US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI1979

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TAIPEI 001979 
 
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: As Taipei dailies continued to cover KMT 
Chairman Lien Chan's China trip May 2, the focus has 
moved to President Chen Shui-bian's remarks Sunday en 
route to the Marshall Islands made with regard to PFP 
Chairman James Soong's upcoming visit to China.  The 
front-page stories of the centrist "China Times" and 
the pro-unification "United Daily News" and a page-two 
news story of the pro-independence "Liberty Times," 
Taiwan's biggest daily, all reported that Chen has 
asked Soong to act as his messenger and deliver certain 
messages to Chinese leaders.  Several newspapers 
focused on the part of Chen's remarks about the United 
States' attitude toward Lien's trip.  The pro- 
independence "Taiwan Daily" ran a banner headline on 
its front page that read: "Bian: United States 
criticizes Lien Chan's China trip [as an attempt to] 
divide Taiwan."  The "United Daily News" also carried a 
news story on page four that said: "Bian: United States 
placed pressure [prior to Lien's China trip]; Lien Chan 
acted within the boundary and did not cross the line." 
Another news story on page four of the "United Daily 
News" also quoted a high-ranking DPP official as saying 
that Washington has indeed helped the Taipei government 
to stabilize Taiwan's political situation by urging 
Beijing to reach out to the elected leaders of Taiwan. 
 
2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a "Liberty 
Times" editorial continued its strong criticism against 
Lien's China trip, saying the trip will turn into a 
disastrous journey for Taiwan.  A "China Times" 
editorial commented on Chen's remarks prior to his 
departure for the Marshall Islands, noting that Chen 
can treat the opposition leaders' trip to China as an 
opportunity that might finally lead to a dialogue 
between the DPP and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). 
A "United Daily News" commentary and a "China Times" 
news analysis discussed the role of the United States 
behind Lien's trip.  The "United Daily News" commentary 
said Washington is very concerned about the fact that 
the KMT and CCP started talks without Washington.  The 
"China Times" news analysis noted that President Chen 
sought to regain his leadership of cross-Strait issues 
by dragging Washington into the game.  End summary. 
 
A) "Lien Chan's China Trip Must Be Stopped from Turning 
into a Disastrous Journey for Taiwan" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 
800,000] editorialized (5/2): 
 
". Taiwan is facing a life-and-death crisis in the face 
of China's attempt to annex the island.  [KMT Chairman] 
Lien Chan's China trip, on the other hand, raises the 
island's internal struggles to the level of conflicts 
between Taiwan and its enemy.  Lien's attempt is to 
join hands with the rival country to attack his own 
government and political competitors. .Lien's China 
trip took place at the time of the 30th anniversary of 
Saigon's fall into the hands of the Communist Party. 
As a result, Taiwan people must strive to stop the trip 
from turning into a tragedy for Taiwan." 
 
B) "President Chen Should Stand Firm on His Strategic 
Commanding Elevation" 
 
The centrist, pro-status quo "China Times" 
[circulation: 600,000] commented in an editorial (5/2): 
 
"Prior to his departure for a visit to Taiwan's allies 
in the South Pacific, President Chen chose to make an 
initial response to [KMT Chairman] Lien Chan's China's 
trip. . If Chen's remarks will become his keynote 
response to the meeting between Lien and [Chinese 
President] Hu Jintao and even to the future meeting 
between [PFP Chairman] James Soong and Hu, we then may 
say that Chen has already taken control of the 
strategic commanding elevation that he should be 
standing on [as a president.] . 
 
"At the current stage, both Chen and his party should 
clearly sort out the current situation.  Their real 
rival is neither the KMT or the PFP but the Chinese 
Communist Party in Beijing.  Yes, the anticipated 
effects of China's Anti-Secession Law, under Beijing's 
consistent efforts, have moved toward a direction that 
is favorable for China.  As Taiwan's ruling party, the 
DPP must not just proactively `smear' the opposition 
parties.  If viewed from a different perspective, why 
cannot the DPP treat the opposition leaders' China 
trips . as an `opportunity?'  Maybe the necessary 
process for cross-Strait dialogue should start from the 
KMT, then PFP, and followed by the DPP.  One must be 
aware that the future dialogue between the DPP, 
Taiwan's ruling party, and the Chinese Communist Party 
will be the real show.  Before that really happens, the 
ruling party should spend its efforts in communicating 
with the deep Green supports..  Likewise, Beijing also 
needs time to get to know the DPP better, just like now 
it has already changed its previously stereotyped 
impression about the KMT.  It is definitely a must for 
the DPP to create a non-hostile atmosphere if it wants 
to sit down and talk with Beijing. " 
 
C) "KMT and CCP Talk without Washington; the United 
States Is Concerned" 
 
Washington correspondent Vincent Chang noted in the 
"Observation from Washington" column of the pro- 
unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 600,000] 
(5/1): 
 
". Since Washington has failed to pay attention to the 
possible impact that exchanges between the KMT and CCP 
might produce in the beginning and as a result, failed 
to proactively contact the KMT, it will naturally fall 
into a passive position as an observer when the formal 
KMT-CCP talks began.  Washington is now in a rare and 
embarrassing position because it has no part in the 
cross-Strait interaction. . 
 
"Over the past few years, the statement that `the 
shortest distance from Beijing to Taipei is to go 
through Washington' has become an unspoken but widely 
known consensus for many cross-Strait relations 
specialists and even the governments on both sides of 
the Taiwan Strait. .  But given the successful meeting 
between leaders of the KMT and CCP, plus the meeting 
between James Soong and Chinese President Hu Jintao 
that will soon take place, Beijing seems to have 
silently gotten rid of Washington, the `leverage' 
mechanism, and made use of its interaction with 
Taiwan's opposition parties to pass over President Chen 
Shui-bian and gradually take over the leading role in 
the cross-Strait issues, which was originally 
controlled by Washington.  Beijing seems to have 
managed to work on its own to develop a new road to 
Taipei, without bothering to go through Washington. 
 
"Such a development has astounded Washington. 
Therefore, after Lien set foot in China, Washington has 
repeatedly urged Beijing to communicate with `President 
Chen and his Cabinet' after its contact with Taiwan's 
opposition leaders.  Washington also began to emphasize 
the justified role of the Chen Shui-bian administration 
in the hope that Beijing and the KMT and PFP, to a 
certain extent, will not overplay [the game] with the 
Chen Shui-bian administration and thereby try to take 
back its territory with regard to the cross-Strait 
issues." 
 
D) "Bian Strives to Save His Leading Role in Cross- 
Strait Issues by Dragging the United States into the 
Game" 
 
Journalist Lin Shu-ling said in the centrist, pro- 
status quo "China Times" [circulation: 600,000] (5/2): 
 
". Sources said President Chen did not consult with the 
high-ranking officials in the Cabinet or the DPP before 
he made the remarks about [KMT Chairman] Lien Chan's 
trip to China [prior to his departure to South Pacific 
Sunday].  Only a few core staff within the Presidential 
Office joined in drafting Chen's remarks, and the whole 
policy-making process was very hasty.  The reason was 
because the United States was very concerned that the 
development of cross-Strait relations would get out of 
its control following Lien's trip to China and that it 
does not want to see China leading the development of 
cross-Strait ties.  Even though Chen mentioned Lien, 
Soong and arms sales in his remarks Sunday, his only 
purpose was to demonstrate his ability to control the 
cross-Strait issue and to stabilize the whole situation 
together with the United States. 
 
"The United States has its global strategic need to 
lead the development of cross-Strait issues, and U.S. 
interests match those of the Chen Shui-bian 
administration.  When the United States saw from the 
Lien-Hu meeting China's attempt to talk with Taiwan's 
opposition parties in order to isolate the Chen Shui- 
bian administration and get rid of the United States, 
Washington started Saturday to urge Beijing to engage 
in a dialogue with the Chen administration. 
Washington's move and the card played by Chen can be 
viewed as concerted attacks aiming at the same target. 
." 
 
PAAL