US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI388

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TAIPEI 000388 
 
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 Economics 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: CROSS-STRAIT CHARTER FLIGHTS 
 
 
Summary:  The historic first direct charter flight 
across the Taiwan Strait last Saturday received 
considerable coverage in local Taiwan newspapers, with 
almost all of the Taipei dailies covering the news on 
their front pages.  The sentiments expressed on 
editorial pages, however, fell into two categories: 
positive-but-cautious, and clearly negative. 
 
The editorials of the pro-status quo "China Times" and 
the pro-unification "United Daily News," as well as the 
pro-unification English-language "China Post," all 
welcomed the historic move and said they hope that this 
positive development will bode well for further thawing 
of cross-Strait relations.  They all also cautioned, 
however, that Beijing's `anti-secession law' and 
Taiwan's constitutional re-engineering are two 
variables that might affect future cross-Strait 
interaction.  The pro-independence, English-language 
"Taipei Times" took a relatively neutral stance, but 
cautioned that it "depends on China's leaders" to 
decide whether "a window of opportunity" for the 
improvement of cross-strait relations will be opened 
soon. 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" was the only major 
daily that did not cover the direct cross-Strait 
charter flights on its front page.  In its editorial, 
this newspaper called the development a move to help 
China push for unification with -- and finally 
annexation of -- Taiwan.  End summary. 
 
A) "From the Successful Cross-Strait Charter Flights 
for the Lunar New Year, Both Sides of the Taiwan Strait 
[Should] Search for a Platform for Cross-Strait 
Reconciliation and Dialogue" 
 
The centrist, pro-status quo "China Times" 
editorialized (1/30): 
 
".[T]he first historic non-stop flights across the 
Taiwan Strait, which had not been conducted for more 
than half a century, have finally come true.  The 
geographical distance between the two sides of the 
Taiwan Strait seemed to be temporarily shortened during 
the Lunar New Year holidays.  Even though the cross- 
Strait charter flights do not indicate that direct 
transportation of passenger and cargo flights are 
expected to take place any time soon, or that cross- 
Strait relations have thawed, this is at least a 
positive development.  As long as the first step has 
been made, chances may be that there will be a second 
step.  This newspaper would like to salute those on 
both sides of the Taiwan Strait who contributed to 
making these charter flights possible.  We also hope 
that all the parties involved can broaden their visions 
in the future, using the success of the charter flights 
[as a basis] and we hope that both sides of the Taiwan 
Strait can move ahead to realize and witness the future 
prospects of dialogue, reconciliation and peace across 
the Taiwan Strait." 
 
B) "Charter Flights Have Warmed up the [Iced] Cross- 
Strait Ties" 
 
Journalist Wang Ming-yi commented in the "My Views" 
column of the centrist, pro-status quo "China Times" 
(1/30): 
 
". The U.S. factor may have been an invisible force 
that pushed for the cross-Strait charter flights [to 
happen] for the Chinese New Year.  But in the meantime, 
the huge business benefits for the airline companies 
across the Taiwan Strait also acted as an incentive and 
as behind-the-scene pressure for changes to the charter 
flight policy.  The fact that both Beijing and Taipei 
each seek an easing and stable interactive atmosphere 
for cross-Strait relations was also a major concern 
that drove [Chinese President] Hu Jintao and [Taiwan 
President] Chen Shui-bian to happily push for charter 
flights for the Chinese New Year. . 
 
"The charter flights for Chinese New Year 2005 have not 
only demonstrated the dissolving power of capitalism on 
the blocked transportation policy but also reflected 
the `thawing effect' of economic vitality on rigid 
politics.  All the more, the model of two-way flights 
for cross-Strait Lunar New Year charter flights 
indicated that both sides could be pragmatically 
released from the endless entanglement of political 
issues.  The cross-Strait charter flights have 
evidently provided various turning points of 
possibility for future cross-Strait interaction." 
 
C) "Take Advantage of Direct Cross-Strait Charter 
Flights and Restart the Negotiations toward `Three 
Links'" 
 
Journalist Wang Chou-chung wrote in the centrist, pro- 
status quo "China Times"(1/30): 
 
". Although both sides of the Strait claim that cross- 
Strait charter flights are merely a `business 
activity,' both sides cannot deny that this historic, 
economics-based activity that has served the interests 
of some Taiwanese businessmen based in China will help 
to lessen the political deadlock of the `three links' 
across the Taiwan Strait.  Such a development will also 
mark an important step for both sides to carry out the 
`three links' and to improve bilateral relations. 
 
"But what lies ahead is that the PRC will pass its 
`anti-secession law' at meeting of the tenth National 
People's Assembly in March 2005, which will likely 
trigger a severe reaction from Taiwan.  Taiwan, 
likewise, is about to elect members to the National 
Assembly to amend its constitution by May 2005, and the 
constitutional reengineering will get started by the 
end of 2005.  The `legal warfare' across the Taiwan 
Strait is at the brink of war.  Although both sides of 
the Strait claim that [those moves] are for internal 
needs and do not involve unification or independence, 
there will be no improvement in cross-Strait relations 
if both sides of the Strait cannot make use of the 
climate of dtente accompanying the direct cross-Strait 
charter flights to increase mutual trust or to create 
opportunities for resuming cross-Strait talks." 
 
D) "Flowers Bloom during the Warmth of Springtime?  Two 
Big Variables Will Still Affect Cross-Strait Relations 
- Beijing's `Anti-Secession Law' and Taiwan's 
Constitutional Re-engineering; It All Depends on 
Whether the Leaders on Both Sides of the Strait Can 
Demonstrate Self-Restraint and Flexibility" 
 
Journalists Lo Chia-wei and Wu Chung-tao observed in 
the conservative, pro-unification  "United Daily News" 
(1/30): 
 
". But for cross-Strait relations, will the flowers 
bloom during the warmth of springtime?  What lies ahead 
are two big variables - the legislation of China's 
`Anti-secession Law' and Taiwan's constitutional re- 
engineering.  The carnival-like atmosphere for the 
first charter flight across the Taiwan Strait will soon 
subside after the Chinese New Year.  What follows will 
be China's People's Congress reviewing the `Anti- 
secession law' in March. . 
 
"Taiwan's plan to start constitutional re-engineering 
in 2005 and to implement the new constitution in 2008 
is also a major indicator for the future development of 
cross-Strait relations. .  People of both sides of the 
Taiwan Strait all look forward to convenient and rapid 
[transportation] exchanges and living and prospering 
peacefully together.  Whether such hopes can be 
achieved depends on whether the leaders on both sides 
can demonstrate the self-restraint to `put aside their 
disputes' and the flexibility to `negotiate 
pragmatically.'" 
 
E) "Open the Window Opportunity" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" 
noted in an editorial (1/29): 
 
"Today is a day of great significance for cross-strait 
relations.  Taiwan's first charter flight for the Lunar 
New Year heads for China, the first non-stop flight 
after more than fifty years of political stalemate 
across the Strait.  Although this policy is beneficial 
only to Taiwanese businessmen in China, the decision 
made by the government is still of great symbolic 
significance at this juncture when the cross-strait 
relationship is still strained. . 
 
"Rather than loudly promoting Jiang's Eight Points, 
China should promote the spirit that led to the Lunar 
New Year charter flights across the Strait.  To get 
that deal, both sides displayed flexibility and 
creativity by first establishing mutual credibility and 
consensus on economic and practical issues. . 
 
"Giving up fixed opinions, building mutual trust and 
creating beneficial conditions are all necessary to 
improve the cross-strait relationship.  Will a window 
of opportunity for such improvement be opened soon? 
That will depend on China's leaders." 
F) "Jiang's Reunification Plan Falls on Deaf Ears" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language 
"China Post" said in an editorial (1/29): 
 
".[T]he realization of direct, two-way flights between 
Taiwan and the mainland during the Lunar New Year 
holidays is something that deserves effort to promote. 
It is a historic first step toward the establishment of 
`san-tong,' or three direct links in cross-strait 
transport, trade and postal services. . 
 
"People in Taiwan are less interested in the `one 
country, two systems' than in practical things that 
affect their personal well-being.  San-tong, for 
instance, is one of them.  To give credit where it is 
due, Beijing has demonstrated some flexibility in 
making the direct flight possible by putting aside, for 
a moment, sensitive political issues.  As a much larger 
and stronger country, mainland China should display 
greater tolerance in dealing with a much smaller 
sibling." 
 
G) "`Direct Transportation Fever' Is Like Helping China 
to Use Economic [Means] to Push for Unification and 
Annex Taiwan" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" editorialized 
(1/31): 
 
"Given all these moves [that China took], including the 
cross-Strait charter flights, what exactly does China 
want from Taiwan?  Evidently, China wants to annex 
Taiwan.  It's Beijing's double-handed policy to aim its 
missiles at Taiwan and to use economics to draw in 
Taiwan.  If Taiwan also `puts aside the sovereignty 
disputes' and facilitates Taiwan's investments or 
capital flow into China, Beijing will be able to 
implement its plan to `use [the Taiwan] people to force 
[Taiwan] officials and to use economic [means] to push 
for unification [with Taiwan]' in an unhurried and 
leisurely manner.  If Taiwan wants to stand in an 
invincible position, the top priority for Taiwan is to 
maintain its national sovereignty.  Only when China 
acknowledges Taiwan's national sovereignty can Taiwan 
have further trade exchanges with China.  Otherwise, 
Taiwan's businessmen or Taiwan investments [based in 
China] will become bargaining chips for China to use to 
turn against Taiwan.  In short, if Taiwan fails to 
stick to its national sovereignty and starts to have 
direct transportation or three links with China rashly, 
the island will be annexed by China sooner or later." 
 
H) "Interests of Taiwan Businessmen [Based in China] Do 
Not Equal Taiwan's Interests" 
 
Journalist Wang Ping-yu said in the pro-independence 
"Liberty Times" (1/30): 
 
".Due to the massive publicity by public and private 
sectors [in Taiwan], the cross-Strait charter flights 
for the Lunar New Year have confused people, making 
them believe that convenience for Taiwan businessmen 
[in China] is well-being for all Taiwan people, and 
that the interests of Taiwan businessmen [in China] are 
the interests of all Taiwan people. 
 
"Is this the reality of cross-Strait charter flights? 
What about [Taiwan's] national security and the issue 
that Taiwan-Hong Kong air routes have become China's 
domestic routes?  Maybe the private sector cannot 
clarify these questions, but how can our government 
intoxicate itself blindly and even easily give up the 
bottom line that it used to stick to for such a long 
time just to create a false image of ameliorated cross- 
Strait relations?" 
 
PAAL