Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09AITTAIPEI961
2009-08-10 09:49:00
UNCLASSIFIED
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:  

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

Tags:  OPRC KMDR KPAO TW 
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RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0961/01 2220949
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 100949Z AUG 09
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2081
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9325
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0759
UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000961 

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: NORTH KOREA, U.S.-TAIWAN RELATIONS

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000961

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: NORTH KOREA, U.S.-TAIWAN RELATIONS


1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies gave extensive
coverage August 7-10 to typhoon Morakot, which hit Taiwan Friday and
Saturday, and the record-breaking torrential rains it brought has
triggered the most devastating floods in southern Taiwan in the last
fifty years. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a column in
the KMT-leaning "China Times" continued to discuss former U.S.
President Bill Clinton's trip to Pyongyang last Tuesday and the two
U.S. reporters freed from North Korea. The column said both Japan
and South Korea are afraid that Washington would bypass them and
strike a secret deal with Pyongyang. A separate "China Times" op-ed
said the meeting between Clinton and North Korean Leader Kim Jong Il
is a harbinger for direct and bilateral talks between Washington and
Pyongyang. With regard to U.S.-Taiwan relations, an editorial in
the pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" said the
opposition DPP should "bolster its presence" in the United States
and should take the initiative to remind the Obama administration
about "the strategic importance of Taiwan's democracy." End
summary.


2. North Korea

A) "Japan and [South] Korea Fear That the United States Would Bypass
Them"

The "International Lookout" column in the KMT-leaning "China Times"
[circulation: 120,000] wrote (8/7):

"[Former U.S. President Bill] Clinton paid a sudden visit to
Pyongyang [last week], and South Korea and Japan are probably the
ones that were most shocked [by Washington's move]. [They are
probably wondering] if the United States will sell them out in terms
of [Washington's] North Korea policy. ... On public occasions, take
the United Nations' sanctions [against North Korea] as an example,
[U.S. President Barack] Obama [tends to] make remarks using
high-flown words. For Japan and [South] Korea, needless to say,
they would use more bombastic words in order to act in concert [with
Washington]. But who knows if there is any secret plan going on
behind the scenes? Neither Tokyo nor Seoul had any clue in advance
before Clinton flew to Pyongyang. It would be just fine if Clinton
were there merely to rescue the two U.S. journalists. But who would
believe that Clinton's mission was just for that?

"If Obama were playing a double-faced strategy by making some

high-flown remarks on the one hand and seeking compromise [with

Pyongyang] on the other, and if Clinton had reached some kind of an
agreement with Kim Jong Il, or the two were planning to push forward
some kind of an agreement, then it would be not only bypassing Japan
and [South] Korea, but China and Russia would also have to stand off
to the side. China and Russia may not care that much, but for Japan
and [South] Korea, which constantly speak out against and act in
opposition to North Korea, they would find it hard to tolerate."

B) "[Bill] Clinton Rescuing U.S. [Journalists]"

Washington D.C.-based columnist Norman Fu wrote in his column in the
KMT-leaning "China Times" [circulation: 120,000] (8/7):

"... Superficially, [former U.S. President Bill] Clinton's trip was
a private, humanitarian one aimed at rescuing the two journalists,
so the White House has kept a very low-profile, even not saying a
word about it. But in reality, the U.S. government has been
maneuvering behind the scenes via North Korea's representative to
the United Nations. The entire play had been written long in
advance, and Clinton was just there to act according to the script.
The real, biggest beneficiary is North Korea, because it has been
asking to engage in bilateral talks with the United States for many
years but has been rejected by Washington, which always insists on
conducting the so-called Six-Party talks. Now Clinton, in the
capacity of a former [U.S.] president, has had a three-hour-long
talk with Kim Jong Il; it seemed quite improbable that they just
talked about the release of the two female journalists, and
inevitably they would talk about bilateral relations, including
Pyongyang's development of nuclear weapons. As a result, the
Clinton-Kim meeting is a harbinger for direct and bilateral dialogue
between Washington and Pyongyang. This may not be a development
that Washington is happy to see but, unfortunately, the two female
journalists have become the diplomatic bargaining chips that
Pyongyang has used to blackmail Washington. The United States,
which attaches great importance to human rights and the lives of its
people, had no choice but to pay such a price. ..."


3. U.S.-Taiwan Relations

"Obama Needs Reminder of Taiwan's Democracy"

The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" [circulation:
20,000] editorialized (8/10):

"The opposition Democratic Progressive Party and other pro-democracy

forces in Taiwan must take the initiative to remind the new
Democratic administration of United States President Barack Hussein
Obama of the strategic importance of Taiwan's democracy. ... Due
largely to concerns that Washington was moving closer to Beijing at
the expanse (sic) of Taiwan's interests for the sake of Bush's
misguided 'war on terror,' Chen [Shui-bian] adopted moves to aimed
to (sic) consolidate the democratic right of the Taiwan's 23 million
people to decide their future, including a referendum on United
Nation membership in March 2008. Washington's lack of understanding
for such moves contributed to a renewed divergence of U.S.-Taiwan
relations and led to transparent moves by senior Bush administration
officials to push Taiwan voters to make a 'regime change' in the
March 2008 presidential poll.

"In sum, while the concept of 'democracy' appeared to constitute the
center of gravity in U.S.-Taiwan relations, the DPP's resolve to
ensure the democratic right of the Taiwan people to decide their own
future diverged from Bush's narrow definition of Taiwan's role of
not obstructing Beijing's cooperation in his 'war on terror.'
Regretfully, in its urgency to build constructive relations with
Beijing, the Obama administration has not expressed any affirmation
of Taiwan's democracy and has not manifested any concern over the
regression of Taiwan's democracy under President Ma Ying-jeou's
restored rightist KMT government.

"Obsessed with uncritical lauding of the surface (sic) 'cross-strait
reconciliation' between the KMT and CCP regimes, the Obama
administration has failed to take serious note of grave violations
of judicial and human rights in the prosecutions of former DPP
officials, including the unjustifiable protracted detention of
former president Chen, the KMT's transformation of autonomous state
and public-owned news media into party mouthpieces and the absence
of transparency or democratic monitoring in KMT-CCP negotiations.
Moreover, Ma's refusal to criticize Beijing's violations of human
rights in Tibet, Xinjiang and the PRC itself and his purge of the
Taiwan Foundation for Democracy has signalled (sic) his intention to
ensure that neither Taiwan democracy nor human rights violations in
the PRC will get in the way of 'linking with China.'

"Continued silence by the Obama government will contrast starkly
with Bush's tongue-lashing of the former DPP administration for
trying to consolidate Taiwan democracy and will write the Ma
government a blank check to do (sic) 'roll back' Taiwan democracy as
far as it wants. At this critical juncture, Taiwan-centric
political and social forces need to remind the U.S. and other
democracies of the strategic importance of the survival of Taiwan's
democracy. ... The DPP in particular should bolster its presence in
the U.S., re-energize its Congressional contacts and reach out to
grassroots and civic organizations with public diplomacy to
constantly remind American society of the uniqueness of Taiwan's
democracy and its importance in the defense of democracy in the
Asia-Pacific region. ... Such efforts are no less vital than
domestic election work since 'linking with democracy' may now be the
only path for Taiwan's people to prevent being subsumed into a
'rising authoritarian China.'"

WANG