Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09AITTAIPEI407
2009-04-06 08:34:00
UNCLASSIFIED
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION: NORTH KOREA, G-20

Tags:  OPRC KMDR KPAO TW 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0407/01 0960834
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 060834Z APR 09
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1309
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9090
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0526
UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000407 

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: NORTH KOREA, G-20

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000407

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: NORTH KOREA, G-20


1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused their
April 4-6 news coverage on North Korea, which launched a long-range
rocket over Japan Sunday; on the Local Government Act passed by the
Legislative Yuan Friday, which will allow cities and counties to
merge and become special municipalities; and on the New York
Yankees' new stadium. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a
column in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily" discussed Pyongyang's
rocket launch and called it a "home run" for North Korean leader Kim
Jong-Il. An op-ed piece in the pro-unification "United Daily News,"
however, said the rocket launch has met the needs of both Pyongyang,
which wanted to grab Washington's attention, and Seoul and Tokyo,
which took advantage of the launch to boost their dropping domestic
approval ratings. With regard to the G-20 meeting, a "United Daily
News" editorial said the results generated by the G-20 meeting are
shaping the world. An editorial in the conservative,
pro-unification, English-language "China Post" said China's growing
economic and political powers have earned itself a successful debut
at the G20 summit. An editorial in the pro-independence,
English-language "Taipei Times," on the other hand, expressed regret
that Taiwan, a significant economic entity, was excluded from the
G20 summit because of the island's peculiar international status.
End summary.


2. North Korea

A) "Home Run for Kim Jong-Il"

Columnist Antonio Chiang wrote in his comment in the
mass-circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 520,000] (4/6):

"The question regarding whether Pyongyang has launched a satellite
or a ballistic missile will not be determined until Japan salvages
the remnants of the rocket from the sea. But this incident has
grabbed the world's attention, putting the North Korean issue under
the international spotlight again. Once again Kim Jong-Il has hit a
home run. ... When the entire world is being hit hard by the
financial tsunami to a ramshackle state, only Pyongyang remains
intact, and not only so, it still has the leisure time to play Cold
War games. As long as Pyongyang has China and Russia to be its
powerful patrons, neither the United States nor Japan can do
anything about it; all they can do is to play along with it
patiently."

B) "Taro Aso and Lee Myung-bak, Saved by North Korea's Rocket?"

Tsai Zheng-jia, Director of the Division of Asia Pacific Studies,
Institute of International Relations, National Chengchi University,
opined in the pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation:
400,000] (4/6):

"... It goes without saying that Pyongyang had no intent to trigger
regional conflicts at this point; all it wanted was to create
tensions in the region, to prove to the world that North Korea is
capable of launching long-range missiles and, while convenient, to
promote its rockets. In the meantime, it wants the Obama
Administration to know that North Korea is a country that he must
not ignore. That is why it loaded a satellite rather than a missile
on its rocket and cleverly made it fall in the open seas on either
side of Japan's territory. ... In the meantime, Pyongyang also
managed to have the rocket fly over Japan's territorial airspace at
an altitude of over 30,000 feet high so as to dodge the aim of
Japan's Patriot missiles and thus [avoid] sparking military
conflicts between the two countries.

"Clearly, this was a crisis of test-firing that met the needs on
both sides. Pyongyang wants to use the threat of 'missiles' to
attract the United States' attention, increasing its bargaining
chips in the Six-Party Talks. The governments of both Japan and
South Korea, in the meantime, also took advantage of their bluffing
of the threat of Pyongyang's 'missiles' to boost their domestic
approval ratings and to advance toward [being] normal countries."


3. G-20

A) "G-20 Is Changing the World"

The pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000]
editorialized (4/6):

"... For the United States, which [originally] expected that the
G-20 nations would jointly commit to expanding public expenses, the
[G-20] summit was not a success. But the soft posture of [U.S.]
President Barack Obama has successfully transformed the G-20 meeting
and saved it from becoming a meeting aimed at 'criticizing and
denouncing' the United States. ...

"China's proactive presence at the G-20 summit was, without a doubt,
a development that no one should ignore. As a multi-lateral forum,
G-20 can also be simplified into [a meeting] among the United

States, Europe and emerging countries, based on the patterns and
levels of each country's development. But Beijing's efforts to toss
off controversial topics in a row and to shape the leaders' dialogue
between China and the United States into a G-2 set-up have rapidly
refashioned [China] from being a mere listener in the previous
international forums to an opinion leader. The diplomatic
confidence China has demonstrated also meant that it will play a
proactive role in participating in more and more international
issues to the extent that it will likely dictate or affect [such
forums]. ..."

B) "China's Impressive G-20 Debut"

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

"After stunning the world at its international coming out party last
August when Beijing hosted the Olympics, China stepped onto the
world stage this week at the G-20 summit in London as a major
player. The entire world looked upon China to help the United
States and the rest of the world tide over the 'once-in-a-century'
economic crisis. ... It seems paradoxical for a developing country
like China (per capita GDP US$3,266) to draw so much attention at
the summit, but money talks, really. The international reality has
pushed the country to the center of the stage. Chinese President Hu
Jintao came to London with more money in the bank than any other
participant-- US$1.96 trillion in exchange reserves. China holds
US$1 trillion in U.S. government debt, making it the largest
creditor. Many other countries in the West owe China money.

"At a moment when most countries, developed and developing alike,
are suffering from negative economic growth, China's economy is
expected, by most economists, to grow at 6.5 percent this year, if
not the 8 percent projected by Beijing. Suddenly, China is looked
upon as a role model of sorts. China's banks now appear healthier
and stronger than their counterparts in the West, especially the
United States where Wall Street now looks like Ground Zero. ...
It's no wonder that China stole much of the spotlight in London. No
more talks about China's 'currency manipulation' by U.S. officials.
President Barack Obama and Hu Jintao shook hands like old buddies
though they had never met before, and pledged a stronger strategic
partnership. ... Just a couple of years ago, most economists
predicted that China will catch up with Japan within a decade. Now
some economists are saying China may have already replaced Japan as
the number two economic superpower. When Japan is overtaken, can
America be far behind? ..."

C) "Taiwan's Role in the G20 Plan"

The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation:
30,000] editorialized (4/6):

"... Some foreign commentators have complained that Taiwan, with its
strong economy, should have been invited to join the G20. Taiwan
did not take part in the summit and international actors would soon
ask Taiwan to take a role in international efforts to counter the
financial crisis or ask it to contribute funds to the IMF. However,
Taiwan's economy is export-oriented and as such, it is closely
linked to the international economy. That means that helping revive
the global economy is in Taiwan's own interest as much as it is in
the interest of the rest of the world. Because Taiwan's particular
international status precludes participation in many international
organizations, the government should consider ways of taking part
before the question arises.

"The worst idea would be for Taiwan to simply provide funds through
China, which would only reinforce the impression that Taiwan is part
of China. The result would be a substantial loss to Taiwan. The
government must avoid this scenario at all costs. A better option
would be for Taiwan to provide funds through the US. Although this
might look peculiar from a diplomatic perspective, it would build
mutual trust and strengthen Taiwan's relationship with Washington.
A final option, though, is the Asian Development Bank (ADB),which
is one of the few international organizations of which Taiwan is a
member. The ADB also has a close working relationship with the IMF.
Channeling aid through the ADB would allow Taiwan to exercise its
rights as an independent member of the bank, reducing diplomatic
entanglements. It would also strengthen Taiwan's position within
the ADB and demonstrate its commitment to the global effort. This
is the best option for Taiwan to participate in international
efforts to counter the financial crisis."

YOUNG