Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09AITTAIPEI548
2009-05-07 23:34:00
UNCLASSIFIED
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:
MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-TAIWAN RELATIONS
how-toVZCZCXYZ0006 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHIN #0548 1272334 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 072334Z MAY 09 FM AIT TAIPEI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1529 INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9159 RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0594
UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000548
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.-TAIWAN RELATIONS
Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused Thursday,
May 7 news coverage on the soaring Taiwan stock market index
Wednesday and on Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Chairman P. K.
Chiang, who tendered his resignation Monday. In terms of editorials
and commentaries, an op-ed in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily"
pointed out three challenges that confront DPP Chairwoman Tsai
Ing-wen, who is now visiting Washington, D.C. End summary.
"Challenges Posed to Tsai Ing-wen's U.S. Visit"
Liu Shih-chung, a visiting fellow at the Washington-based Center for
Northeast Asian Policy Studies of the Brookings Institution, opined
in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 520,000] (5/6):
"DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen is conducting her second trip to
Washington, D. C. since she took the chairmanship. ... How Tsai can
[present a different perspective to] convince the Obama
Administration, which strongly approves of [Taiwan President] Ma
Ying-jeou's cross-Strait policy, will be the greatest challenge for
Tsai's visit this time. Undoubtedly, restrained by the economic
crisis at home and various new initiatives in foreign affairs
abroad, the mainstream mindset of the Obama Administration at the
current stage is established on three major perceptions, namely, no
news is good news; continued dialogue defuses tension; and Ma is
unlikely to act in a way which will betray Taiwan. ...
"As a result, Tsai has several significant tasks during her trip to
the United States. First, [Tsai should] criticize and disparage Ma
as well as convince [the United States] with reasons. ...Tsai should
make arguments to prove that there are risks, and Ma's push to sign
an Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) with China is
based on wishful thinking. [Tsai should also prove that there are]
political calculations behind Beijing's 'consensus' to Taiwan's
participation in the 'World Health Assembly' in May. [Tsai] also
needs to urge the United States to continue paying attention to
Taiwan's equal rights to participate in the WHA and not allow
Beijing to decide Taiwan's qualification to participate [in the WHA]
on a year-by-year basis.
"The second [task] is on the issue of checks and balances of
democracy and the people's supervision. Tsai should let the United
States understand that the theme of the parade mobilized by the DPP
scheduled on May 17 is not just to defend Taiwan's sovereignty.
[The parade] is actually to reflect the general resentment of
Taiwan's different social strata against the Ma Administration's
poor performance one year after coming into the office. ... Tsai
should also let the United States understand that, in addition to
defending [Taiwan's] sovereignty, what the DPP firmly insists on
more than anything else is that the Taiwan people should be allowed
to make decisions on significant cross-Strait policies. After all,
the more than forty percent of the vote that belongs to the Green
camp still deserve the United States' high consideration.
"The third [task] is the transforming the DPP and warming up
relations between Taiwan and the United States. ... It is necessary
for Tsai to resume the establishment of a DPP office in Washington
started in 1999 and appoint mid-generation's elites in foreign
affairs (such as Hsiao Bi-khim) to be the DPP's representative to
the United States, so as to reinforce [the DPP's] publicity in the
United States and policy communication."
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.-TAIWAN RELATIONS
Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused Thursday,
May 7 news coverage on the soaring Taiwan stock market index
Wednesday and on Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Chairman P. K.
Chiang, who tendered his resignation Monday. In terms of editorials
and commentaries, an op-ed in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily"
pointed out three challenges that confront DPP Chairwoman Tsai
Ing-wen, who is now visiting Washington, D.C. End summary.
"Challenges Posed to Tsai Ing-wen's U.S. Visit"
Liu Shih-chung, a visiting fellow at the Washington-based Center for
Northeast Asian Policy Studies of the Brookings Institution, opined
in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 520,000] (5/6):
"DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen is conducting her second trip to
Washington, D. C. since she took the chairmanship. ... How Tsai can
[present a different perspective to] convince the Obama
Administration, which strongly approves of [Taiwan President] Ma
Ying-jeou's cross-Strait policy, will be the greatest challenge for
Tsai's visit this time. Undoubtedly, restrained by the economic
crisis at home and various new initiatives in foreign affairs
abroad, the mainstream mindset of the Obama Administration at the
current stage is established on three major perceptions, namely, no
news is good news; continued dialogue defuses tension; and Ma is
unlikely to act in a way which will betray Taiwan. ...
"As a result, Tsai has several significant tasks during her trip to
the United States. First, [Tsai should] criticize and disparage Ma
as well as convince [the United States] with reasons. ...Tsai should
make arguments to prove that there are risks, and Ma's push to sign
an Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) with China is
based on wishful thinking. [Tsai should also prove that there are]
political calculations behind Beijing's 'consensus' to Taiwan's
participation in the 'World Health Assembly' in May. [Tsai] also
needs to urge the United States to continue paying attention to
Taiwan's equal rights to participate in the WHA and not allow
Beijing to decide Taiwan's qualification to participate [in the WHA]
on a year-by-year basis.
"The second [task] is on the issue of checks and balances of
democracy and the people's supervision. Tsai should let the United
States understand that the theme of the parade mobilized by the DPP
scheduled on May 17 is not just to defend Taiwan's sovereignty.
[The parade] is actually to reflect the general resentment of
Taiwan's different social strata against the Ma Administration's
poor performance one year after coming into the office. ... Tsai
should also let the United States understand that, in addition to
defending [Taiwan's] sovereignty, what the DPP firmly insists on
more than anything else is that the Taiwan people should be allowed
to make decisions on significant cross-Strait policies. After all,
the more than forty percent of the vote that belongs to the Green
camp still deserve the United States' high consideration.
"The third [task] is the transforming the DPP and warming up
relations between Taiwan and the United States. ... It is necessary
for Tsai to resume the establishment of a DPP office in Washington
started in 1999 and appoint mid-generation's elites in foreign
affairs (such as Hsiao Bi-khim) to be the DPP's representative to
the United States, so as to reinforce [the DPP's] publicity in the
United States and policy communication."
YOUNG