US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI1769

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 001769 
 
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 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: JAPANESE HISTORY TEXTBOOK 
CONTROVERSY 
 
Summary: The increasingly intense anti-Japanese 
protests in China have finally caught the attention of 
the pro-independence Chinese-language newspapers in 
Taiwan April 13.  The pro-independence "Liberty Times," 
Taiwan's largest daily, and the "Taiwan Daily" both 
quoted Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry 
Shoichi Nakagawa by printing in their front page 
headlines that "China is a terrible country."  The 
"Liberty Times" also ran a banner headline on a page- 
three story that read: "China hates Japan, and Japanese 
companies will not hesitate to withdraw their 
investments [in China.]"  A separate story on page 
three of the "Liberty Times" had the headline: 
"[Taiwan's] Council for Economic Planning and 
Development: [the anti-Japanese protests in China] will 
help bring more Japanese firms to Taiwan." 
Interestingly, the pro-unification "United Daily News" 
and the centrist "China Times" merely carried a wire 
service report on the China-Japan dispute in their 
cross-Strait news page April 13.  Editorially, the pro- 
independence "Liberty Times" called on Taiwan to watch 
out for the rise of China's nationalism, which will 
target either Japan or Taiwan.  Taiwan could easily 
become sacrificed to China's nationalism, the "Liberty 
Times" editorial said, given the recent passage of the 
Anti-Secession Law.  A limited-circulation, pro- 
independence English-language "Taiwan News" editorial 
focused on how Taiwan could use this opportunity to 
promote a more accurate view of the character of the 
PRC regime among opinion leaders in the international 
community.  End summary. 
 
A) "Taiwan Must Watch out for the Return of Chinese 
Nationalism by Way of [China's Dispute with] Japan" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 
800,000] editorialized (4/13): 
 
". Given Taiwan's close geographical bond and entangled 
historical association with China and Japan, the people 
of Taiwan can probe deeper into the disputes between 
the two countries and observe their further 
development.  [Because of its] position, there is 
evidently no need for Taiwan to get involved in the 
historical resentment or act arbitrarily as a mediator 
between China and Japan.  Instead, Taiwan should pay 
attention to whether the anti-Japanese protests in 
China indicate the rise of China's nationalism and 
whether it will have a serious impact on Taiwan even 
though Japan is now the target [of Chinese 
nationalism]. 
 
"We are concerned that the rise of China's nationalism 
is no longer a hypothetical issue but an emerging fact. 
In other words, in the face of China's failure with its 
experiment with socialism, which could hardly find a 
way out for its country, [Chinese] Communism has given 
way to a free economy.  But in terms of politics, 
nationalism has replaced proletarian internationalism 
in China, which has re-emerged in the field of 
international politics in an aggressive manner. . Now 
that China is no longer a vulnerable and feeble country 
[as it was in the past], it shows its intention to hide 
[its desire of] becoming a regional hegemony or its 
attempt to compete with the United States with its 
growing economic and military strength.  Under such a 
situation, China's nationalism as manifested by the 
anti-Japanese protests in its major cities can no 
longer be viewed simply as a release valve for the 
Chinese people's anti-Japanese sentiments; instead, it 
should be closely [monitored] as a possible force for 
China's [military] expansion.  Once China decides to 
expand, the first to bear the brunt of it will be 
either Japan or Taiwan.  Taiwan should all the more 
guard against China's invasive ambitions because given 
Japan's national strength, China still has misgivings 
about using force against Japan.  On the other hand, 
however, China claimed that Taiwan is part of its 
territory, and the recently passed Anti-Secession Law 
has `legalized' Beijing's attempt to use force against 
the island.  It is thus easy for Taiwan to become 
expendable with the rise of China's nationalism. 
However, Taiwan needs not worry too much about being 
isolated [in the international community].  The 
emergence of Chinese hegemony has created a threat to 
the Asia-Pacific area as well as the whole world.  The 
new U.S.-Japan security pact announced lately has 
turned Taiwan into a `tacit partner' with the United 
States and Japan in fighting against Chinese hegemony. 
As long as Taiwan does not split from inside and as 
long as fewer people rush to China - an act that would 
mislead international views and off-set Taiwan's 
unified power -- Taiwan should feel safe under the 
joint concern of the United States and Japan. ." 
 
B) "PRC Also Needs to Face Realities" 
 
The pro-independence "Taiwan News" [circulation: 
20,000] noted in an editorial (4/13): 
 
". In any case, the continuation of such indoctrination 
has had a significant influence on China's youth, but 
the degree to which highly educated college students 
can take actions as irrational or violent as shown in 
the current anti-Japanese rioting gives even greater 
cause for concern about the future of China and peace 
in Asia. . 
 
"How Taiwan can use this opportunity to establish long- 
term strategies to promote a more accurate view of the 
character of the PRC regime among opinion leaders in 
the United States, Japan, the European Union and 
neighboring countries in the Asia-Pacific region, so 
that they may change their positions on the question of 
our own U.N. representation, should be a major task for 
our government." 
 
PAAL