MEDIA REACTION: TAIWAN: DALAI LAMA VISIT, U.S. ARMS SALES;

UNCLAS BEIJING 002465 DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/CM, EAP/PA, EAP/PD, C HQ PACOM FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR (J007) SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL ECON KMDR OPRC CH SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: TAIWAN: DALAI LAMA VISIT, U.S. ARMS SALES; INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENTS IN CHINA -------------- Editorial Quotes -------------- ¶1. TAIWAN: DALAI LAMA VISIT, U.S. ARMS SALES "The result will not be good if Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party seeks support from the Dalai Lama" (pg 14) The official Communist Party international news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(08/28): "The Democratic Progress Party's (DPP) decision to join hands with the Tibetan independence movement in order to promote Taiwanese independence, using their ideology to create cross-Strait confrontation, is clumsy and easily understood. Taiwan obviously intends to have Tibetan separatists come over to strengthen the Taiwanese independence movement through an alliance, and meanwhile create hostility in cross-Strait relations. The strength of the Taiwanese independence movement suffered a setback when the DPP stepped down. Therefore, they are using Tibetan separatists as pawns to advance their strategy. While all parties across the Strait were busy fighting against the typhoon and conducting disaster relief, the separatists were hatching political plots. All Chinese compatriots across the Strait will despise their behavior." "U.S. decision-makers' confidence in protecting Taiwan shaken" (pg 7) Elite Reference (Qingnian Cankao),a newspaper affiliated to the official Communist Youth League China Youth Daily (08/28): "An American think tank, the New American Security Center, published an article on Asian Times online, indicating that, due to changes in the strategic environment, Taiwan will have a harder time getting access to U.S.-made advanced weapons. The article said that the U.S. has hesitated in arranging arms sales to Taiwan not just because of Ma Ying Jeou's policy, but also because of speed at which the Mainland has modernized its military, far exceeding U.S. predictions. This has shaken some U.S. decision-makers' confidence in protecting Taiwan. They believe that if the weapons they provide Taiwan are not useful in defending the U.S., then it would be better to avoid the burden of defending Taiwan. According to the article, the U.S. has realized the increasing difficulty of selling arms to Taiwan while maintaining and developing U.S.-China relations. However, the article argued that the U.S. should still keep its security promise to Taiwan, and said President Obama should bring up the issue during his visit to China in November and indicate that the U.S. will not stop arms sales to Taiwan." ¶2. INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENTS IN CHINA "Foreign democracy organizations join hands with Tibet and Xinjiang separatists" (pg 7) The official Communist Party international news publication Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(08/28): "Foreign democracy organizations, which survive with the support of anti-China forces, are supporting Tibet, Xinjiang, and Taiwan separatists. The 'International Tibet-Han Conference' that was recently held in Geneva, came to the conclusion that Tibet should be separated from China. However, experts argue that a democratic China cannot be achieved if Tibet is separated from China. Foreign democracy organizations quickly lend their support to any group that carries out an influential incident in China and thus becomes the recipient of international 'political dollars.' To find a legal basis for this, some of these foreign democracy organizations have referred back to the draft 'Chinese Federal Republic Constitution' issued a decade ago, which suggested separating Tibet from China. How can the ideas of these foreign democracy organizations be convincing if they do not even advocate a unified China? China as a country will be finished if it is federalized, as proposed in this draft constitution." HUNTSMAN