US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI1873

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 001873 
 
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: CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS 
 
1. Summary:  Taipei dailies' April 21 coverage of the 
forthcoming China visits by KMT Chairman Lien Chan and 
PFP Chairman James Soong focused on Lien's and KMT 
Secretary-General Lin Feng-cheng's remarks Wednesday 
 
SIPDIS 
that both sides of the Strait have been ruled 
separately.  The centrist "China Times" carried a 
banner headline on its second page that said: "Lien 
Chan: [the fact that] both sides of the Taiwan Strait 
are ruled separately will be the keynote for Lien's 
meeting with [Chinese President] Hu Jintao." A front- 
page news story of the pro-unification "United Daily 
News" and a page-three news story of the pro- 
independence "Taiwan Daily" also reported that Lien 
Chan will mention the fact that both sides of the 
Strait have been ruled separately during his trip to 
China. 
 
2. The pro-independence "Liberty Times," Taiwan's 
biggest daily, carried a news story on its second page 
that said: "The United States does not want to see 
Taiwan split because of Lien's and Soong's visits to 
China."  The sub-headline added: "[U.S. Deputy 
Assistant Secretary of State] Randy Schriver said the 
United States will watch the results of Lien's and 
Soong's visits to China and their impact on Taiwan's 
domestic politics." A "Liberty Times" news analysis 
said on the same page that Schriver's remarks have 
cleared up Washington's ambiguous position and have 
thrown cold water on Lien and Soong because Washington 
thinks that it will add more variables to the cross- 
Strait relations if China only communicates with 
Taiwan's opposition parties.  The centrist "China 
Times," however, covered Schriver's remarks from a 
different angle.  The "China Times" reported on page 
two that Schriver said "Beijing will have to engage in 
a dialogue with the Taiwan authorities in the end after 
all," and the sub-headline said: "The results of the 
opposition party leaders' visits to China are yet 
unknown, but Washington's position is `to talk is 
better than not to talk.'"  A "China Times" commentary 
sought to analyze the significance of the term 
"Republic of China" with regard to Lien's and Soong's 
visits, saying that these visits have highlighted the 
fact that Beijing would rather step back and accept the 
`ROC' than watch Taiwan move forward to become `the 
Republic of Taiwan.'  End summary. 
 
"The `Republic of China' Emerges in Lien's and Soong's 
Visits to China" 
 
Journalist Hsiao Hsu-tsen commented in the "My Views" 
column of the centrist, pro-status quo "China Times" 
[circulation: 600,000] (4/21): 
 
"[KMT Chairman] Lien Chan and [PFP Chairman] James 
Soong will visit China in succession as guests of 
Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) Secretary-General Hu 
Jintao.  These visits can indeed be viewed as major 
events in the history of cross-Strait interaction, and 
its political significance is more important than that 
of the two meetings between [former Straits Exchange 
Foundation Chairman] C.F. Koo and China's Association 
for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait Wang Chairman 
Daohan.  The focus of Lien's first-ever visit to China 
is its historical significance and the ice-breaking 
atmosphere.  Soong will visit China on Lien's heels, 
and given the foundation of the [10-point] consensus 
reached by Soong and President Chen and the four-point 
talks by Hu [in early March], his visit has kind of 
demonstrated the `indistinct dialogue' flavor between 
the leaders of both sides of the Taiwan Strait. 
 
"There is another aspect of major significance that can 
be observed from the signals sent out with regard to 
Lien's and Soong's visits:  under the joint tacit 
agreement between the KMT and CCP to maintain a low- 
profile manner [with regard to Lien's visit to China], 
the word `Republic of China' has silently emerged onto 
the platform of cross-Strait dialogue.  Beijing's new 
way of thinking and its flexibility are evident as 
demonstrated by [China's People's Political 
Consultative Committee Chairman] Jia Qinglin's mention 
of the `Republic of China' March 31 and his words that 
`ROC and the PRC are two separate teams under a single 
brand' to the breakthrough that Lien can step foot on 
mainland China using his ROC passport. . 
 
"Lien and Soong both see the `ROC' as a bottom line for 
all political views.  If Beijing can put aside the `one 
China syllogism' as mentioned in [former Chinese 
President] Jiang Zemin's eight-points and is willing to 
acknowledge the `ROC' in an indirect and implicit way, 
chances for both sides of the Taiwan Strait to resume 
dialogue will be greatly increased. 
 
"Given such a foundation, Lien's and Soong's upcoming 
visits to China have highlighted [a fact] that Beijing 
would rather step back and accept the `ROC' than watch 
Taiwan move forward to become `the Republic of Taiwan.' 
This development may be seen as additional splendor for 
the Pan-Blue camp that has always upheld the 
constitution and national title of the ROC.  But for 
President Chen Shui-bian's DPP government, it is a ball 
thrown out by China that is most difficult to catch. 
It depends on Chen's wisdom [to determine] how to catch 
such a ball." 
PAAL