Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09AITTAIPEI285
2009-03-16 09:58:00
UNCLASSIFIED
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:
MEDIA REACTION: U.S. FOREIGN POLICY
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHIN #0285 0750958 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 160958Z MAR 09 FM AIT TAIPEI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1121 INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9011 RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0463
UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000285
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. FOREIGN POLICY
Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused March
14-16 news coverage on Taiwan's first-ever Quadrennial Defense
Review, which was published by the National Defense Ministry Monday;
on the KMT's defeat in the legislative by-election in Miaoli County
Saturday; and on cross-Strait relations. The pro-unification
"United Daily News" front-paged a banner headline on Saturday
reading "Taiwan is Expected to Join the World Health Assembly [as an
Observer] on a 'Year by Year' Basis." In terms of editorials and
commentaries, a column in the centrist, KMT-leaning "China Times"
discussed the foreign policy of the Obama Administration and said it
is unlikely that the hawks will try to stop U.S. President Barack
Obama from pushing for his "relatively moderate" foreign policy, as
Obama will not allow ideology to sabotage the real national
interests of the United States. End summary.
"U.S. Hawks Warning [U.S. President Barack] Obama"
The "International Lookout" column in the centrist, KMT-leaning
"China Times" [circulation: 150,000] wrote (3/15):
"[The United States'] diplomatic operations undertaken since the
Obama Administration took office have apparently been more moderate
than those during the Bush Administration. [Secretary of State
Hillary] Clinton's foreign policy of 'smart power' is a mixture of
hard and soft [power] and its scope seems to touch politics,
economics and even military security. If this is also a direction
that [U.S. President Barack] Obama wants to take, then it will
inevitably trigger opposition from those hawks. One must know that,
even though the head of the Republican neo-conservatives is no
longer in office, those who hold such a tough position in Congress
and the military still remain in power. For a certain period of
time the power of the Pentagon surpassed that of the State
Department, and it goes without saying that it is not happy now to
see the State Department take the lead in all foreign affairs. ...
"Given the poor economic situation in the United States, Obama is
surely aware of the importance of China and the Korean Peninsula.
Will the intimidation of the so-called hawks be able to deter him
from pushing his moderate foreign policy? Normally the answer will
be unlikely, because the President has enormous administrative
authority, and for any policy he decides to promote, particularly
foreign policy, there will be hardly anyone who has the power to
obstruct it. Obama will not allow any ideology to sabotage the
[U.S.'s] actual national interests, and this principle applies to
[the U.S.'s] China policy, North Korean policy, Middle East policy
and Russian policy."
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: U.S. FOREIGN POLICY
Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused March
14-16 news coverage on Taiwan's first-ever Quadrennial Defense
Review, which was published by the National Defense Ministry Monday;
on the KMT's defeat in the legislative by-election in Miaoli County
Saturday; and on cross-Strait relations. The pro-unification
"United Daily News" front-paged a banner headline on Saturday
reading "Taiwan is Expected to Join the World Health Assembly [as an
Observer] on a 'Year by Year' Basis." In terms of editorials and
commentaries, a column in the centrist, KMT-leaning "China Times"
discussed the foreign policy of the Obama Administration and said it
is unlikely that the hawks will try to stop U.S. President Barack
Obama from pushing for his "relatively moderate" foreign policy, as
Obama will not allow ideology to sabotage the real national
interests of the United States. End summary.
"U.S. Hawks Warning [U.S. President Barack] Obama"
The "International Lookout" column in the centrist, KMT-leaning
"China Times" [circulation: 150,000] wrote (3/15):
"[The United States'] diplomatic operations undertaken since the
Obama Administration took office have apparently been more moderate
than those during the Bush Administration. [Secretary of State
Hillary] Clinton's foreign policy of 'smart power' is a mixture of
hard and soft [power] and its scope seems to touch politics,
economics and even military security. If this is also a direction
that [U.S. President Barack] Obama wants to take, then it will
inevitably trigger opposition from those hawks. One must know that,
even though the head of the Republican neo-conservatives is no
longer in office, those who hold such a tough position in Congress
and the military still remain in power. For a certain period of
time the power of the Pentagon surpassed that of the State
Department, and it goes without saying that it is not happy now to
see the State Department take the lead in all foreign affairs. ...
"Given the poor economic situation in the United States, Obama is
surely aware of the importance of China and the Korean Peninsula.
Will the intimidation of the so-called hawks be able to deter him
from pushing his moderate foreign policy? Normally the answer will
be unlikely, because the President has enormous administrative
authority, and for any policy he decides to promote, particularly
foreign policy, there will be hardly anyone who has the power to
obstruct it. Obama will not allow any ideology to sabotage the
[U.S.'s] actual national interests, and this principle applies to
[the U.S.'s] China policy, North Korean policy, Middle East policy
and Russian policy."
YOUNG