US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI3540

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 003540 
 
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 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: U.S. ARMS SALES TO TAIWAN 
 
 
1. Summary: Major Taipei dailies continued August 25 to 
cover the aftermath of a riot by Thai laborers in 
Kaohsiung, and also provided substantial reporting on 
the issue of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.  The pro- 
independence "Liberty Times," "Taiwan Daily" and the 
centrist "China Time" all carried U.S. Defense 
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's remarks on Taiwan's arms 
 
SIPDIS 
procurements at a Pentagon pres briefing Tuesday.  The 
two pro-independence newspapers emphasized, in 
particular, Rumsfeld's statement in which he referred 
to Taiwan as a "sovereign nation."  The "Liberty Times" 
carried the news story on its page three, and topped it 
with the headline: "Rumsfeld: Taiwan is a sovereign 
nation"; "Taiwan Daily" ran a banner headline on its 
second page that read: "Rumsfeld [talking about 
Taiwan's arms procurements]: It is up to the sovereign 
nation to decide."  All Chinese-language Taipei dailies 
also carried the news story regarding a decision by 
Taiwan's Executive Yuan's to withdraw its original 
special budget for the U.S. arms procurement bill, and 
to include the purchase of PAC-3 missiles in the 
regular annual budget.  In addition, both the "Liberty 
Times" and "China Times" reported in their inside pages 
that the United States is likely to commission a 
Spanish shipbuilder to manufacture the submarines for 
Taiwan. 
 
2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a "Liberty 
Times" editorial called on new KMT Chairman Ma Ying- 
jeou to meet with President Chen Shui-bian and discuss 
the U.S. arms procurement bill.  A "Taiwan Daily" 
editorial also urged the Pan-Blue legislators to 
respect the rules of procedure in the Congress and to 
not block the passage of the arms procurement bill any 
more.  End summary. 
 
A) "Bian-Ma Meeting to Unlock the [Controversial U.S.] 
Arms Procurements Is a Common Expectation of All the 
Taiwan People" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 
600,000] editorialized (8/25): 
 
". Taiwan is naturally the main target of China's rise, 
and China will definitely walk on the road of becoming 
a hegemonic power, which will pose a threat to the free 
world.  The United States and Japan have thus been on 
the alert against it.  In other words, the Pan-Blue 
camp's boycotts against the U.S. arms procurements will 
not only endanger Taiwan's own security but will also 
create a potential crisis [with regard to] the peace 
and stability of the world.  This is why the United 
States has been gravely concerned about the arms deal 
[with Taiwan].  On the one hand, Taiwan needs to 
demonstrate its determination to defend itself; it must 
not rely solely on the United States and put its 
survival on the moral support of an ally.  On the other 
hand, Washington is concerned that once there is an 
opening in the defenses of the [united] front formed by 
the free world, it will lead to non-peaceful rising of 
a Chinese hegemony that will ravage the free world.  As 
a result, in consideration of a harmonious political 
situation, national security and world peace, this 
newspaper hopes Chairman Ma Ying-jeou would change his 
mind and accept President Chen's invitation to engage 
in a candid and reasonable meeting and exchange of 
views on major issues such as the U.S. arms procurement 
bill. ." 
 
B) "Legislative Yuan's Procedure Committee Has Blocked 
the [U.S.] Arms Procurement Bill for 26 Consecutive 
Times; This Is an Outrageously Bizarre Move" 
 
". We believe that the Legislative Yuan's Procedure 
Committee, dominated by primarily by the Pan-Blue 
force, will not easily change its decision [with regard 
to the U.S. arms procurement bill] simply because new 
KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou's personal attitude.  These 
Pan-Blue legislators have grown used to a conditioned 
response when they were under the helms of Lien Chan 
and James Soong earlier; namely, they tend to `oppose 
whatever [Chen Shui-] Bian said' and `resist whatever 
Taiwan needs'.  The Pan-Blue legislators should figure 
out how to act in their capacity and start respecting 
and abiding the rules of procedure in the Congress, or 
their voters will not possibly tolerate their reckless 
or contradictory acts that disregard `political 
ethnics,' `public interests, and `political 
responsibility.'" 
 
PAAL