US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI1752

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 001752 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS AIT/W 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/01/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, PINR, CH, TW, Human Rights/TIP, Cross Strait Politics 
SUBJECT: PRC MEDIA BAN: MAC ADMITS MISTAKE BUT POLICY STANDS 
 
REF: A. TAIPEI 1725 
     B. TAIPEI 1684 
 
Classified By: AIT Director Douglas Paal, Reason: 1.4 (B/D) 
 
1. (C) Summary: Taiwan officials are trying to contain 
negative political and media fallout from an April 10 
announcement that Taipei would ban journalists from PRC-owned 
Xinhua and the People's Daily in retaliation for Beijing's 
enactment of the Anti-Secession Law.  Mainland Affairs 
Council (MAC) Chairman Joseph Wu, who unilaterally decided on 
the measure, acknowledged to AIT that the move was a major PR 
blunder but said it was too late to reverse the decision 
without causing even greater embarrassment.  Instead, Wu said 
that Taiwan will try to take "compensatory measures," 
including expanding the number of Mainland journalists from 
non-state controlled outlets permitted to be posted in 
Taipei.  Wu said that MAC is looking to give the 
Newscorp-controlled Phoenix Television an opportunity to post 
a correspondent "since I know many officials in Washington 
like Phoenix."  Officials from Taiwan's National Security 
Council (NSC) denied responsibility for Wu's Sunday 
announcement and said they instructed Wu to take steps to 
limit the damage.  By expelling the PRC journalists, MAC may 
have unintentionally closed one of its few direct channels to 
influence opinion in Beijing.  End Summary. 
 
Sunday Surprise 
--------------- 
 
2. (SBU) MAC Chairman Joseph Wu announced to reporters on 
April 10 that the government would revoke entry permits for 
journalists from PRC state-owned Xinhua News Agency and 
People's Daily in response to their biased coverage of 
Taiwan's reaction to the Anti-Secession Law.  MAC started 
granting PRC journalists rotating two-month residence permits 
in 2000, mirroring PRC treatment of Taiwan journalists 
assigned to the Mainland.  MAC expanded the number of PRC 
reporters eligible to report from Taipei in December 2004, as 
a "goodwill" gesture to Beijing.  Wu's announcement provoked 
sharp criticism from opposition politicians and many Taiwan 
media commentators, who decried the move as counter to 
Taiwan's commitment to freedom of the press (Ref A).  While 
the Government Information Office (GIO) and Pan-Green party 
spokesmen endorsed Wu's initiative, Premier Frank Hsieh 
publicly disassociated himself from the proposal, telling 
reporters it was an NSC decision. 
 
3. (C) NSC Senior Advisor for cross-Strait affairs Chen 
Chung-hsin denied Premier Frank Hsieh's accusation that the 
media decision came from the NSC.  Chen acknowledged that Wu 
raised the idea of restricting visits by "hostile" PRC 
journalists and academics during an NSC meeting the previous 
week, but only as an abstract idea rather than a substantive 
policy proposal.  Chen said that NSC Secretary General Chiou 
I-jen closed the meeting by asking the agencies present to 
"explore options" for responding to recent PRC "united front" 
actions.  Chen speculated that this may have led Wu to 
believe he had a tacit NSC approval to proceed.  Chen said 
that after seeing Wu's Sunday announcement, the NSC 
instructed MAC to look for ways to limit the expected 
negative domestic and international reaction.  Chen said he 
specifically asked MAC to announce that Taipei will expand 
the overall number of PRC journalists permitted to report 
from Taipei. 
 
MAC Tries to Spin Its Way Out 
----------------------------- 
 
4. (C) MAC Vice Chairman David Huang called a press 
conference April 11 to clarify Wu's Sunday announcement. 
Huang confirmed Wu's original decision and condemned the two 
state-owned PRC media organizations for intentionally 
distorting news from Taiwan, rejecting Beijing's demand to 
allow the two reporters to stay.  However, Huang asserted 
that MAC remained committed to expanding media exchanges 
between the two sides and that the recent decision did not 
signal a major change in policy.  MAC Chair Wu contacted AIT 
late in the evening on April 11 to re-emphasize the latter 
point.  Wu admitted that he had not expected the negative 
reaction to his April 10 announcement and told AIT he was 
committed to finding ways to counter charges that MAC was 
violating media freedoms. 
 
5. (C) Wu said he was particularly fearful that the USG would 
publicly rebuke Taiwan over the episode, and asked AIT to 
convey that Taipei will "compensate" for the decision to ban 
Xinhua and the People's Daily by further expanding the number 
of PRC journalists from other media outlets allowed to report 
out of Taipei from the current five.  Wu said that in 
addition to several "reform-minded" journals based in 
Shanghai and Guangzhou MAC plans to offer Phoenix Television 
the right to base a correspondent in Taipei.  Wu said that he 
chose Phoenix specifically to allay U.S. concerns, "since I 
know many officials in Washington like Phoenix."  Wu said 
that, having gone public already, he was not in a position to 
reverse the decision on Xinhua and People's Daily, at least 
in the immediate future.  Wu acknowledged that his attacks on 
the two PRC media outlets were a mistake in PR terms, but he 
remained unapologetic over his criticism of their coverage of 
Taiwan. 
 
Another Channel Closed Down? 
---------------------------- 
 
6. (C) While agreeing that the two PRC press organs have used 
their correspondents in Taipei to generate propaganda on the 
Mainland, MAC Planning Bureau Director Chang Shu-ti told AIT 
that their presence has helped communications between Taipei 
and Beijing.  "We know they file two sets of reports," Chang 
asserted, "one for publication and the other for limited 
distribution among PRC policy makers."  Chang said that 
Taipei is confident that the classified reports are far more 
balanced and accurate than the articles written for general 
consumption.  Chang noted that in the past, MAC had tried to 
exploit their presence in Taipei to convey policy message to 
PRC counterparts. 
 
Comment: Self-Inflicted Wound 
----------------------------- 
 
7. (C) Following heavy-handed warnings about prosecuting KMT 
Vice Chairman P.K. Chiang over his visit to Beijing (Ref B), 
MAC's April 10 announcement may reinforce the perception of 
many inside Taiwan and abroad that the Chen administration is 
over-reacting to recent cross-Strait developments.  Wu's 
policy freelancing also raises questions over NSC claims in 
recent weeks to have established firm control over the 
aggressive MAC Chairman.  It is also telling that Wu's first 
concern was domestic media reaction and second was how 
Washington might respond.  Beijing's views were a distant 
third, if considered at all.  MAC attempts to "compensate" 
for Wu's mistake notwithstanding, Taipei has already suffered 
a setback in PR terms.  The pending expulsion of the two PRC 
reporters may have also left Taipei with one less channel to 
convey its views first hand to counterparts on the Mainland. 
PAAL