US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI1785

UNCLAS TAIPEI 001785 
 
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 focus of the major Chinese-language Taipei 
dailies has again shifted back to local politics April 
14, even though almost all the Chinese-language 
newspapers carried in their inside pages the reports on 
Japan's decision to begin processing applications to 
let Japanese companies drill for natural gas in a 
disputed area of the East China Sea.  Several Taipei 
dailies also printed State Department Spokesman Richard 
Boucher's remarks Tuesday that the United States urges 
both China and Japan to maintain a friendly 
relationship and resolve their disputes in a harmonious 
and peaceful manner.  A pro-independence "Taiwan Daily" 
commentary sought to analyze the anti-Japanese protests 
in China and cautioned that China's inflammation of 
nationalism might lead to a fatal domestic riot for 
itself.  End summary. 
 
"Inciting the Nationalistic Sentiments: Beginning of 
China's Domestic Riots" 
 
Washington correspondent James Wang commented in the 
"Washington Commentary" column of the pro-independence 
"Taiwan Daily" [circulation: 150,000] (4/14): 
 
". Over the past few years, nationalism has been rising 
in Japan, too, and Tokyo is gravely on its guard 
against any movement by China.  Japan and the United 
States are building a closer relationship with Taiwan 
out of concern that the balance of power in East Asia 
might be endangered.  Both Tokyo and Washington 
included peace in the Taiwan Strait as their common 
strategic objective; they also oppose China's enactment 
of the Anti-Secession Law and seek to strengthen their 
relationships with Taiwan.  All such moves have hit 
China hard . .  China wants to drive U.S. force out of 
Asia and become a regional hegemony itself.  The ploy 
it uses is to sow discord between the United States, 
Japan and Taiwan.  In the past China tried to use its 
potential market as an incentive, but its military 
expansionist behavior has caused this to fail.  As a 
result, China decided to change its strategy, using the 
`public view' formed by its anti-Japanese education [as 
a basis] to oppose the proposal of making Japan a 
permanent member of the United Nations Security Council 
and thereby further mobilizing anti-Japanese protests 
in its major cities. . 
 
"No matter whether China wants to use the anti-Japanese 
protests as a ploy to blackmail [Japan] or as an 
instrument to find a release valve for its internal 
problems, these protests . cannot solve the problems 
China is facing both domestically or internationally. 
Beijing was very good at manipulating the mob in the 
past when all exchange of information was blocked.  But 
now that China cannot totally suppress the flow of 
information, it is facing the boiling discontent among 
its people. Beijing may be playing with fire with 
regard to the anti-Japanese protests as they might just 
explode into a fatal domestic riot." 
 
PAAL