MEDIA REACTION: NORTH KOREA, U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000631 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, U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS ¶1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused their May 27 news coverage on the meeting between KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung and Chinese Communist Party Secretary-General Hu Jintao in Beijing Tuesday and the developments in cross-Strait relations; on President Ma Ying-jeou's trip to Central America; on H1N1 influenza in Taiwan; and on North Korea's nuclear test. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a column in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily" said Pyongyang's nuclear test was an announcement to the world that it has formally joined the nuclear club. A news analysis in the pro-unification "United Daily News" said North Korean leader Kim Jong Il is a master at playing poker with the aim of forcing the United States and China to make concessions. A separate "United Daily News" op-ed said Pyongyang is aimed at showing its force, but it will not go so far as to declare war. A column in the conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" discussed U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit and human rights in China. The article suggested that Pelosi quietly put pressure on China to release some of its political prisoners. End summary. ¶2. North Korea A) "Beijing Has Something to Say to Pyongyang But Dares Not" Columnist Antonio Chiang wrote in his column in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 520,000] (5/27): "North Korea used the mighty underground nuclear test to announce to the world that it has formally joined the nuclear club. The United States, Japan and the UN, as usual, all severely condemned the move and declared that they will adopt punitive actions. This was merely empty intimidation, with the same tune playing over and over again. Pyongyang did not care about it at all, but for China, it has something to say [to North Korea] but dares not say it. ... "[North Korean Leader] Kim Jong Il is an outstanding strategist who knows clearly the hypocrisy and pretense in international politics. India and Pakistan were engaged in nuclear tests in 1998, one after the other, and both received strong reprimands from the international community. But in the wake of the September 11 incident, Pakistan has become a major ally of the United States in terms of the war on terrorism, and India has all the more become a strategic ally of the United States. Washington was unable to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons, and the nuclear weapons possessed by Israel have been deemed as a justified move. For any [country] joining the [nuclear] club, its international status will be greatly advanced; better yet, the membership carries a lifetime guarantee. This proves to be an effective way for a poor country to transform itself, so who can blame North Korea?" B) "Kim Jong Il Playing Showhand, Forcing China and the United States to Make Concessions" Editorial writer Meng Hsuen noted in the pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (5/27): "North Korea launched a nuclear test, and Kim Jong Il has again sabotaged the security landscape in Northeast Asia by showing its force to China, the United States, Japan and South Korea. ... Kim Jong Il is not a [stupid] man who intends to risk his life; instead, he is a master at playing 'showhand.' He knows that neither the United States, Japan nor South Korea can doing anything about him, but he still fears that he might truly irritate China. ... The United States will intensify its nuclear protection commitment to Japan and South Korea and will provide them with advanced anti-ballistic missile weapon systems. It will take a few more years for Pyongyang to study how to minimize the nuclear missiles so as to deploy them, so there is still room for bluffing and bargaining." C) "North Korea Aims to Show its Force; It Will Not Declare War" Professor Lee Ming of National Chengchi University's Department of Diplomacy opined in the pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (5/27): "... What Pyongyang is adopting is brinkmanship -- namely, it tells its enemies that 'it is not afraid to die,' and should any country decide to launch a war against North Korea, it will have to pay. The series of actions adopted by Pyongyang were aimed at gaining the attention of the United States, South Korea, China and further, the world. ... North Korea had said when [U.S. President Barack] Obama first came into office that it hopes to establish diplomatic ties with the United States as early as possible in an attempt to gain economic aid. But as of now nothing was heard regarding bilateral talks [between the two countries], so North Korea believes the United States is hostile [to it]. But Pyongyang is clearly aware of its own situation; it knows that starting a war would be unfavorable to itself. As a result, despite protests, chances are slim for a war to break out." ¶3. U.S.-China Relations "How Pelosi Can Aid China's Human Rights" Columnist Frank Ching wrote in the conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" [circulation: 30,000] (5/27): "... The Obama administration needs to decide on its China human rights policy. ... In the long run, there is little doubt that China will adopt political reforms and greater respect for human rights. But that does not mean that there is nothing for the rest of the world to do in the meantime. In fact, there is something that Ms. Pelosi in particular can do on this trip. She can quietly put pressure on China to release some of its political prisoners. ... It would be entirely appropriate for Ms. Pelosi, the Speaker of the Congress [sic], to respond to such an appeal. If she can, through private diplomacy, obtain the release of this man [i.e., Gao Zhisheng, a rights lawyer], it will go a long way towards justifying the Obama administration's low-key attitude towards human rights in China." YOUNG