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