that both sides
maintain a stable and friendly relationship. ... Against such a
backdrop, it is expected that the Taiwan issue is unlikely to become
a major topic on the agenda during U.S. Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton's first visit to China. ..."
YOUNG
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: SECRETARY CLINTON'S TRIP TO ASIA
Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused February
19 news coverage on the economic recession facing the island, whose
GDP shrank by 8.36 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008, the
largest-ever quarterly drop; on a recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth
disease on pig farms in central Taiwan; and on the on-going
investigation into former President Chen Shui-bian and his family's
legal cases. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a column in
the pro-unification "United Daily News" described U.S. Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton's trip to Asia as "well considered in every
aspect" and concluded that "[A] clearer outlook for the United
States' Asia policy will emerge after Clinton completes her trip to
the four countries." An op-ed piece in the centrist, KMT-leaning
"China Times" discussed Beijing's analysis of the strategic set-up
of the Ma Ying-jeou Administration. The article said given the
warming relations across the Taiwan Strait, "it is expected that the
Taiwan issue is unlikely to become a major topic on the agenda
during U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's first visit to
China." End summary.
A) "[Secretary] Hillary [Clinton] Visits Asia -- [a Trip] Well
Considered in Every Aspect"
Professor Liu Pi-jung of Soochow University's Department of
Political Science wrote in his column in the pro-unification "United
Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (2/19):
"... Japan was [Secretary Hillary Clinton's] first stop, and the
move indicates that the United States wants to modify its previous
policy which 'attached greater attention to China than Japan' and to
rebuild U.S.-Japan ties in order to maintain a more balanced
[relationship] among the three. ... The second leg [of her Asian
trip] is Indonesia. In addition to the fact that [U.S. President
Barack] Obama resided in Indonesia during his youth, Clinton can
tell the Islamic world that the United States is not an enemy of
Muslims. ... Her third stop will be South Korea, and the major
issues on the agenda are economics and trade and North Korea, ...
which is obviously the focus of her trip this time. ...
"China will be the last stop [on Clinton's itinerary], but its
importance is by no means lower than that of the first leg.
Washington needs Beijing's [cooperation] on the North Korean issue,
which is also the case on economic and environmental issues. That
is why Clinton said that [Washington] wants to 'deepen and
strengthen' its relations with China. ... A clearer outlook of the
United States' Asia policy will emerge after Clinton completes her
trip to the four countries."
B) "Pro-U.S. and Maintaining a Friendly Relationship with China --
This Is the Key Point"
Chen Yu-chun, a Taiwan academic now working as a senior research
fellow at China's Tsinghua University, opined in the centrist,
KMT-leaning "China Times " [circulation: 140,000] (2/19):
"... Yet Beijing has an in-depth analysis, and it believes that the
Ma Ying-jeou Administration's strategic set-up is that 'politically
Taipei will continue its current line; economically it will take
advantage of China's [economic strength]; while in terms of security
it will rely on the United States.' Such an acknowledgement stands
as the main reason behind what [China's Association for Relations
Across the Taiwan Strait Chairman] Chen Yunlin stressed during his
visit to Taiwan [last November], the six-point speech delivered by
[Chinese President] Hu Jintao [on cross-Strait relations last
December], and Beijing's reiteration of 'economics first and
politics later' during a recent task force meeting on Taiwan. In
other words, in the political aspect, Beijing has limited
expectations for Ma, because Taipei wants to maintain the status
quo, and Ma is adamant about advocating 'no unification' [with
China]. Taiwan relies on the United States in terms of security
because it [concerns] the survival of Taiwan's national defense.
When it comes to Taiwan's current economic situation, Beijing is
aware that the Ma Administration wants to take advantage of the
factual situation of China's economic rise. Basically, there should
be no problem with the fact that Taiwan wants to take advantage of
China's economy, but the prerequisite should be that both sides
maintain a stable and friendly relationship. ... Against such a
backdrop, it is expected that the Taiwan issue is unlikely to become
a major topic on the agenda during U.S. Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton's first visit to China. ..."
YOUNG