US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI39

UNCLAS TAIPEI 000039 
 
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, Cross Strait Politics 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-CHINA-TAIWAN RELATIONS 
 
A) "In the Face of the United States' Support, Taiwan 
Should Push Harder for the Passage of the [Special] 
Arms Procurement Deal" 
 
The pro-independence "Taiwan Daily" editorialized 
(1/6): 
 
". The United States has failed to treat the 
governments on both sides of the Taiwan Strait 
impartially and justly.  For example, when Taiwan 
wanted to push for a name rectification plan and it 
wanted to change the names of its [state-owned] 
enterprises, the move was criticized as `a unilateral 
attempt to change the status quo of the Taiwan Strait.' 
On the other hand, however, Washington acted as if 
nothing had happened when China said it wanted to 
institute an `anti-secession law.'  The State 
Department officials' improper behaviors will give 
China the wrong impression; Beijing would think that no 
matter what it does, the United States would stand by 
its side.  Once encouraged [by the United States], 
China will adopt more drastic actions . and might 
likely start to play with fire eventually.  When this 
happens, not only Taiwan but also the Asia-Pacific 
region and the United States will get hurt. . 
 
"Taiwan's national defense power is a basis for 
protecting the island's social and economic 
developments; it is also a cornerstone to safeguard the 
island's existence.  When people and media of other 
countries are voicing support for Taiwan, we should 
have a better understanding of the current situation 
and push harder for the passage of the special arms 
procurement deal in an attempt to strengthen Taiwan's 
security protection power." 
 
B) "Taiwan Does Not Need to Replace Koo" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" 
said in an editorial (1/6): 
 
". The fundamental deadlock between Taiwan and the PRC 
centers on the facts that Taiwan is already a democracy 
and an independent sate and that the PRC authorities 
remain unwilling or unable to acknowledge, much less 
adapt, to this reality.  After nearly a decade of 
deepening democratization symbolized by the majority 
mandate given to President Chen Shui-bian and Vice 
President Lu of the Democratic Progress Party last 
March 20, returning to the era of the National 
Unification Guidelines or to the heyday of the Koo-Wang 
process is not an option. 
 
"Future dialogue between Taipei and Beijing, if and 
when it resumes, will not be based on `comfort' 
feelings deriving from commonalities of the cultural 
sensibilities of aristocrats and authoritarians or the 
chimera of KMT-CCP cooperation on the temple of great 
Chinese chauvinism. 
 
"From Taiwan's position, the process of dialogue to 
find a way for both sides to live together can only be 
based on a democratic process and citizen 
participation. 
 
"Unless Beijing wants a conflict that its modernization 
drive can ill afford, the new PRC leaders have little 
choice but to tacitly begin on the basis of the reality 
of Taiwan's actual independence and democracy and 
forego attempts to solve the `Taiwan problem' by 
appealing to particular Taiwan leaders or third powers, 
even the United States, and exclude the Taiwan people. 
." 
 
PAAL