DIRECTOR'S MEETING WITH KAOHSIUNG MAYOR CHEN CHU

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 001397 SIPDIS SENSITIVE BANGKOK FOR OFDA DEPT FOR AIT/W, EAP/TC, INR/EAP FROM AIT KAOHSIUNG BRANCH OFFICE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV ECON EAID EINV SENV TW SUBJECT: DIRECTOR'S MEETING WITH KAOHSIUNG MAYOR CHEN CHU SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY ¶1. (SBU) Summary: In her November 18 meeting with Director Stanton, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu reiterated familiar DPP themes, maintaining that the KMT was rolling back Taiwan's democracy and using the judiciary to persecute the DPP. Mayor Chen chided President Ma for tilting too far toward China and called on the U.S. to help support Taiwan's democracy. She highlighted Kaohsiung City's low-key approach to U.S. beef, stating that the DPP's main concern was the Ma administration's lack of transparency. Facing a tough 2010 reelection challenge, Mayor Chen has been working to win over wavering deep-Green voters in the city. With the Mayor's prominence increasing among DPP supporters island-wide, a reelection win could pave the way for a Presidential run in 2012. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) During his November 18 visit to Kaohsiung, Director Stanton co-hosted the Megaports commissioning ceremony at Kaohsiung Port, officially opened the American Corner at Kaohsiung's Baochu Public Library and paid a courtesy call on Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu. DPP Mayor Chen had just returned to Kaohsiung from a round of campaigning for DPP candidates throughout Taiwan in the run up to December's local elections. Riding a wave of positive reviews among DPP supporters for her handling of the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung, her open embrace of the Dalai Lama's September visit to southern Taiwan, and her insistence on screening a Rebiya Kadeer documentary in the city, Mayor Chen has been increasingly in demand island-wide to stump for the party. DPP: KMT Degrading Taiwan's Democracy -------------- ¶3. (SBU) In a pre-meeting photo spray with some 20 local reporters, Mayor Chen offered brief opening remarks, stating to the Director that Taiwan and the U.S. shared similar values. She recounted the DPP's long struggle to promote human rights in Taiwan and voiced her hope that Taiwan would never return to the days of martial law when basic rights were constantly at risk. Alluding to her view that the KMT government was rolling back Taiwan's democracy, she stressed that Taiwan should be able to enjoy living in a democratic society which fully respected human rights. She thanked the Director for the U.S.'s longstanding support for Taiwan and expressed her determination to ensure the safety and well-being of all Americans in Kaohsiung. ¶4. (SBU) After the press departed, Mayor Chen pressed her point that the KMT was degrading Taiwan's democracy. She said that the DPP wanted to keep close relations with the U.S. because it believed the U.S. would help Taiwan protect its freedom and democracy. She acknowledged that the DPP's 2008 Presidential election defeat was the "people's choice" and that Chen Shui-bian and his family's corruption had contributed to the loss. She maintained, however, that the KMT had been using the judiciary to suppress the DPP and expressed doubt that former President Chen would receive a fair hearing. Mayor Chen: Ma Too Tilted Towards China -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Criticizing President Ma's cross-Strait policy as tilting too far toward China, Mayor Chen maintained that the DPP wanted to pursue a positive dialogue with China but would not allow China to "destroy Taiwan." She criticized China's boycott of Kaohsiung over the Rebiya Kadeer film showing, stating that China was treating Taiwan like a "little brother" and undermining its freedom of expression. China favored President Ma and the KMT, she continued, but President Ma still had an obligation to uphold Taiwan's values and dignity. If Taiwan signed an Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement(ECFA) with China, she worried, Taiwan's sovereignty would suffer. ¶6. (SBU) Mayor Chen noted that Taiwan's KMT martial law-era government had imprisoned her for more than two years for taking part in pro-democracy demonstrations during the December 1979 Formosa Incident in Kaohsiung. December 2009 marked the Formosa Incident's 30th anniversary, Chen related, and Kaohsiung planned to TAIPEI 00001397 002 OF 002 mark the occasion with a large-scale event involving some 20,000 participants. Chen said she hoped the event would remind Taiwan's citizens of the sacrifices made to promote Taiwan's democracy and warn them of the dangers of relying too much on China. She called on the U.S. to continue to abide by its commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act and implored the U.S. not to "give up" a democratic Taiwan. Kaohsiung City Government: U.S. Beef OK -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Responding to the Director's defense of U.S. beef, Mayor Chen mentioned that she had taken a low-key approach in Kaohsiung, requesting only that local supermarkets clearly mark the country of origin of beef on sale. Unlike Taipei City, she pointed out, Kaohsiung had no problem with U.S. beef as long as it met Taiwan's quality standards. Reiterating her personal opinion that U.S. beef was "reliable," Chen insisted that the DPP did not want to undermine U.S.-Taiwan relations over beef. The DPP's main concern, she explained, was the Executive Yuan's non-transparent handling of the issue and its unclear explanations to the public, which caused fear among Taiwan's people. Comment -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Mayor Chen's remarks on Taiwan's democracy and President Ma's cross-Strait policies are a familiar refrain in DPP circles. In the run up to Kaohsiung's key 2010 Mayoral election, she will likely tack to shore up and energize her support among the city's deep-Green DPP faithful, who have expressed doubts about her commitment to their cause. Mayor Chen's ability to consolidate her base in the city is essential, as she now faces a tough primary challenge from popular DPP Kaohsiung County Magistrate Yang Chiu-hsing, who announced his candidacy for Mayor earlier this month. While the two candidates have been cordial on the surface, the mudslinging has already begun, with Yang denying a slew of rumors allegedly floated by Chen's camp and DPP heavyweights, including former DPP Presidential candidate Frank Hsieh, imploring the two to lead "dignified" campaigns. ¶9. (SBU) Meanwhile, Mayor Chen's appeal as a DPP campaigner throughout the island in this year's local elections has led many of our DPP contacts to speculate that if Chen secures her reelection in 2010, she will run for President in 2012. One of Mayor Chen's closest advisors suggested as much, telling the Director after the meeting that Mayor Chen was interested in playing a "national role" in Taiwan in the future. CASTRO STANTON