US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI3191

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 003191 
 
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: CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS, U.S. 
ARMS SALES 
 
1. Summary: The Taipei dailies July 29 focused their 
coverage on cross-Strait relations, local politics, and 
President Chen Shui-bian's declaration on Taiwan's 
determination to safeguard the nation's territory (made 
on a visit to Pratas Island).  The major Chinese- 
language newspapers' reports on cross-Strait relations 
centered mainly on two aspects: Beijing's unilateral 
announcement regarding duty-free entry of Taiwan fruit 
starting August 1; and Taiwan Mainland Affairs 
Council's plan to open Taiwan to Chinese tourists.  The 
centrist "China Times" ran a banner headline on its 
front page that read: "Both sides [of the Taiwan 
Strait] exchange blows; tourism versus fruit."  The pro- 
unification "United Daily News" said on its front page: 
"Breakthroughs have been made with regard to opening 
mainland Chinese to visit Taiwan"; the front-page news 
story of the pro-independence "Taiwan Daily," however, 
read: "Taiwan fruit selling to China and [mainland 
Chinese] to tour Taiwan; China is playing a two-pronged 
strategy."  The pro-independence "Liberty Times," 
Taiwan's biggest daily, carried the news stories on 
these cross-Strait topics on its page two.  It also 
devoted its entire page three to coverage of the 
unnamed disease in Sichuan that has already killed 31 
people. 
 
2.  In terms of editorials, a "United Daily News" 
editorial commented on President Chen's remarks on 
cross-Strait policy, which he made during a recent 
videoconference with the Foreign Correspondents' Club 
of Japan.  The editorial cautioned Chen not to copy 
Washington's `China threat theory' or Beijing's cross- 
Strait policy, but should work out a set of policies 
that truly meets Taiwan's interests.  A "Taiwan Daily" 
editorial urged the opposition parties to support the 
holding of a Legislative Yuan interim session to 
discuss the arms procurement bill.  Taiwan needs to 
protect its own national security, the editorial said, 
otherwise how can it ask the United States to help 
defend the island?  End summary. 
 
1. Cross-Strait Relations 
 
"No War, Find Ways to Talk, and No More 
Procrastination!" 
 
The pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 
600,000] editorialized (7/29): 
 
"President Chen Shui-bian said during a videoconference 
with the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan that his 
cross-Strait policy is `to find ways to talk [with 
Beijing], and that he is not afraid of postponing [the 
talks]. .' 
 
"Taiwan must not have any illusion about the United 
States' `China threat theory,' because it is unlikely 
that Washington will apply the tactics it used against 
Iraq on China.  Neither should Taiwan follow China's 
suit . because the future trend tells [us] that no 
matter how long Taiwan procrastinates, it is unlikely 
to procrastinate long enough to see `China fall apart' 
or to see `Taiwan declare independent and become a 
nation.'  If so, what is the point for Chen to 
procrastinate? . 
 
"The painful experience that Taiwan has undergone over 
the past ten years has proved that Taiwan should not 
and must not procrastinate any more.  The longer it 
procrastinates, the worse the situation gets, and the 
narrower its road becomes.  Chen must not copy the 
United States' `China threat theory' and use it as his 
cross-Strait policy, nor should he copy [Chinese 
President] Hu Jintao's `not afraid of procrastinating' 
as Taiwan's cross-Strait policy.  Taiwan is not the 
United States, after all, and Chen is not Hu, either. 
Chen must not randomly pick up what others have said 
and take it as his own ideas.  Instead, he must work 
out a cross-Strait policy that truly meets Taiwan's own 
interests!" 
 
2. U.S. Arms Sales 
 
"The Opposition Parties Must Uphold [Taiwan's] National 
Security as a Top Priority and Support Holding an 
Interim Session [in the Legislative Yuan] to Have the 
Procedure Committee Discuss the Arms Procurement Bill" 
 
The pro-independence "Taiwan Daily" [circulation: 
150,000] commented in an editorial (7/29): 
 
". But the problems and obstacles surrounding the U.S. 
arms sales to Taiwan, which have hindered the arms 
procurement bill from being passed [by the Legislative 
Yuan], has created a threat to Taiwan's security and 
have had an impact on the development of Taipei- 
Washington relations.  The U.S. government and the 
Pentagon placed tremendous pressure on Taiwan demanding 
that the island pass the special budget for the arms 
deal in order to further strengthen its defense 
capabilities.  When their attempts failed, however, 
they sought to view the crisis across the Taiwan Strait 
using a rational and composed attitude.  Washington 
believes that Taiwan is a democratic and free country 
and it is up to its public to decide whether the arms 
procurement bill should be passed.  If the Taiwan 
people do not want the bill to be passed and chose to 
risk danger, the United States can do nothing to change 
[the Taiwan people's decision] but accept the fact. 
There are voices in the United States saying if the 
Taiwan people do not want to safeguard their own 
national security, how can they ask the United States 
to volunteer to join a war in the Taiwan Strait, and 
such a view might develop into a mainstream value in 
American society. . 
 
". [Taiwan's] opposition parties should modify their 
attitude of opposing everything that [President] Chen 
Shui-bian supports and adjust their mistaken idea of 
`joining hands with the Chinese Communist Party to 
restrain Taiwan.'  They instead should adopt a position 
of protecting Taiwan, uphold the island's national 
security as their top priority, and support the holding 
of an interim session [in the Legislative Yuan] to have 
the Procedure Committee conduct a substantive debate on 
the arms procurement bill as early as possible.  That 
way can best demonstrate the position claimed to be 
held by the opposition parties that they love Taiwan 
and stand beside the Taiwan people." 
 
PAAL