US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI1928

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 001928 
 
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, Domestic Politics, Foreign Policy 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS 
 
1. Summary: KMT Chairman Lien Chan's departure for 
China today and his telephone conversation with 
President Chen Shui-bian yesterday concerning his China 
trip received extensive coverage April 26 in the major 
Taipei dailies.  The pro-unification "United Daily 
News" carried a front-page headline that read: "Bian 
wishes Lien a smooth and successful trip to mainland 
China."  A page-two news story in the "United Daily 
News" reported that Lien does not rule out the 
possibility of discussing the Anti-Secession Law with 
Chinese President Hu Jintao.  The pro-independence 
"Liberty Times," Taiwan's biggest daily, ran a banner 
headline on its page two that said: "Bian said there is 
no 1992 consensus, but Lien did not respond," and the 
pro-independence "Taiwan Daily" carried a page-two news 
story with the headline: "Bian: Both sides of the 
Taiwan Strait are not only ruled separately but are 
also separate."  The centrist "China Times" carried a 
news analysis by Washington correspondent Liu Ping on 
page two that said April 19 marked a turning point with 
regard to the U.S. attitude toward Lien's visit to 
China as AIT Director Doug Paal met with Lien and PFP 
Chairman James Soong in Taipei, and U.S. Deputy 
Assistant Secretary of State Randy Schriver met KMT-PFP 
Representative to the United States Jason Yuan in 
Washington that day. 
 
2. Editorially, the pro-independence "Liberty Times" 
and the limited-circulation, pro-independence English- 
language "Taipei Times" continue to attack Lien's visit 
to China and said it might be the first step toward 
disaster.  The centrist "China Times" editorial urged 
the ruling party to face the recent China fever, 
coordinate the various views inside the party and come 
up with a viable policy.  A news analysis in the pro- 
unification "United Daily News" and the editorial in 
the limited-circulation, pro-unification English- 
language "China Post" looked positively upon Lien's 
trip, saying it will open a new page for cross-Strait 
relations.  End summary. 
 
A)  "Lien Chan Would Be Well Advised Not to Act as a 
Sinner That Harms [Taiwan's] National Status and 
Dignity" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 
800,000] commented in its editorial (4/26): 
 
". Peace across the Taiwan Strait is not only what the 
Taiwan people hope to see but also the expectation of 
international society.  When [KMT Chairman] Lien Chan 
arrives in China, if he could promote justly and 
fearlessly Taiwan's sovereignty and dignity and demand 
that China lay down its butcher knife, it is certain 
that no one would reproach him for working together 
with the Chinese Communist Party in restraining Taiwan. 
But if Lien wants to surrender Taiwan's sovereignty to 
China in exchange for the latter's grant of peace, not 
only would the Taiwan people not tolerate it, but the 
international community would also oppose such a move 
that would sabotage the regional balance of power. . 
In short, even though Lien travels to China in a 
private capacity, he needs to act with perfect 
propriety, neither haughtily nor humbly, and he should 
try not to do anything that could harm [Taiwan's] 
national dignity. ." 
 
B) "Things That a Ruler Must Do and Must Not Do" 
 
The editorial of the centrist, pro-status quo "China 
Times" [circulation: 600,000] said (4/26): 
 
". The challenge that this new wave of China fever has 
created for the ruling party is [that it should learn] 
how to face the issue, coordinate the diversified 
opinions inside the party, and come up with a viable 
policy direction like what a ruling party should do. 
The ruling party should not just invariably oppose and 
insult [the opposition parties] since it is the 
privilege of the opposition party to oppose and 
criticize [the ruling party]. . 
 
". Competition between different political parties is 
inevitable, but national interests should always come 
first [before] the interests of any single political 
party.  Long-term interests [of a country] should also 
be deemed more important than short-term loss and gain, 
and proactivity is always better than passivity.  If 
our ruler and ruling party could uphold these 
principles, Taiwan's politics would have a new look, 
and both our domestic policy and cross-Strait relations 
could be modified according to circumstances . ." 
 
C) "Lien's China Trip Opens a New Page for Cross-Strait 
Relations" 
 
Journalists Hsiao Heng-chien and Tung Chih-sen observed 
in a news analysis of the pro-unification "United Daily 
News" [circulation: 600,000] (4/26): 
 
". The meeting between the KMT chairman and the Chinese 
Communist Party (CCP) general secretary is, without 
doubt, historically significant.  In terms of the 
interaction between two political parties, the CCP is a 
ruling party while the KMT is already an opposition 
party.  Even though the two parties shared substantial 
resentment or grudges during the civil war period, it 
is already too difficult to discuss all these previous 
details now.  Also, people should not look at the 
meeting as the talks between the KMT and the CCP 
because the KMT is already an opposition party; it no 
longer stands on an equal footing with the CCP in terms 
of the political power it possesses.  The symbolic 
significance of the KMT-CCP meeting should thus be more 
important than other aspects of significance. 
 
"But for Lien and the KMT, the significance of 
reconciliation between the KMT and CCP is not so 
important; what's more important for the KMT is that it 
hopes to open a new road for the current cross-Strait 
relations through this reconciliatory move.  As for 
where the road will lead to, the ball is still in the 
hand of the ruling authorities.  The key still lies in 
the ruler as to whether he wants the cross-Strait 
relations to reap." 
 
D) "Moving forward, or toward Disaster?" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" 
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (4/26): 
 
". Although both Lien and Soong are acting without 
explicit government authorization, Chen has given his 
blessing.  This will give people in this country and 
abroad the wrong idea that Lien and Soong represent 
government opinion.  The president had only just taken 
part in the March 26 protests against China's `Anti- 
Secession' Law when he turned around and gave this 
blessing.  He said he hoped they would pave a new path 
for cross-strait relations.  But what about the arms 
procurement bill, which continues to languish in the 
legislature?  If the people of Taiwan care so little 
about their own defense, who will believe us in the 
future if China steps up its military threats? . 
 
"Dialogue between the KMT and the Chinese Communist 
Party may be significant in historical terms.  However, 
as long as Taiwan's political parties cannot agree on 
the basic principles of national sovereignty and policy 
toward China, then these two trips may turn out to be 
not a glorious beginning to better times, but the first 
step toward disaster." 
 
E) "Lien Begins Peace Journey" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language 
"China Post" [circulation: 30,000] noted in an 
editorial (4/26): 
 
". Lien's eight-day-four-city trip, followed by that of 
another Taiwan opposition leader, James Soong of the 
People First Party next week, also for peace and 
reconciliation, will definitely serve to help bail 
Beijing out from its current diplomatic quagmire. . 
 
"Lien's trip certainly will add pressure to the Chen 
administration to speed up rapprochement with the 
mainland, a `priority task' it promised but failed to 
carry out after five years." 
 
PAAL