US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI3803

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 003803 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - ERIC 
BARBORIAK 
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC, KMDR, KPAO, TW 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-CHINA-TAIWAN RELATIONS 
 
 
1. Summary: Most of the pages of the major Chinese- 
language Taipei dailies September 13 contained articles 
on the Executive Yuan's announcement the previous day 
of the appointment of a new acting Kaohsiung Mayor, 
Minister of Labor Affairs, and Cabinet Secretary- 
General; the impact on Taiwan of Japanese Prime 
Minister Junichiro Koizumi's landslide victory in the 
country's general election; and the new Legislative 
Yuan session that will kick off Tuesday.  The pro- 
independence "Liberty Times" followed up on an 
editorial by the centrist "China Times Express" last 
Friday, and ran a banner headline on its page five that 
read: "U.S. official secretly visited [Taiwan last 
August] to lobby for the lifting of the ban on U.S. 
beef imports."  The newspaper also carried a follow-up 
news story on the same page regarding a report it ran 
Monday on Taiwan's Foreign Minister Mark Chen's being 
required to undergo security screening procedures at a 
U.S. airport last May; the report was topped with the 
headline: "The United States has already apologized for 
Mark Chen's being searched by security personnel [in a 
U.S. airport last May.]" 
 
In terms of the issue of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, the 
pro-independence "Taiwan Daily" printed a banner 
headline on its page five that read: "[President Chen 
Shui-] Bian urged the opposition parties to let the 
[U.S.] arms procurement bill be reviewed by the 
[Legislative Yuan's] Procedure Committee quickly." 
 
2. Most Chinese-language newspapers editorialized on 
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's landslide 
victory in its general election and its impact on 
Taiwan's constitutional operations.  Journalist Sun 
Yang-ming commented on the postponed meeting 
(originally scheduled for September 7) between U.S. 
President George W. Bush and Chinese President Hu 
Jintao, saying the meeting is aimed at "setting the 
tune" for Washington-Beijing relations for the next 
five years.  An editorial in the limited-circulation, 
pro-independence, English-language "China Post" 
discussed U.S.-Taiwan relations and said: "Taiwan and 
the United States need more talks between the policy 
makers of both democracies without foreign 
interference."  End summary. 
 
A) "Bush-Hu Meeting That Will Be Held Today Will Probe 
[the Possibility of Establishing a] Bilateral 
Framework" 
 
Journalist Sun Yang-ming said in a news analysis of the 
conservative, pro-unification "United Daily News" 
[circulation: 400,000] (9/13): 
 
". Beijing termed [Chinese President] Hu Jintao's 
originally planned meeting with [U.S. President George 
W.] Bush September 7 as a `journey to set the tune'; 
namely, the purpose of the meeting is to set the tune 
for Washington-Beijing relations for the next five 
years. . 
 
"Judged from a certain perspective, the meeting 
[originally scheduled for September 7] is in fact a 
step showing that both sides are willing, or at least 
hoping, to test and build a bilateral framework. 
Beijing has even started to consider [possible future 
development of] Washington-Beijing relations should any 
initial result be achieved with regard to Washington- 
Beijing ties.  On a deeper level, [we may say] the 
United States is in the process of a complete overhaul 
of its `China policy. .' 
 
"The purpose of the Bush-Hu meeting is aimed at 
ensuring that both sides are walking towards the same 
direction from the current crossroads in order to avoid 
collisions." 
 
B) "U.S. Should Help Fix Taiwan Ties" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" 
[circulation: 20,000] editorialized (913): 
 
"An impatient attitude toward Taiwan's delay in 
finalizing a procurement of advanced weapon systems 
from the United States has obviously emerged throughout 
virtually all decision-making circles in Washington. . 
 
"An ironic scenario has emerged in which Taiwan, once 
an Asian democratic model boosted by the U.S. for 
decades (not always with justification), has now made 
`big brother' unhappy and impatient, especially after 
becoming a truly democratic polity. . 
 
"The relations between Taiwan and the U.S. urgently 
need to be repaired in order to balance this new 
unfavorable development and both Taipei and Washington 
need to adopt proactive positions to do more to improve 
bilateral ties. 
 
"First, Washington should realize that Taiwan is now a 
democratic country in fact and not rhetoric.  Both the 
U.S. and the DPP government here should face the 
reality that the process of decision-making in 
democratic societies can be messy, complex and time- 
consuming.  Washington needs in particular to engage in 
more lobbying with the pan-KMT or pan-blue camp to 
cease their senseless boycott of the arms procurement 
package. 
 
"The U.S. should show more appreciation for the efforts 
by President Chen to promote a suitable increase in the 
defense share of the central government budget. 
Second, the U.S. should re-examine its own motivations 
and strategy for the sale of defensive weapon systems 
to Taiwan and show that the objective of selling 
defensive arms to Taiwan is derived from moral and long- 
term strategic concerns instead of simply commercial 
interests only, as pan-blue politicians such as PFP 
Chairman James Soong have recently charged.  Third, the 
U.S. has to lower the barriers of mutual communications 
and dialogues.  There can never be too much dialogue 
between two democracies, especially given the 
complicated and sensitive cross-strait environment. 
 
"Taiwan and the U.S. need more talks between the policy 
makers of both democracies without foreign 
interference.  At a time when Beijing so openly engages 
pan-blue leaders for the sake of her own political 
interests which may be quite contradictory to U.S. 
interests, there is no reason for Washington to feel 
confined to abide by outdated and empty protocol. 
Finally, it is neither dignified or respectable for a 
superpower to put all blame and responsibility on a 
society that is being oppressed.  The people of Taiwan 
want to live life and improve their society and have 
neither the desire or the capability of encroaching on 
the genuine interests of powers such as the PRC.  If 
Washington takes its role as the arbiter of world peace 
seriously, it should demonstrate more boldness to 
preach peace to the big bully instead of complaining 
about the nerve of the victim to defend himself." 
 
KEEGAN