Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10AITTAIPEI114
2010-01-29 08:50:00
UNCLASSIFIED
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-CHINA-TAIWAN RELATIONS

Tags:  OPRC KMDR KPAO TW 
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DE RUEHIN #0114/01 0290850
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 290850Z JAN 10
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3232
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9670
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 1054
UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000114 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/P, EAP/PD - THOMAS HAMM
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-CHINA-TAIWAN RELATIONS

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000114

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/P, EAP/PD - THOMAS HAMM
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-CHINA-TAIWAN RELATIONS


1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news
coverage January 28 on the Taiwan government's plan to raise the
National Health Insurance premiums; on President Ma Ying-jeou's
transit in San Francisco en route to Honduras; on developments in
cross-Strait relations; and on the year-end city and county
magistrates' elections. The pro-unification "United Daily News" ran
a front-page news story with the headline reading "With Police Cars
Clearing the Way and [Guards] Carrying Guns to Protect [Him], Ma
Enjoys the Head-of-State Level of Courtesy Treatment [in San
Francisco]."


2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a column in the
mass-circulation "Apple Daily" discussed possible U.S. arms sales to
Taiwan and concluded that "unless Ma Ying-jeou proactively changes
his policy, the United States will not disregard Taiwan." A column
in the KMT-leaning "China Times" discussed three issues that may
possibly trigger clashes between the United States and China -- U.S.
arms sales to Taiwan, President Barack Obama's meeting with the
Dalai Lama, and the appreciation of the Renminbi -- and said Obama
has been acting carefully not to step on the red line drawn by
China. An editorial in the pro-independence, English-language
"Taipei Times" discussed Google's recent threat to quit China. The
article said "we have seen mounting support from the U.S. government
and European countries,...in the end, however, the biggest force
behind China's liberalization will come from within." A separate
"Taipei Times" op-ed criticized a commentary recently published by
the pro-unification, Chinese-language "United Daily News," which
incorrectly suggested the United States' "imperialistic
machinations" in Haiti. The article argued that "there was no evil
plot by the US military" in Haiti. End summary.

A) "[U.S.] Arms Sales to Taiwan Is No News"

Columnist Antonio Chiang wrote in his column in the mass-circulation
"Apple Daily" [circulation: 530,000] (1/28):

"[The news that] the United States is about to announce its arms
sales to Taiwan has been reported and spread around more than once
now, and it is no news any more. Beijing has repeatedly expressed
serious concerns [over the issue]. But since it is a matter related
to the United States' global strategy, Washington's commitment to

return to Asia will become a fantasy if it decides to yield on the
matter. During his visit to mainland China, [U.S. President Barack]
Obama did not mention a word about democracy and human rights, and
instead, he was susceptible to flattery from Beijing. Chinese
leaders believe they are standing on an equal footing with the
United States now and the two [countries] can rule the world
together. China's momentum rose sharply [all of a sudden], and the
theory of a 'Chinese model' also came into vogue. China is not just
rising but is also throwing its weight around now.

"When Obama returned to the United States, he immediately received
the prime minister of India in an unprecedented way in a tent at the
White House. His intention was crystal clear -- he wants to
maintain a balance between U.S.-China relations and U.S.-India
relations. Shortly afterwards, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
visited India, and both sides had a high-sounding talk about a
U.S.-India cooperation agreement. Obama has gradually returned to
the old route [taken by former President] George W. Bush
diplomatically -- namely, the United States is returning to Asia,
with Japan, India and Australia as the nucleus [of its foreign
relations in the region].

"In the wake of the Google incident, [Secretary of State] Hillary
Clinton has openly integrated 'Internet freedom' into the framework
of U.S. foreign policy, a move tantamount to announcing [the United
States'] new human rights policy, which is intended to step on
China's sore spot. It has been several decades since Washington
started to provide weapons to Taiwan. The military [balance] in the
Taiwan Strait has been constantly tipped in favor of China, while
[U.S.] arms sales [to Taiwan] merely provide fundamental defense
needs, which are inadequate for [Taiwan] to protect itself or enable
[the island] to attack [China]. What need is there for China to
make a fuss about it and push its luck? Beijing's purpose is to
test Obama's bottom line. Obama may not be very experienced in
foreign affairs, but he has many old hands [helping to] handle his
Asian policy, and these people have an in-depth understanding of
cross-Strait issues. Unless Ma Ying-jeou proactively changes his
policy, the United States will not disregard Taiwan. ...

B) "U.S.-China Conflicts -- Avoiding Stepping on the Red Line"

The "International Lookout" column in the KMT-leaning "China Times"
[circulation: 120,000] wrote (1/28):

"According to the media in general, it is inevitable that big
clashes will break out between the United States and China and that
Obama is facing a big test in terms of his China policy. [The
media] also questioned if Obama has been acting too rashly in his

decision-making [process]? But it is said that Obama [actually] has
not been acting rashly at all; many of his decisions have been made
after thorough and profound deliberations in an attempt not to step
on China's 'red line' and also to be able to manifest Washington's
tough attitude. And his goal? To boost his domestic approval
ratings, of course!

"It is likely that Obama will have clashes with China in at least
three aspects: the [U.S.] arms sales to Taiwan, meeting with the
Dalai Lama, and the question regarding whether the Renminbi should
appreciate. As for the matter of Internet [freedom], since it is an
indirect clash, it can be big or small. Google is merely a
bargaining chip, which can be used or dumped aside. In terms of
[U.S.] arms sales to Taiwan, Obama believes he can hold his ground
[on the matter] because he is acting in accordance with the [U.S.]
domestic law, and because the arms sale [package] was agreed upon by
the previous Bush administration. He believes that it is the F16
C/D fighter jets and submarines that he needs to pay attention to,
which can also be viewed as China's 'red line.' China's recent
lambasting about the sale of 'Patriot' missiles to Taiwan was
actually a move to stop the United States from selling fighter jets
and submarines [to the island], and as long as [Washington] avoids
stepping on the red line, there should not be any problem carrying
out the current arms sales [package].

"Regarding the meeting with the Dalai Lama, this matter must have
been within China's estimation for quite some time. Obama has
already been 'friendly' enough by having procrastinated on the
meeting for so long. The Sino-U.S. joint statement released during
Obama's visit to Beijing also formally acknowledged that Tibet is an
indivisible part of China -- a move that was sufficient to make
Beijing understand his position. ... Exercising pressure on Beijing
to push the Renminbi to appreciate is a flexible policy of Obama; it
is all right to do it even though Washington knows clearly that it
won't work, but it will be even better if Washington is able to earn
some concessions [from China]. ... In terms of the U.S. arms sales
to Taiwan and the meeting with Dalai Lama, it is up to Washington to
decide what it should do. But when it comes to the appreciation of
the Renminbi, there is no way [Washington] can put forth its efforts
unilaterally to make it happen; all it can do is simply make a show
of its tough attitude."

C) "Challenging Censorship in China"

The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation:
30,000] editorialized (1/28):

"Google should be commended for its courage in standing up against
Big Brother in China after announcing its plan to stop censoring
search results on its google.cn platform -- a condition imposed on
the US Internet giant when it entered the Chinese market in 2006.
Two weeks have passed, however, and Google has yet to end censorship
on its platform. This tells us that it is remains caught between its
business interests in China and the universal principle of Internet
freedom it should stand for. ...
Google, therefore, should stop prevaricating and put an end to the
censorship of search results in China -- unless it has a backup plan
that guarantees it can 'go around' China's efforts to censor the
Internet, as Microsoft founder Bill Gates proposed on Tuesday.

"The ultimate outcome, though, could be ugly: Should it refuse to go
along with Beijing's conditions, the search engine could be forced
out of the market. If this happened, China would only have itself to
blame, and it is hard to believe that the breakup would last very
long. ...In the Google case, we have seen mounting support from the
US government and European countries, which should stick to their
guns until changes in China follow. In the end, however, the
biggest force behind China's liberalization will come from within.
..."

D) "'UDN' Sees an Evil US Plot in Haiti"

"Taipei Times" Editor J. Michael Cole noted in the pro-independence,
English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 30,000] (1/28):

"In a commentary on Jan. 19 on the role of the US in relief efforts
in quake-devastated Haiti, the Chinese-language United Daily News
went on the offensive on what it claimed were signs of US
imperialistic machinations in the impoverished country. ... Nowhere
in the commentary does the author ask who could, or should, ensure
security and order in Haiti, a country with a long history of
political instability and warlordism. The only other military
presence in the country with enough knowledge of the place to make a
difference in ensuring the safety of humanitarian delivery is
Canada, which is already overstretched in Afghanistan and could not
deploy anything nearly as sizable -- and as rapidly -- as the US. No
country in the region, not even the Chinese UN contingent, has the
means to do this, period. ...

"The author chose to look at the deployment through the prism of
politics rather than as necessary action that undoubtedly saved
hundreds, if not thousands, of lives. The US was a natural leader
to deal with the aftermath of this catastrophe, and it has
substantial experience operating in the ever-unstable Haiti that
goes back to at least former US president George H.W. Bush. ...
What prompted the US into action then was not imperial designs on
the Western hemisphere's poorest country, but rather fear of
domestic instability and a humanitarian crisis as thousands of
Haitian boat people sought refuge in the US. ...

"As for denying some aircraft to land at the airport in
Port-au-Prince, many reports show that the airport is far too small
to accommodate the sudden increase in traffic, and many countries
(not just France) have had to reroute their deliveries to
neighboring Dominican Republic, whence humanitarian goods are
transported by land across the border. Unlike what UDN alleges,
there was no evil plot by the US military to seize the airport. The
article's criticism of the US prioritizing the evacuation of
Americans in Haiti is also unfair. It is the responsibility of every
government to ensure the safe passage of their citizens in
emergencies. France did that in Rwanda in 1994, for example, just as
close to 1 million Rwandan Tutsis were about to be exterminated, and
many countries did the same when Israel invaded Lebanon in 2006.

"The parallel with CNN polls, meanwhile, is just risible. Since when
does CNN represent 'the view of the US,' as the piece argues? ...
This commentary is strident anti-Americanism of the type that
conservative Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) members, as well as
Beijing, will likely exploit to widen the rift between Taipei and
Washington. It should be noted that the English version of the
commentary, which sounds ominously like something that would appear
in the Beijing-controlled People's Daily, was carried on the
official KMT Web site."

STANTON