Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09AITTAIPEI977
2009-08-13 07:03:00
UNCLASSIFIED
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:
MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-TAIWAN RELATIONS
how-toVZCZCXYZ0008 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHIN #0977 2250703 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 130703Z AUG 09 FM AIT TAIPEI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2109 INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9336 RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0769
UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000977
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
Summary: On August 13, Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies
continued to give significant news and editorial coverage to the
damage caused by Typhoon Morakot and the on-going rescue efforts in
central and southern Taiwan. In terms of editorials and
commentaries, an op-ed in the mass-circulation Apple Daily discussed
U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and the deteriorating military balance
across the Taiwan Strait. The article concluded that "while the Ma
administration is concerned that Taiwan will be marginalized if the
island is not tilting toward China, what we see is that during the
process of tilting toward China, Taiwan will be quickly marginalized
in terms of the collective security of East Asia." End summary.
"Taiwan Being Skipped over"
Former DPP Legislator Lin Cho-shui opined in a column in the
mass-circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 520,000] (8/13):
"The U.S. Department of Defense reported lately that the military
balance across the Taiwan Strait has been tipped in favor of China
since 2000 and that Taiwan no longer has its edge for air warfare
[starting in] 2009. For Rand Corporation, a well-known U.S. think
tank, the situation is even worse; [Rand] believes that China will
have obtained overwhelming superiority in air warfare starting in
2010, and that once an air fight breaks out in the Taiwan Strait, it
'will basically be over' before the United States comes to
[Taiwan's] rescue. Given such a terrible situation, and despite the
Ma administration's efforts in negotiating [with Washington], the
United States still has not decided to sell F16 C/D fighter jets [to
Taiwan], let alone the Aegis-class frigates. The U.S. Congress,
unable to tolerate it any more, passed a resolution demanding that
the executive branch improve [the situation]. But still, the U.S.
government appears to remain unmoved. ...
"The mainstream view in Taipei is that Taiwan is originally a
stronghold in the United States' containment policy. Now that the
United States has started a comprehensive strategic and economic
dialogue with the rising China to work jointly in terms of the war
on terrorism, non-proliferation and [both sides have agreed] to
confront world economic and environmental issues, Washington will no
longer adopt a containment [policy], so naturally it decides not to
sell arms to Taiwan. Such a view is shortsighted. It goes without
saying that the United States attaches great importance to the rise
of China, but the strong aggressiveness that China has demonstrated
in terms of its strategy is something against which Washington has
to guard. ... [Washington] started to take preventative moves
[against China] starting with [former President George W.] Bush, and
its course has remained unchanged even after [President Barack]
Obama took office. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as a result,
emphasized lately that [the United States] wants to return to
Southeast Asia. ...
"Each country ranging from South Asia to East Asia, including the
United States and Japan, is strengthening its military deployments
to guard against China, and evidently, they have all skipped Taiwan.
The impact of Washington's decision to cease arms sales [to Taiwan]
will be very profound. Due to production [capacity] limits for some
weapons systems, ... freezing arms sales to Taiwan now would mean
that the United States has abandoned its planning for Taiwan's
defense armaments for the foreseeable future. The [military]
imbalance across the Taiwan Strait will become a long-term
[phenomenon] and the situation will only deteriorate. As a result,
while the Ma administration is concerned that Taiwan will be
marginalized if the island is not tilted toward China, what we see
is that during the process of tilting toward China, Taiwan will be
quickly marginalized in terms of the collective security of East
Asia. ..."
WANG
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
Summary: On August 13, Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies
continued to give significant news and editorial coverage to the
damage caused by Typhoon Morakot and the on-going rescue efforts in
central and southern Taiwan. In terms of editorials and
commentaries, an op-ed in the mass-circulation Apple Daily discussed
U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and the deteriorating military balance
across the Taiwan Strait. The article concluded that "while the Ma
administration is concerned that Taiwan will be marginalized if the
island is not tilting toward China, what we see is that during the
process of tilting toward China, Taiwan will be quickly marginalized
in terms of the collective security of East Asia." End summary.
"Taiwan Being Skipped over"
Former DPP Legislator Lin Cho-shui opined in a column in the
mass-circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 520,000] (8/13):
"The U.S. Department of Defense reported lately that the military
balance across the Taiwan Strait has been tipped in favor of China
since 2000 and that Taiwan no longer has its edge for air warfare
[starting in] 2009. For Rand Corporation, a well-known U.S. think
tank, the situation is even worse; [Rand] believes that China will
have obtained overwhelming superiority in air warfare starting in
2010, and that once an air fight breaks out in the Taiwan Strait, it
'will basically be over' before the United States comes to
[Taiwan's] rescue. Given such a terrible situation, and despite the
Ma administration's efforts in negotiating [with Washington], the
United States still has not decided to sell F16 C/D fighter jets [to
Taiwan], let alone the Aegis-class frigates. The U.S. Congress,
unable to tolerate it any more, passed a resolution demanding that
the executive branch improve [the situation]. But still, the U.S.
government appears to remain unmoved. ...
"The mainstream view in Taipei is that Taiwan is originally a
stronghold in the United States' containment policy. Now that the
United States has started a comprehensive strategic and economic
dialogue with the rising China to work jointly in terms of the war
on terrorism, non-proliferation and [both sides have agreed] to
confront world economic and environmental issues, Washington will no
longer adopt a containment [policy], so naturally it decides not to
sell arms to Taiwan. Such a view is shortsighted. It goes without
saying that the United States attaches great importance to the rise
of China, but the strong aggressiveness that China has demonstrated
in terms of its strategy is something against which Washington has
to guard. ... [Washington] started to take preventative moves
[against China] starting with [former President George W.] Bush, and
its course has remained unchanged even after [President Barack]
Obama took office. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as a result,
emphasized lately that [the United States] wants to return to
Southeast Asia. ...
"Each country ranging from South Asia to East Asia, including the
United States and Japan, is strengthening its military deployments
to guard against China, and evidently, they have all skipped Taiwan.
The impact of Washington's decision to cease arms sales [to Taiwan]
will be very profound. Due to production [capacity] limits for some
weapons systems, ... freezing arms sales to Taiwan now would mean
that the United States has abandoned its planning for Taiwan's
defense armaments for the foreseeable future. The [military]
imbalance across the Taiwan Strait will become a long-term
[phenomenon] and the situation will only deteriorate. As a result,
while the Ma administration is concerned that Taiwan will be
marginalized if the island is not tilted toward China, what we see
is that during the process of tilting toward China, Taiwan will be
quickly marginalized in terms of the collective security of East
Asia. ..."
WANG