US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI2275

UNCLAS TAIPEI 002275 
 
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, Military Issues, Foreign Policy, Domestic Politics 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: U.S. ARMS PROCUREMENT BILL 
 
Summary: As the Taipei dailies centered their coverage 
on local politics May 24, it is noteworthy that all 
major Chinese-language newspapers carried in their 
inside pages a news story that quoted Taiwan Defense 
Minister Lee Jye as saying the United States has called 
upon Taiwan through official channels to decide before 
the end of May whether or not it will purchase 12 U.S.- 
made anti-submarine aircrafts.  According to the news 
story, Lee said the United States might sell those 
airplanes to other countries if Taiwan does not provide 
a positive answer by the deadline.  It has also been 
reported that Taiwan has been informed via unofficial 
channels that the United States may not sell submarines 
to Taiwan.  The pro-independence "Liberty Times," 
Taiwan's biggest daily, devoted half of its page five 
on Lee's appeal to the Legislative Yuan committee to 
review the relevant arms-purchase bill and Taiwan's 
defense budget; other newspapers focused more on 
independent Legislator Li Ao's allegation Monday that 
Lee tried to bribe him with a Mont Blanc pen to seek 
his support for the passage of the U.S. arms 
procurements bill.  In terms of editorials, only the 
limited-circulation, pro-independence, English-language 
"Taipei Times" discussed the U.S. arms procurement 
bill, saying the military purchases are essential to 
Taiwan and a precondition for cross-Strait 
negotiations.  End summary. 
 
"Time Running out on Arms Bill" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" 
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (5/24): 
 
"Minister of National Defense Lee Jye told a 
legislative committee yesterday that if the deadlock 
over the special arms-procurement bill is not resolved 
by the end of the month, the US may sell the 12 P-3C 
maritime patrol aircrafts that Taiwan wants to purchase 
to another country.  He said the purchase of submarines 
may also fall through.  If the Legislative Yuan 
continues to obstruct passage of this bill, national 
security will be dangerously compromised. 
 
 "The political parties may well have different 
opinions on the unification-independence question and 
other cross-strait issues.  But the arms-procurement 
bill transcends this debate.  The pan-blue parties 
believe that negotiations are the best way to secure 
peace and stability.  However, if Taiwan is left 
without the means to defend itself, it will have 
nothing to bargain with.  For this reason, these 
military purchases are essential.  They are a 
precondition to cross-strait negotiations. . 
 
"China might at any time seek to use `non-peaceful 
means' to resolve the cross-strait issue, and any 
imbalance in naval strength is only likely to encourage 
Beijing to take this option.  If the procurement bill 
does not pass, it is likely that this nation will find 
itself unable even to maintain the status quo in the 
Strait. ." 
 
PAAL