US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI88

UNCLAS TAIPEI 000088 
 
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, Foreign Policy, Cross Strait Politics 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-CHINA-TAIWAN RELATIONS 
 
A) "China's `Anti-secession Law' Will Destroy Status 
Quo and Trigger Tensions in the Taiwan Strait; [Taiwan] 
Must Ensure that the United States and Japan Fully 
Understand [China's Threats to Taiwan]" 
 
The pro-independence "Taiwan Daily" editorialized 
(1/11): 
 
". Washington has repeatedly expressed its opposition 
since China said it would enact an `anti-secession 
law,' because the enactment itself is a concrete action 
to `change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.'  Thus 
we hope that [Academia Sinica President] Lee Yuan-tseh, 
when leading a delegation to attend U.S. President 
George W. Bush's inauguration ceremony, will explain to 
Washington and the international community the fact 
that China's `anti-secession law' will destroy the 
status quo in the Taiwan Strait and will spark regional 
tensions.  The international community needs to 
understand the serious consequences once such a law is 
approved.  Only public outrage from the international 
community can stop China from acting recklessly now." 
 
B) "ROC Is Taiwan Status Quo" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language 
"China Post" said in an editorial (1/11): 
 
". Next week, Taipei will send a high-profile 
delegation to Washington to attend President George W. 
Bush's inauguration on January 20. 
 
"Wu Jau-shieh, chairman of Taipei's Mainland Affairs 
Council, is a delegate and expected to relay Taipei's 
concerns over Beijing's legislative move [for the anti- 
secession law] and Washington's non-opposition to it. 
 
"Wu has already called upon the world, especially the 
U.S., to strongly oppose Beijing's legislative plan 
because it will provide a legal basis for Beijing to 
attack Taiwan and unilaterally change the status quo. 
 
"But such argument, which is no different from the 
reasoning for Taiwan independence, will have little 
effect because of Washington's long-standing one China 
policy, which is also subscribed by 163 of the world's 
190 countries." 
 
PAAL