US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI1164

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 001164 
 
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: CHINA'S ANTI-SECESSION LAW 
 
1. Summary: News coverage of major Taiwan newspapers 
March 17 focused on follow-up U.S. reaction and Taiwan 
President Chen Shui-bian's first public statement on 
China's Anti-Secession Law. All newspapers reported 
that the U.S. House of Representatives was poised to 
approve a resolution March 16 to express grave concerns 
about the law. The centrist "China Times" reported in a 
page-two story that Taiwan has urged China through the 
United States to make substantial good-will moves 
toward the island. The pro-unification "United Daily 
News," in a page-two story headlined "This time Ah-bian 
no longer plays the role of `troublemaker," pointed out 
that President Chen has refrained from provoking 
Beijing leaders.  In addition to supporting Chen's 
statement, the pro-independence "Liberty Times" ran an 
editorial urging all of Taiwan's political parties to 
join hands in the March 26 rally and seek international 
support for Taiwan.  Another pro-independence 
newspaper, "Taiwan Daily," also said in its editorial 
that Taiwan should export democracy rather than 
agricultural products to China.  The English language 
"Taipei Times" editorial compared the current PRC 
regime to that of Hitler's before World War II.  End 
summary. 
 
A) "All of Taiwan's Political Parties Should Speak for 
Taiwan Before the People" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" editorialized 
[circulation: 800,000] (3/17): 
 
". After President Chen Shui-bian made the comments 
[about China's anti-secession law], the expectations of 
the Taiwan people are: first, how can political parties 
resolve their differences, face the common enemy [i.e. 
China], stand hand-in-hand in front of the people, and 
speak for Taiwan's Destiny.  Taiwan's political parties 
should not only stand in front of their people during 
the March 26 one-million-people rally, but also stand 
impartially and stay away from confrontational moods 
when discussing national affairs and seeking resolution 
of future difficulties.  Second, under the current 
situation when opinions in the international community 
are friendly to Taiwan, political parties should remind 
themselves that they would disappear if Taiwan no 
longer existed.  One should know that situations change 
quickly in international relations, and opportunities 
are hard to grasp.  What political parties in Taiwan 
should do is to try their best and seek help from the 
international community.  They should also deliberate 
together how to become pro-active rather than passive, 
how to strengthen Taiwan's strategic position, how to 
obtain political and military support from the 
international community in order to take advantage of 
the `favorable situation' and turn it into substantial 
results. ." 
 
B) "Taiwan Should Not Be Bewildered by China's 
Manipulation of the `Stick' and `Carrot' Policies" 
 
The pro-independence "Taiwan Daily" [circulation: 
150,000] editorialized (3/17): 
 
". Like President Chen Shui-bian said, Taiwan's 
specialties that China needs the most and Taiwan would 
be most happy to provide are not agricultural products, 
but the system of democracy, comprehensive liberties, 
and the protection of human rights.  If some 
politicians from the Pan-Blue alliance intend to foster 
cross-Strait exchanges and to reduce the hostility of 
both sides of the Strait, they should work on promoting 
the three Taiwan specialties that President Chen 
mentioned.  This [would provide] the greatest 
protection for Taiwan's security and welfare." 
 
 C) "Appeasement Didn't Stop Hitler" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" 
[circulation: 300,000] commented in an editorial 
(3/17): 
 
". Beijing has passed a law - the `Anti-Secession' Law 
- to authorize war and legitimize future military 
expansion.  The law is clearly aimed at Taiwan.  In the 
past few years, Chinese nationalists have repeatedly 
asked, `Where should the sea port for China's warships 
be - in the Taiwan Strait or the Pacific Ocean?'  The 
question is where will China stop?  Will it also lay 
claim to Singapore and Penang as overseas territories 
of China on the grounds that Chinese people have 
historically resided there? 
 
"Moreover, the attitude of Europe's current leaders 
toward the autocratic Chinese regime is astonishingly 
similar to those of Chamberlain and Daladier when 
dealing with Hitler.  French and German political 
leaders should learn from history when dealing with the 
cross-strait issue and the lifting of EU arms embargo 
on China in order to avoid a repeat of the tragic 
Munich Pact. 
 
"Although Taiwan is a long way from Europe, its 
passionate pursuit for democracy and freedom is not any 
different from that of the EU's member states.  When it 
comes to the cross-Strait issue, the EU leaders' 
callous disregard for a democratic nation in Asia is 
tragic.  We can only hope it does not lead to a greater 
tragedy." 
 
PAAL