MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-TAIWAN RELATIONS, OBAMA AND RUSSIA

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000826 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/P, 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, OBAMA AND RUSSIA ¶1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused their news coverage July 7 on the riots and street battles that broke out in China's Xinjiang region Sunday; on the legal cases involving former President Chen Shui-bian and his family; and on the developments in cross-Strait relations. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a column in the pro-independence "Liberty Times" discussed former AIT Taipei Director Stephen Young's mission in Taiwan. The article concluded by saying that Young loves Taiwan and considers himself a "new Taiwan man," yet he was sent to Taiwan as an envoy at the wrong time to implement the Bush administration's mistaken policies that were accommodating to China and in the meantime restraining Taiwan's democracy. A separate "Liberty Times" op-ed piece also discussed Young's recent remarks on U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and urged Taiwan legislators not to postpone Taiwan's arms procurements. With regard to U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Russia, a column in the centrist, KMT-leaning "China Times" discussed Obama's comments on Russian leaders prior to his visit. The article called the comments an open stratagem of Obama to sow discord between leaders in Russia. End summary. ¶2. U.S.-Taiwan Relations A) "Stephen Young's Mistaken Mission" Freelancer James Wang wrote in a column in the pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 700,000] (7/7): "If Taiwan is a normal democracy, [former AIT Director] Stephen Young, who loves Taiwan passionately, should have been able to bring U.S.-Taiwan relations to a perfect and harmonious state. Yet he came to Taiwan at the wrong time to implement policies to which he may not necessarily agree. The mission of an envoy stationed abroad is to foster the bilateral friendly relationship, but Young was under orders to restrain Taiwan's democracy, smother [Taiwan's] referenda and to punish [former Taiwan President] Chen Shui-bian for his insistence on holding the referenda by intentionally creating difficulties for his transits in the United States. "It is somewhat cruel that Young, who has experienced the dictatorship of Taiwan, was ordered to implement policies of the Bush administration, which accommodated China and deviated from democratic values. He had no power to influence Washington rather he took orders to suppress Chen's efforts to break through the adverse circumstances that Taiwan was in, thus creating tensions in U.S.-Taiwan relations. This was a major setback for his mission in Taipei. On the other hand, the KMT, by manipulating [the tactics of] 'joining hands with China to counter the United States,' had more than once violated its promises and boycotted the arms procurement budgets. Moreover, the KMT ridiculed Young's painstaking [efforts to] communicate [with the KMT] about Taiwan's security as moves to force upon Taiwan the purchase of [U.S.] armaments. [The KMT] did not admit its mistakes of treating [Taiwan's] national security as a political game until Young departed from the post. "The conflicts of the two lines -- the DPP's attempts to seek democracy and turning [Taiwan] into a normal country, and the KMT's [goal] of 'ultimate unification' [with China] -- have made Young blamed or ostracized by both sides. The United States has no intention to 'annex' Taiwan; rather, it wants to assist Taiwan to resist China's annexation [attempts]. Since Ma Ying-jeou was born, the intimacy of U.S.-Taiwan relations has never been something that can be comparable to the hostile relationship between Taiwan and China. Young's departure remarks, however, spelled out a change in the situation: Namely, he believes that U.S.-Taiwan relations need not compete against China-Taiwan relations, rather, they will enable Taiwan to explore its relations with China with confidence. The truth is that the double mistaken policies of the United States and the Ma administration are making Beijing-Taipei ties surpass those between the United States and Taiwan. ... "As a matter of fact, what Young should have been more concerned with are the obstacles China has created for Washington-Taipei ties. The real problem in U.S.-Taiwan relations is that China wants to restrict Washington's relations with Taipei, and Washington is accommodating itself to China's requests, thus hindering the genuinely parallel developments of U.S.-Taiwan relations and U.S.-China relations. Young has a heart that loves Taiwan and he called himself a 'new Taiwan man.' But he came to Taiwan as an envoy at the wrong time to implement mistaken policies that were accommodating to China and restraining Taiwan's democracy. This should be a deep regret for his public service career." B) "The Class [of Teaching] of Stephen Young!" Colonel Liao Nian-han, director of the Tainan Military Prison, opined in the pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 700,000] (7/7): "AIT Taipei Director Stephen Young said during his pre-departure press conference that it is an indisputable fact that despite the warming situation across the Taiwan Strait, Beijing has deployed more missiles [targeting Taiwan]. What makes this writer feel bad was that Young, out of concern for the imbalance in military strength in the Taiwan Strait, tried his best [to promote] arms sales three years ago. But he was not only criticized for the 'arms procurement for the wealthy fool,' but was also requested by some Blue legislators that he be called back by Washington. Yet the fact that makes one unsure whether to cry or to laugh was that a legislator told him during his farewell party that 'Your original position (in urging Taiwan's Legislative Yuan quickly to pass the arms procurement budget) was right; we should not have reacted like that. But that is how politics is played.' ... "Taiwan's arms procurements have undergone many difficulties and frustrations, ... and both the ruling and opposition parties are well aware of that. ... As a result, this writer would like to request earnestly all the legislators that while monitoring the 'military nationalization,' why not also 'nationalize [Taiwan's] arms procurements.' Please do not let the next Stephen Young -- namely, William Stanton (Young's designated successor) -- laugh at the foolishness of our arms procurement!" ¶3. Obama and Russia "Obama's Open Stratagem to Sow Discord between Russian Leaders" The "International Lookout" column in the centrist, KMT-leaning "China Times" [circulation: 120,000] wrote (7/7): "U.S. President Barack Obama is now visiting Russia. His talks with Russian leaders have yet to begin, but it is generally expected that there will unlikely be any ground-breaking results. Nonetheless, Obama's comments on the Russian leadership prior to his departure astounded the international community. Why? ... Obama's way of putting down [Prime Minister Vladimir] Putin and praising [President Dmitry] Medvedev was practically an open stratagem rather than a scheme to sow discord [between the two Russian leaders]. Given Obama's intelligence, how could he not realize the latent danger of the move on [the United States'] relations with Russia? Can this be viewed as the smart diplomacy upheld by the European regime? [In reality,] Obama is not that bad or reckless; he has his own plans and understanding. ... "[Obama's move] has three advantages: First, it will be great if Medvedev can stand firm and get rid of the impediment of Putin. Second, if Medvedev is just a temporary [president] and Putin will become the president two years from now, Medvedev may not be in such a good mood. But if Medvedev is indeed a moderate, it will not be too bad to have [him] as a potential support. Third, if Obama fails to get what he wants, it is still worthwhile sowing discord between Medvedev and Putin. If the relationship between Medvedev and Putin is far more harmonious than what Washington has originally estimated, the open stratagem of Obama's will be too risky. But there is danger inherent in the U.S.-Russia relationship anyway. Obama said Putin is keeping one foot in the Cold War era, but actually for the American people, their feet have never left the Cold War [era]. ... Since the United States is not willing to offer a smiling face to Russia and has never attempted to hide its actions to restrain Russia, it would not create more dangers to the diplomatic affairs between the United States and Russia by offending Putin." WANG