US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI2310

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 002310 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS AIT/W 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/25/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, TW 
SUBJECT: NO PROGRESS ON CROSS-PARTY RECONCILIATION 
 
REF: TAIPEI 02167 
 
Classified By: AIT Director Douglas Paal, Reason(s): 1.4 (B/D) 
 
1. (C) Summary:  Legislative Yuan (LY) President Wang 
Jin-pyng told AIT on May 25 that he has seen no improvement 
on the state of cross-party relations since his May 13 
meeting with the AIT Director.  Wang said that he has met 
with People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong since the 
latter returned from the PRC, but Soong adamantly held to his 
position that there would be no negotiation on the Special 
Defense Procurement Budget until Chen Shui-bian publicly 
apologies for his criticisms of Soong.  While the Pan-Blue 
controlled LY Procedure Committee once again on May 24 
blocked the Special Defense Procurement Budget from being 
placed on the agenda, Wang told AIT that he is working 
extremely hard to achieve cross-party consensus on the 
possibility for a extraordinary summer session, during which 
time the LY would have another chance to consider the Special 
Budget.  Wang also said that he has not seen any progress on 
negotiations for a meeting between President Chen and KMT 
Chairman Lien Chan.  While pointing out that negotiations 
have been suspended pending Presidential Office Secretary 
General Yu Shyi-kun's return from the U.S., Wang said that he 
did not believe the DPP is interested in such a meeting.  End 
Summary. 
 
For Want of an Apology 
---------------------- 
 
2. (C) LY President Wang Jin-pyng told AIT on May 25 that he 
has seen no progress on the prospects for cross-party 
reconciliation in Taiwan since May 13, when he met with the 
AIT Director (Reftel).  Wang reported that he met with PFP 
Chairman James Soong after Soong returned from the PRC.  Wang 
said that Soong continues to hold adamantly to the PFP public 
statement that there will be no negotiations on any 
legislation until President Chen Shui-bian apologizes for his 
accusation that Soong had met with PRC Taiwan Affairs Office 
Director Chen Yunlin in the United States.  PFP Legislator 
Daniel Hwang (Yih-jiau) confirmed to AIT that a public 
apology by President Chen is necessary for future DPP-PFP 
cooperation.  Hwang insisted that President Chen must give 
the PFP some sort of face-saving path back to the negotiation 
table. 
 
3. (C) In the May 24 LY Procedure Committee, KMT and PFP once 
again blocked the Special Defense Procurement Budget from 
being placed on the LY agenda for the current session ending 
at the month-end.  Wang told AIT that he had anticipated this 
result because there has to date been no actual cross-party 
negotiation on the Special Budget.  He said, however, that he 
is working extremely hard to gain consensus approval for an 
extraordinary session this summer, so there is a possibility 
the LY could still consider the Special Budget by mid-year. 
PFP Legislator Hwang, however, told AIT that the PFP opposes 
a summer session, arguing that the Pan-Green has pushed for 
an extraordinary session every year, thus negating the 
special nature of such sessions. 
 
Post-PRC Visit Chen-Lien Meeting? 
--------------------------------- 
 
4. (C) Wang told AIT that he has not seen any progress on 
arranging a meeting between President Chen and KMT Chairman 
Lien Chan.  Explaining that negotiations for a meeting would 
normally be conducted by KMT Secretary General Lin Fong-cheng 
and Presidential Office Secretary General Yu Shyi-kun, Wang 
said all such negotiations have been suspended pending Yu's 
return from his May 15-24 visit to the United States.  Wang 
reiterated his May 13 observation to the Director that, 
despite his public statements that he has not ruled out the 
possibility of a meeting with President Chen, privately, 
Chairman Lien still has very negative feelings toward Chen. 
Lien, Wang said, still refuses to call Chen "President," or 
even use Chen's popular nickname "A-bian."  He noted that 
during Lien's telephone conversation with Chen prior to 
Lien's departure for Mainland China, Lien addressed Chen in 
Taiwanese as "Brother Shui-bian," what one would call a 
fellow politician. 
 
5. (C) Wang, however, was doubtful that Chen Shui-bian 
himself is really interested in meeting Lien.  Chen 
understands perfectly well, Wang explained, Lien's 
motivations for wanting to see him -- to ask the DPP 
government to implement the KMT achievements from its PRC 
visit.  Rather, Wang continued, Chen may have concluded that 
he has no incentive to meet Lien.  Wang described Chen as a 
narrow-minded politician who cannot see beyond his own 
self-interest for the good of Taiwan.  Wang also dismissed as 
"meaningless" Premier Frank Hsieh's May 20 statement 
welcoming the PRC decision to allow Mainland Chinese tourists 
to visit Taiwan and proclaiming Taiwan's intention to allow 
daily 1,000 Mainland Chinese visitors for ten-day tours. 
Rather, Wang argued, the DPP will insist on official 
government negotiations on the PRC proposal, a condition the 
DPP knows will be an automatic deal breaker for the PRC.  In 
addition, Wang claimed the DPP government has been 
obstructing KMT efforts to send members of the Provincial 
Farmer's Association to the PRC for further talks on the 
PRC's proposed tariff-free import of Taiwan fruit. 
PAAL