MEDIA REACTION: SECRETARY OF STATE CLINTON'S ASIA TRIP

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000204

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 OF STATE CLINTON'S ASIA TRIP


1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news
coverage February 21-23 on the "national policy conference"
organized by the opposition parties; on the local economic downturn
plus various government policies; and United States Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton's visit to China.


2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, an op-ed in the
pro-unification "United Daily News" said Secretary of State Clinton
choosing Asia to be her first trip overseas demonstrated that the
new Obama Administration highly values its relations with Asia and
China. The op-ed commented on the three issues that Clinton dealt
when she was in Beijing: the rejection of protectionism, the
Strategic Dialogue between China and the United States, and the
relations among the United States, China and Taiwan. The op-ed
urged Washington, Beijing and Taipei to find a way to seize this
historical opportunity and create a win-win-win scenario for the
three parties while tensions are easing across the Taiwan Strait. A
column in the centrist, KMT-leaning "China Times" urged Taiwan to
discover and develop its own soft power while the world and the
United States' Asia-Pacific policy are changing and the importance
of Taiwan to the United States is declining. Another op-ed in the
pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" recounted what
United States Pacific Commander Admiral Timothy Keating said in Hong
Kong last week. The op-ed said Pentagon and Pacific Command were
surprised that it was United States Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton who announced that China and the United States are to resume
military exchanges. End summary.

A) "[Secretary] Hillary [Clinton] Shows Her Hand; A Good Opportunity
for the Win-Win-Win for the United States, China and Taiwan"

Professor Edward Chen of Tamkang University's Graduate institute of
American Studies opined in the pro-unification "United Daily News"
[circulation: 400,000] (2/23):

"... The problem is that it is by no means easy for the United
States and China jointly to reject protectionism. For example,
United States President Barack Obama did not veto "Buy America," a
clause contained in the 800 billion U.S. dollar economic recovery
package that the United States Congress passed. This showed that
the United States' protectionism is gaining ground. Beijing is
especially sensitive about the development, because it could
initiate the rise of protectionism in the world. It would be a big
strike at China's economy which is export-oriented. Therefore,
[China] hopes that during the visit of [United States Secretary of
State] Hillary [Clinton] and before the upcoming financial summit
staged in London on April 2, [China and the United States] can set
the tone for 'jointly rejecting protectionism.'

"With respect to comprehensively upgrading the mutual high-level
strategic dialogue, Clinton suggested revising the framework of the
Sino-U.S. high-level strategic dialogue by changing the original
'Strategic Economic Dialogue,' led by the two countries' Minister of
Finance and the Secretary of the Treasury, as well as the 'Strategic
Dialogue,' which was at the deputy foreign ministers' level, into a
'comprehensive strategic dialogue,' which will be led by the foreign
ministries of both sides. [Such a comprehensive strategic dialogue]
will include issues, such as regional security, cooperation in
energy, climate change and human rights. To Clinton personally, as
the head of many government officials [of the United States], when
dealing with the global financial crisis, she almost let the
Secretary of Treasury Timothy Geithner take the lead. In terms of
holding the Strategic Economic Dialogue and the Strategic Dialogue,
the lead almost fell into [United States] Vice President Joe Biden's
hands. Being able to make two continuous draws in this overseas
trip [to China], Clinton can be regarded as showing her high spirit
and energy.

"Finally, concerning the relationship among the United States, China
and Taiwan, Clinton showed her hand constantly upon her arrival at
Beijing. Clinton reiterated the Taiwan Relations Act, saying that
[the United States] will continue to sell arms to Taiwan. Then
Clinton said [the United States] wants to restore mutual trust
between the United States and Taiwan. Clinton was certain that
cross-Strait relations are warming, and it is not easy for Beijing
to voice its opposition. ..."

B) "Taiwan's Soft National Power"

The column "Concept Platform" in the centrist, KMT-leaning "China
Times" [circulation: 150,000] wrote (2/23):

"United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reached an
agreement with Japan, the first stop of her Asia trip, to redeploy
8,000 United States Marines on Okinawa to Guam before 2014.
Although 8,000 soldiers is only a small portion of the United
States' military deployed in Japan, the [troop] movement shows that
the United States is gradually building Guam as a key military
position in the Western Pacific. Another implication [of the troop

movement] is that the United States is backing off from the island
chain that blocks China. ...

"... The United States' Asia-Pacific policy is changing. Even
though the United States reiterates that it lives up to the Taiwan
Relations Act and, realistically, Taiwan's security still relies on
the protection of the United States. However, with respect to the
major trend, Taiwan is being displaced on the strategic map of
Asia-Pacific. When the military importance of Okinawa to the United
States is declining gradually, the importance of Taiwan [to the
United States] is declining even more. In the past, sitting in
between the two hegemonies of the United States and China, Taiwan
used to lean close to the United States. Nowadays, Taiwan somehow
gradually shifted itself to the middle of the United States and
China. Some people are even worried that [Taiwan] is leaning too
much toward China, and such apprehension also exists in the
controversy of [Taiwan signing a] Comprehensive Economic Cooperation
Agreement (CECA) [with China]. ...

C) "US's Keating Argues for Exchanges with China"

Richard Halloran, a freelance wrier in Honolulu, opined in the
pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation:
30,000] (2/22):

"... The impasse appeared to have been broken when US Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton said on the eve of her trip to Asia that the
US and China 'will resume mid-level military-to-military discussions
later this month.'

"Clinton's disclosure caused mild surprise in the Pentagon and at
the Pacific Command in Hawaii, where defense officials wondered why
such an announcement had not come from Secretary of Defense Robert
Gates or Keating, who is responsible for military exchanges with the
Chinese. One official shrugged it off as a 'rookie mistake' from an
administration still getting its feet on the ground. ..."

WANG