US embassy cable - 03BEIJING18383

C O N F I D E N T I A L  BEIJING 018383 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/16/2028 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, CH, TW 
SUBJECT: XINHUA OFFICIAL ON THE WEN VISIT; TAIWAN;  HONG 
KONG 
 
REF: BEIJING 18294 
 
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Jon Aloisi. 
Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
1. (C) Well-connected Xinhua News Agency official Yu 
Jiafu explained on December 16 that Chinese media were 
slow to report the significance of Premier Wen 
Jiabao's key U.S. meetings because substantive news 
articles had to be cleared by Wen himself.  The 
leadership is pleased with the Premier's U.S. visit, 
which is translating into relatively positive news 
coverage of the United States, at least for now.  Yu 
disclosed that State Council Taiwan Affairs officials 
Chen Yunlin and Zhou Mingwei are under heavy fire 
because of their perceived "soft" policy course on 
Taiwan and their failure to predict the outcome of 
Taiwan's referendum legislation issue.  Yu identified 
CPPCC Chair Jia Qinglin as a central player devising 
China's Taiwan policy.  He noted the recent formation 
of the Leading Group on Hong Kong in the aftermath of 
the July 1 demonstration.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (C) The head of International Affairs of the 
official Xinhua News Agency, Yu Jiafu (protect), told 
poloff on December 16 that the Chinese leadership is 
very pleased with the trip of Wen Jiabao to the United 
States.  As a result, the official media are being 
encouraged to reflect the current state of strong 
bilateral relations in their products.  Yu cited the 
Chinese media's treatment of Saddam Hussein's capture 
as an example the current Chinese propaganda line 
(reftel).  (Note: December 15 evening news broadcasts 
provided significantly greater straight news coverage 
of Saddam's capture than earlier reports.  The 
important 7:00 P.M. CCTV news program devoted 
approximately seven minutes of the half hour program 
to reports on Saddam, including coverage of 
congratulatory messages from around the world.  End 
Note.) 
 
3.  (C) Yu noted that media coverage of the Wen visit 
was low key compared to previous visits to the United 
States by senior leaders.  This was in accord with an 
order by senior leaders earlier this year to 
"routinize" stories about overseas trips, Yu 
explained.  This order was contained in the same 
document that put an end to grand departure ceremonies 
at the Great Hall of the People for traveling senior 
leaders.  Yu acknowledged that the Chinese media was 
slow to report information about Premier Wen's meeting 
with the President, particularly their discussions 
about Taiwan.  He attributed this to the "clearance 
system" for articles written about the senior 
leadership.  Following the White House meeting, Vice 
Foreign Minister Zhou Wenzhong gave the Chinese media 
a press background briefing.  After the briefing, the 
Xinhua reporter traveling with the party wrote his 
article and cleared it through several layers of 
delegation members.  Wen himself approved the final 
draft, Yu disclosed.  Nearly two days had elapsed by 
the time the Premier approved the official article. 
 
TAO Under Fire 
-------------- 
 
4.  (C) State Council Taiwan Affairs Office Director 
Chen Yunlin and Deputy Director Zhou Mingwei have been 
under fire from senior leaders for their "mishandling" 
of the cross-Strait situation, Yu revealed.  In 
addition to being criticized for their policy of "soft 
responses" to Chen Shui-bian's recent actions, Chen 
and Zhou have been taken to task for not predicting 
the Pan-Blue's shift on the referendum issue and the 
outcome of the Legislative Yuan's wrangling on the 
referendum law.  Yu noted that while Hu Jintao is the 
nominal chair of the Leading Group on Taiwan, the 
leading voice on cross-Strait affairs belongs to 
Politburo Standing Committee member Jia Qinglin.  As 
chair of the CPPCC, Jia oversees United Front work, 
much of which is Taiwan-related.  Yu predicted that 
Jia would become increasingly involved in the Taiwan 
issue in the coming months. 
 
Hong Kong: Continued Support for Tung 
------------------------------------- 
 
5.  (C) Yu noted that senior leaders continue to be 
supportive of Hong Kong Chief Executive C.H. Tung and 
expected him to serve out his term, but recognize that 
he is flawed as a manager of Hong Kong's problems. 
During Tung's December 3 meetings in Beijing, Central 
Government leaders again emphasized to Tung that he 
should do a better job of "representing the Hong Kong 
people," meaning that he should listen to the views of 
a broader array of the Hong Kong population. 
Interestingly, Yu continued, the Central Government 
made a commitment after the July 1 demonstration to 
better understand all segments of Hong Kong society, 
including political parties with whom Tung has had a 
strained relationship.  Through this outreach, the 
Central Government better understands that the 
Democrats represent a very complex array of issues, 
some of which are not necessarily inimical to 
Beijing's interests.  Yu predicted that Beijing would 
invite more senior representatives of the Democratic 
Party to Beijing for talks in the future.  Asked about 
democratization, Yu said that senior leaders are 
currently concerned about stability and expressed the 
view that the situation in Hong Kong would have to 
"calm down" further before the Central Government 
permitted movement toward universal suffrage. 
 
6.  (C) Yu alluded to the recent formation of the 
Leading Group on Hong Kong as a demonstration of the 
importance of the Hong Kong issue to Beijing.  Prior 
to July 1, the Hong Kong and Macau Work Committee 
(Gangao Gongwei) led by Hong Kong and Macau Office 
Director Liao Hui handled most of the Central 
Government's policy decisions on the HKSAR and MSAR. 
Following the demonstration, however, the Work 
Committee was elevated to the status of a Leading 
Group with Hu Jintao as its chair and Vice President 
Zeng Qinghong as the architect of policy. 
 
 
RANDT