US embassy cable - 04TAIPEI3838

UNCLAS TAIPEI 003838 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/RSP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - 
ROBERT PALLADINO 
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC, KMDR, KPAO, TW, Domestic Politics 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: TAIWAN'S SOVEREIGNTY ISSUE 
 
 
A) "To Demonstrate Taiwan's Independent and Autonomous 
National Status Using Historical Facts and [Taiwan's ] 
Public Opinion" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" editorialized 
(12/3): 
 
". [Secretary of State Colin] Powell said in late 
October that Taiwan is not a sovereign state.  The real 
meaning behind Powell's statement is that it has 
unveiled [the fact that] Taiwan's sovereignty issue was 
not thoroughly resolved after the end of the Second 
World War and that Taiwan is still wearing the coat of 
the Republic of China that is not recognized by the 
international community.  Today, Taiwan people have 
full control of their national sovereignty; they can 
elect their own state leader through the exercise of 
the people's free will; they possesses their own 
military, currency and judicial system.  All of these 
have all the more verified Taiwan's independent 
sovereign status.  We can say that the Taiwan people 
have used their actions to make up for the missing 
parts in history.  But the question for the future lies 
in: when will the United Nations and the international 
community really face the history and the hard facts 
and respect Taiwan people's basic rights under the UN 
Charter to establish their own country .?" 
 
B) "Restoring Credibility a Key Issue Facing President 
Chen" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language 
"China Post" said in an editorial (12/3): 
 
"The past week the people of Taiwan once again had a 
chance to see how unabashedly their leader President 
Chen Shui-bian uses a two-faced strategy to address his 
controversial policies, including his renewed tension 
with Washington.  But how successful such double- 
dealing is remains to be seen. . 
 
"So Chen seemed to be playing a two-faced game.  On the 
one hand, he wanted to use the action of holding up the 
referendum bill to reassure Washington that he would 
not push for a popular vote to adopt a new Constitution 
during his term. 
 
"But on the other hand, Chen himself would continue his 
referendum rhetoric ahead of the December 11 
legislative election to rally support for his party 
candidates.  And he believes that Washington will 
understand that his rhetoric was merely election 
language intended for the voters.  To ensure that will 
be the case, he even used the meeting with [Utah 
Governor Olene] Walker to call on Washington to trust 
him. . 
 
"Therefore, the most urgent issue Chen might need to 
address is rebuilding his credibility severely 
undermined by his past fondness for saying different 
things to different people and his tendency to flip- 
flop on policy and position.  Unless this credibility 
gap can be overcome, it won't be easy for him to 
improve relations with either Washington or Beijing or 
the opposition even if he finally wins a legislative 
majority, which would greatly boost his authority and 
strengthen his hand in dealing with domestic and 
foreign issues." 
 
PAAL