MEDIA REACTION: G-20, U.S.-CHINA-TAIWAN RELATIONS, NORTH

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000392

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: G-20, U.S.-CHINA-TAIWAN RELATIONS, NORTH
KOREA


1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news
coverage April 3 on the agreements reached at the G20 summit in
London to rescue the global economy; on the legislators' move to cut
tax, and on the year-end Taipei County Magistrate election.


2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, the G20 summit was a
major subject of discussion in local newspapers. An editorial in
the pro-unification "United Daily News" commented on the G20 summit,
saying the G20 summit matters as to whether the global economic and
financial order can be rebuilt. A news analysis in the "United
Daily News" said that holding a G20 summit is better than not
holding it, even though the summit offers no panacea for the
financial crisis, and it questioned whether world leaders will allow
the Anglo-Saxon style of economy, meaning that of the United States
and the United Kingdom, to continue its leadership role during the
global financial crisis. An op-ed, also in the "United Daily News,"
agreed with a recent argument that the G20 summit is actually a G2
summit, meaning a summit between Chinese President Hu Jintao and
United States President Barack Obama. The op-ed said that an era is
coming of the United States and China coordinating and leading the
world. Concerning the U.S., China and Taiwan relations, an
editorial in the conservative, pro-unification, English-language
"China Post" praised United States President Barack Obama's conduct
of his meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao. The editorial said
that, judging from United States President Obama's performance in
the last few months, it is unlikely that the Obama Administration
will have any major policy changes regarding cross-Strait issues,
which is a good thing for Taiwan. An op-ed in the pro-independence,
English-language "Taipei Times" came up with three suggestions to
United States President Barack Obama and Congress, so that the
United States can assure its national security and interests across
the Taiwan Strait. One of the three suggestions included deploying
at least two AIRCRAFT CARRIER task forces in the Western Pacific.
On the North Korean issue, a column in the centrist, KMT-leaning
"China Times" asserted that the United States and China must have
already known that what North Korea intends to launch is actually a
satellite, not a ballistic missile. The column says Japan's
insistence that what North Korea is going to launch is a missile is
an excuse for Japan to revive its militarism. End summary.


3. G-20

A) "G20 Summit Walks on the Watershed of Crisis"

The pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000]
editorialized (4/3):

"... Regarding this G20 summit, if all countries still make their
own one-sided decisions as before the summit and only care about
their own interests at the moment, there is the a danger that the
summit could start an even greater depression than what the London
Economic Conference of 1933 caused. Nowadays, one third of global
experts believe that a great depression is imminent, which is a
manifestation of pessimism. However, if all countries make the
summit successful by sharing in hardship during a time of crisis,
compromising with each other and, at least, establish a framework
and make promises regarding problems for the medium term and beyond,
the summit will relieve [all countries] from predicaments. Even
though [the summit] might not revive the 'irrational prosperity'
that the world has experienced over the last few years, at least it
achieves stabilization as well as mutual trust, and cooperation is
within expectation.

"Therefore, the G20 summit is an especially important meeting which
matters to the global welfare. It [G20 summit] is equivalent to a
watershed of the reestablishment of global finance and economy. The
summit will decide whether it will be a disaster or a blessing [to
the global finance and economy]. ..."

B) "The U.S. Caused Trouble, Bad Luck to the World; Still Let the
U.S. Be the Banker?"

European correspondent Chen Yu-hui wrote a news analysis in the
"United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (4/3):

"The economic entities which attended the G20 summit in London
account for ninety percent of global GDP and wished to find
countermeasures to deal with the global economic crisis. Needless
to say, there is certainly no panacea. However, it is always much
better to hold a summit than not.

"The first question is that, a crisis occurred in the global
economy, which used to operate based on the Anglo-Saxon style of
economy. Is the style of thinking in Wall Street and London still
able to resolve the problems? At least, politicians in Berlin,
Moscow and Paris do not believe this anymore. ...

"Facing the domestic economy, every country has its own way. Facing

the global economy, many leaders are starting to question, can the
Anglo-Saxon style of economy still be the banker without being
challenged? Or has the global economy been shuffled during the
summit?"

C) "An Era of Coordination between United States and China Has
Arrived"

Chen Hsin-chih, an Associate Professor of the Department of
Political Science at National Cheng Kung University, opined in the
pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (4/3):

"The financial tsunami changed countries' understandings of the
allotment of global power. China and the United States, after
weighing their own powers' rise and fall and close, mutually reliant
economic, trade and financial relations, are jointly speeding up the
formation of a consensus trying hard to build a Twentieth-First
Century with active cooperation. A prologue for China and the
United States to coordinate and cooperate to run the world has been
unveiled.

"In the future, the international political, economic and security
system will be coordinated by China and the United States before its
tone is set. The room for second-tier powers to maneuver will
decrease gradually. The direction of change across the Taiwan
Strait will be much more restricted in the future. ...

"The global structure is shifting from the United States being the
unilateral hegemon towards China and the United States being the
hegemonies with a mechanism of coordination to run the world
jointly. The United States is not necessarily declining, and China
is likely to rise peacefully. By comparison, the Sino-U.S.
coordination mechaQsm will produce disadvantages for countries such
as [those of] the European Union and Japan, whose political and
economic power is declining. Ordinary small countries even face the
crisis of being marginalized rapidly. The coordination between
China and the United States will further reinforce the stability
across the Taiwan Strait. However, it also adds pressure on Taiwan
to maintain Taiwan's leading role on issues."


4. U.S.-China-Taiwan Relations

A) "First G-20 Summit Went Well for Taiwan"

The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post"
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (4/3):

"After much speculation, the long-anticipated first face-to-face
meeting between mainland Chinese President Hu Jintao and U.S.
President Barack Obama appears to have gone without a hitch. ...

"Indeed, reports from Washington have suggested that Obama even
brought up the issue of human rights in Taiwan and Tibet during the
meeting, although no details have been confirmed.

"Before Obama was elected, his opponents accused him of lacking
experience in dealing with complicated international issues. But
since taking office, Obama has not made any blunders on China
policy, and indeed appears to have followed the advice of seasoned
experts.

"Obama did not take the bait of issuing a harsh reaction when a U.S.
naval ship was harassed by mainland Chinese vessels in March.
Instead, he agreed with Hu that military-to-military exchanges
should be expanded, which is a most prudent way to avoid similar
clashes in the future. ...

"As a flicker of warming U.S.-China relations, Obama has accepted
Hu's invitation to visit mainland China later this year. Based on
their first exchange, however, the ROC should be able to rest easy
knowing the Obama administration will not likely introduce major
policy changes that could undermine cross-strait relations."

B) "A Storm is Gathering in the Strait"

Li Thian-hok, a freelance commentator based in Pennsylvania, opined
in the pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times"
[circulation: 30,000] (4/3):

"Given the increasingly dangerous and fluid situation in the Taiwan
Strait, on the 30th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) it
is important to remind US President Barack Obama and Congress to
reaffirm the spirit and letter of the TRA both in word and deed.
...

The greatest threat to the US' homeland security is not a terrorist
attack with a dirty bomb; it is an unexpected, nuclear Pearl Harbor.
The basic US national security strategy is misdirected. In order

to keep the peace in East Asia and ultimately to protect homeland
security, the US must continue to support democracy and uphold the
Taiwanese people's legitimate aspirations for freedom.

"To keep the peace in the Taiwan Strait and to encourage China to
pursue peaceful development, we urge the US president and Congress
to take the following steps:

"First, reaffirm the US policy that the future of Taiwan must be
determined by peaceful means and that the US opposes any unilateral
action to change the status quo;

"Second, deploy at least two AIRCRAFT CARRIER task forces in the
Western Pacific and secure basing rights in the Philippines and the
Ryukyu Islands as part of US efforts to maintain the capacity to
resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion;

"Third, develop a contingency plan to empower an international
commission to conduct and supervise a plebiscite on Taiwan under the
right circumstances to allow the Taiwanese people to exercise their
basic human right to decide their future without outside pressure or
internal subversion. ..."


5. North Korea

"What North Korea Will Launch Should Be a Satellite"

The "International Lookout" column in the centrist, KMT-leaning
"China Times" [circulation: 150,000] wrote (4/3):

"Is the object that North Korea is going to launch a satellite or a
ballistic missile? This column believes that it is likely a
satellite. The United States should also have knowledge of it.
Only Japan has a hidden purpose, and it is deliberately pretending
that it is confused [about what North Korea is going to launch].
...

"[Since] the situation is so clear, so why does Japan still insist
that what North Korea is going to launch is a ballistic missile?
The point is that Japan is cunning. Just [let us] use an article in
the United States' 'Pacific Forum' as evidence: 'The incident of
North Korean agents' abduction of Japanese citizens in those years
has become a symbol which fuels Japanese nationalism. Japanese
media, for their own business interests, recklessly hype up the
issue and demonize North Korea. Guided by Japanese public opinion,
being anti-North Korea becomes politically correct.' Of course,
this [instance] is media hype once again. The Japanese government
then follows suit and becomes tough. There is no other purpose
other than to create a threat, so that Japan can expedite its goal
to become a country with a strong military and eventually resume
militarism. The purpose of Japan's constant hype of China's
military power also lies in this."

YOUNG