US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI2224

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TAIPEI 002224 
 
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, Foreign Policy 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: TAIWAN'S WHO BID AND CROSS- 
STRAIT RELATIONS 
 
 
1. Summary: As Taiwan dailies continued to cover 
Taiwan's failure to join the assembly of the World 
Health Organization (WHO) for nine consecutive years 
May 18, the focus has shifted to Beijing's attempt to 
block the revisions of the International Health 
Regulations and President Chen Shui-bian's comments on 
Beijing's move.  A page-two news story of the pro- 
independence "Liberty Times," Taiwan's biggest daily, 
headlined: "Bian criticized Lien and Soong for denying 
Taiwan's sovereignty in China."  The sub-headline 
added: "[Chen] said Chinese Health Minister Gao Qiang's 
statement has proved that Lien's and Soong's remarks 
and behaviors in China were exactly why China 
suppressed Taiwan at the WHO.  KMT and PFP refuted 
[Chen's remarks and] criticized Bian for shirking his 
responsibility because of his incompetence with regard 
to cross-Strait policy."  The front-page story of the 
pro-independence "Taiwan Daily" and the page-three news 
story of the pro-unification "United Daily News" all 
had similar reports.  The "Liberty Times" reported on 
its second page that Washington urged the WHO to 
contact Taiwan officials about Taiwan's WHO bid, and 
the "China Times" printed on its page two that "The 
health ministers of Taiwan and the United States will 
meet today." 
 
2. Several newspapers editorialized today on Taiwan's 
failure to join the WHO for nine consecutive years. 
The "Liberty Times" editorial said China's move to 
block Taiwan's WHO bid may be seen as positive for 
Taiwan since the island has finally seen through 
China's scam.  A "China Times" editorial urged Taiwan 
to use flexible and smart strategies to create more 
strength and resources for the island and thereby 
garner international support for its bid to join the 
WHO.  A limited-circulation, pro-independence, English- 
language "Taipei Times" editorial called WHO bowed 
before China's pressure again, while a limited- 
circulation, pro-unification, English-language "China 
Post" editorial said China has adopted a new strategy 
to pressure Taipei to accept the one China tenet.  A 
"Taipei Times" commentary on current cross-Strait 
relations said Washington and Beijing are now competing 
for influence over Taiwan.  End summary. 
 
A) "China Cheats and Fools Lien and Soong?  Political 
Hoax Appears Again" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 
800,000] editorialized (5/18): 
 
". Taiwan's has failed again with regard to its efforts 
to become an observer at the Assembly of the World 
Health Organization.  Taiwan people need not feel 
disheartened about such a development.  Instead, they 
should be happy that following the wave of blind China 
fever on the island, which was sparked by [KMT 
Chairman] Lien Chan's and [PFP Chairman] James Soong's 
recent China trips and which suppressed all rational 
thinking and obscured the route to upholding Taiwan's 
sovereignty and identity, China's barbarous move to 
invalidate the communiqus it signed with Lien and 
Soong came in time to unveil the false impression of 
peace that China has recently created.  Beijing's move 
has also exposed its lies about its willingness to 
assist Taiwan's bid to join the international community 
and allowed most Taiwan people to see clearly the true 
face of China.  Just as President Chen Shui-bian has 
pointed out, Lien's and Soong's China trips have failed 
to obtain more space for Taiwan to maneuver in the 
international community. China, on the contrary, has 
not only failed to give Taiwan more room in the 
international community but has also belittled, 
marginalized and localized Taiwan.  It is thus believed 
that Chen, given such an understanding, will surely 
modify the erroneous route he adopted after his meeting 
with Soong [in February] and will try harder to 
consolidate and strengthen Taiwan's sovereignty and 
identity.  Judged from this perspective, China's 
obstruction of Taiwan's bid to join the WHA this time 
can be viewed as a gain for Taiwan as Taiwan has seen 
through Beijing's scam." 
 
B) "Following the Ninth Failure of [Taiwan's] Bid to 
Join the WHO" 
 
The centrist, pro-status quo "China Times" 
[circulation: 600,000] observed in an editorial (5/18): 
 
". As expected, Beijing has again strongly blocked the 
[WHO's] passage of the International Health Regulations 
(IHR) and attempted to modify the contents of IHR.  In 
other words, even though Beijing appeared to speak nice 
words and act in a flexible manner [toward Taiwan], it 
was relentless in its move to thwart Taiwan's space in 
the international community. [For Taiwan], even though 
its efforts to seek dignity in international society 
can become an issue on the agenda of its talks with 
Beijing, to use flexible and smart strategies to create 
Taiwan's strength and resources and thereby garner 
international support is actually the best bargaining 
chip that Taiwan can use in cross-Strait talks as well 
as for its existence and development." 
 
C) "The WHO Bows before China Again" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" 
[circulation: 30,000] commented in an editorial (5/18): 
 
"Pundits who thought the trips to China by Chinese 
Nationalist Party Chairman (KMT) Lien Chan and People 
First Party Chairman James Soong would elicit a more 
civilized form of behavior from Beijing were fooling 
themselves.  Beijing has once again blocked Taipei's 
application to join the World Health Organization 
(WHO), and thus China's `united front' strategy and 
hypocrisy in creating the illusion of `peaceful 
intentions' for international consumption is plain to 
see.  Equally obvious is Beijing's lust for Taiwan's 
territory at the expense of the health and security of 
Taiwanese people. . 
 
"China's tactics prove that the agreements Hu reached 
with Lien and Soong - both of whom long for unification 
- are worth less than the paper on which they are 
printed.  Taiwan's experience on this attempt to attend 
the WHA should show simple-minded officials and 
politicians who insist on building mechanisms of mutual 
trust that there is no trust to be found from Beijing, 
and that anyone who deals with China in any capacity 
should be wary and prepare for some disappointing 
outcomes. ." 
 
D) "New PRC Strategy to Pressure Taipei to Take One 
China Tenet" 
 
Editorial of the conservative, pro-unification, English- 
language "China Post" [circulation: 30,000] wrote 
(5/18): 
 
"This year, Taiwan failed again in its annual bid to 
join the World Health Organization (WHO), including an 
unsuccessful attempt to become an observer at the 
body's highest decision making organ, the assembly. 
But events regarding Taiwan's latest participation 
efforts took a sharp turn, posing a new challenge for 
Taipei. . 
 
"According to the conclusions Beijing has reached with 
the WHO, Taipei must apply for admission as part of 
China, using the name of `Taiwan, China.'  Obviously, 
this name arrangement is unacceptable to us, as it 
simply does not correspond with Taiwan's longstanding 
political status quo.  Should we accept the name 
designation, it will deeply degrade Taiwan's standing 
and gravely damage its interests. 
 
"The membership issue has once again demonstrated the 
need for the administration of President Chen Shui-bian 
to put aside its political ideology and enter into 
talks with Beijing. . 
 
"It appears very likely that Beijing may use the new 
arrangements with the WHO as a formula for Taiwan's 
entry in the future into other world organizations, in 
which statehood is required for membership.  Taiwan may 
choose not to accept this model, if it prefers to 
continuously stay outside.  But the price will be 
highly damaging.  Taiwan must continue to suffer being 
isolated internationally.  And its companies will 
remain denied convenient access to the world's largest 
market because of political feuds that make 
normalization of economic relations impossible." 
 
E) "US Flails as Hu Jintao Gains the Upper Hand" 
 
Lai I-chung, Director of Foreign Policy Studies at the 
Taiwan Thinktank, noted in the pro-independence, 
English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 30,000] 
(5/18): 
 
"The fuss stirred up by the talks that Chinese 
Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan and People 
First Party Chairman James Soong held with Chinese 
President Hu Jintao has finally settled down.  However, 
as the dust clears we can perceive a major change in 
the dynamics between China, Taiwan and the US regarding 
the Taiwan Strait. 
 
"Hu has managed to take the upper hand in cross-strait 
issues form the US.  Washington, whose role no longer 
appears quite as dominant as it was, is now vying with 
Beijing for influence over Taiwan.  In addition, the 
US' ability to define the nature of the status quo in 
the Taiwan Strait is beginning to slip. . 
 
"In point of fact, the US should have paid more 
attention to these talks [i.e. Lien-Hu talks and Soong- 
Hu talks] and not be suckered into thinking they were a 
precursor for talks between Hu and President Chen Shui- 
bian. 
 
"The US should have insisted that the process be 
peaceful and cautioned that its results conform to the 
wishes of the Taiwanese people.  If it had done so, 
Washington would still have been able to call the 
shots, define the bottom line, and have some control 
over how the situation develops. 
 
"This lack of understanding caused US statements prior 
to the visits to be interpreted as a blank check for 
Lien and Soong to say whatever they wanted in china. 
The US' emphasis was on paving the way for a meeting 
between Chen and Hu, but after Lien started making 
public statements in China, Washington belatedly 
realized that things were out of control. 
 
"Washington's call for a dialogue between Chen and Hu 
are now too late.  These would simply be regarded as 
yet another meeting between political parties.  The 
ability of the US to have a decisive influence on the 
current cross-strait situation has therefore been 
greatly diminished by Hu's political tactics to sow 
dissent among political parties in Taiwan. . 
 
"With China and the US competing for influence over 
Taiwan, it is likely that a pro-China and pro-US camp 
will emerge in response. .  this will be one of the 
greatest challenges that Taiwan's democracy has ever 
faced." 
 
PAAL