US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI3290

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 003290 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS AIT/W 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/08/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, TW, Domestic Politics, Cross Strait Politics, Foreign Policy 
SUBJECT: TAIWAN SOLIDARITY UNION CELEBRATES FOURTH 
ANNIVERSARY:  PRESIDENT CHEN REITERATES "ROC IS TAIWAN" AND 
"FOUR STAGES OF ROC," TSU-DPP COOPERATION IN TROUBLE 
 
REF: TAIPEI 3240 
 
Classified By: AIT Director Douglas Paal, Reason(s): 1.4 (B/D) 
 
1.  (U) Summary:  The fourth anniversary of the fiercely 
pro-independence Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) brought 
President Chen Shui-bian and his "deep-Green" critic, former 
President Lee Teng-hui, on stage together for the first time 
in several months.  While the two men were outwardly cordial 
toward each other, it was clear from Lee's statements that 
Pan-Green coalition has unraveled and cooperation has ceased 
on the December 2005 local elections.  Addressing this 
"deep-Green" (pro-independence) gathering, President Chen 
took the opportunity once again to reiterate his "Republic of 
China (ROC) is Taiwan" and his "four stages of ROC" thesis. 
He acknowledged that any future was possible, so long as it 
reflected the wishes of the people, but he did not state that 
one possibility was reunification.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (C) President Chen Shui-bian and former President Lee 
Teng-hui mounted the stage together for the first time in 
three months at the August 6 fourth anniversary celebration 
of the founding of the staunchly pro-independence TSU.  In 
the days before the event, TSU officials had told AIT that 
they hoped the event would provide a venue for reconciliation 
between Chen and TSU's "Spiritual Leader" Lee and between DPP 
and TSU.  Chen and Lee interacted congenially onstage and 
reportedly met in private prior to the event.  Only Chen, 
however, demonstrated willingness to reach out to the other 
coalition partner, TSU, while Lee continued to express 
dissatisfaction with the overall direction of Chen government 
policies. 
 
3.  (C) Relations between Pan-Green coalition partners DPP 
and TSU and their two leaders, Chen and Lee, have continued 
to worsen since Lee launched scathing attacks on Chen for 
being "too soft" in response to the PRC's Anti-Secession Law 
in March and to the visits of KMT Chair Lien Chan and PFP 
Chair James Soong to Beijing in April-May.  This friction 
over cross-strait relations was further exacerbated when the 
two parties began planning for the December 2005 city/county 
chief elections, as efforts by the two coalition partners to 
cooperate on nominations failed to materialize. 
 
4.  (C) In his remarks, President Chen assured a 
standing-room-only crowd of TSU politicians and supporters 
that he will not waiver on his insistence on Taiwan,s 
separate identity from China and his pledge to protect 
Taiwan,s sovereignty and eventually make Taiwan a "normal, 
complete, advanced, and great" country.  Chen described the 
DPP and TSU as "ideological allies and action partners" and 
stressed that the two parties share goals of strengthening 
Taiwan,s national identity and sustainable development.  At 
the same time, Chen also admitted that the two parties, 
missions and roles probably differ slightly at the moment and 
expressed his hope that "any rifts between us over electoral 
competition should not obstruct our cooperation in pursuing 
our common goals."  (Note: A member of the audience gave 
Poloff a running translation of the Taiwanese language 
statements of Chen and Lee.  End Note.) 
 
5.  (U) In describing his policy, Chen reiterated the "four 
stages of the Republic of China (ROC)" with the current stage 
being "the ROC is Taiwan" (See Reftel).  His statement was 
greeted with polite but underwhelming applause from the 
audience.  Chen stressed that his administration is seeking 
both reconciliation with opposition parties and cross-strait 
detente in order to achieve domestic political stability and 
pursue a breakthrough in deadlocked cross-strait relations. 
He added that any future for Taiwan was possible, so long as 
it was in accordance with the sovereign will of the Taiwan 
people.  He did not, however, specify that one possible 
future was reunification.  Chen defined his administration's 
engagement with China as "One Principle," "Three 
Insistences," and "Five Oppositions": 
 
-- One Principle:  Taiwan,s sovereign status.  Chen added 
that his administration looks forward to hold dialogue and 
consultations with China under the principle of "democracy, 
parity, and peace." 
 
-- Three Insistences:  Insisting on continued democratic 
reform; insisting on Taiwan,s separate identity from China; 
and insisting on developing Taiwan into a "normal, complete, 
advanced, and great" country. 
 
-- Five Oppositions:  Opposing Beijing,s "One China" 
principle; opposing Beijing,s "One Country, Two Systems" 
unification formula; opposing the so-called "1992 Consensus"; 
opposing any proposal that upholds unification as the only 
option for Taiwan,s future; and opposing China,s 
anti-secession law that codifies the use of "non-peaceful 
means" against Taiwan. 
 
6.  (U) While the crowed listened closely to President 
Chen,s statements and applauded occasionally, former 
President Lee was the main event, commanding a standing 
ovation and repeated hearty cheers from the audience.  Lee 
focused his comments on criticizing "collusion" of pan-Blue 
alliance leaders with China, especially the visits by 
Kuomintang Chairman Lien Chan and People First Party James 
Soong to the Mainland.  He asserted that Taiwan's most 
dangerous enemies were those leaders who benefited from 
contact with the PRC.  Lee also urged TSU politicians to 
stand united and to do their best to ensure that the party,s 
nominees for the December city and county elections succeed 
in their electoral bids.  Finally, Lee stated that it is time 
for the TSU to stand on its own as a political party, 
depending only on itself for  success.  He conceded that this 
would not be a quick and easy process; after all "Rome was 
not built in a day."  Lee asserted that the TSU plays a 
unique role in Taiwan politics as "the only anti-Communist 
political party" in Taiwan. 
PAAL