US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI3877

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TAIPEI 003877 
 
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. ARMS PROCUREMENTS, U.S.- 
CHINA-TAIWAN RELATIONS 
 
 
1. Summary: Major Chinese-language Taipei dailies 
focused their coverage September 17-19 on the outcome 
of the German elections, and local issues such as the 
sighting of a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine in the 
Taiwan Strait in July, and President Chen Shui-bian's 
upcoming trip to Central America and the Caribbean. 
Almost all Chinese-language newspapers in Taiwan 
reported in their inside pages on U.S. Department of 
State East Asia Bureau Senior Advisor James Keith's 
testimony last Thursday before a congressional 
commission, in which he said PFP Chairman James Soong 
passed on the message to China's President Hu Jintao 
last May that President Chen Shui-bian is willing to 
engage with Beijing while using a flexible formulation 
about what constitutes "one China."  The newspapers 
also carried the Presidential Office's and People First 
Party's denials that Soong was asked to pass this 
message to Hu.  The pro-independence "Liberty Times," 
Taiwan's biggest daily, ran a banner headline on its 
page two September 18 that read: "[Chen Shui-] Bian 
reiterated that Taiwan and China are one country on 
each side [of the Taiwan Strait." 
 
In terms of the U.S. arms procurement bill, several 
Chinese dailies reported in their inside pages that 
U.S. Representative Rob Simmons will head a delegation 
visiting Taiwan in October to discuss the U.S. arms 
procurement bill with Taiwan's opposition parties.  The 
pro-independence "Taiwan Daily" also carried a front- 
page news story September 19 saying former Taiwan 
President Lee Teng-hui will hold a march in Taipei 
September 25 to call on the Taiwan people to support 
the passage of the U.S. arms procurement bill and to 
put an end to the boycotts in the Legislative Yuan. 
 
2. In terms of editorials, the pro-unification "United 
Daily News" ran an editorial questioning whether Taiwan 
wants to engage in an arms race with China.  The 
editorial said even though the United States plays an 
indispensable role in maintaining security across the 
Taiwan Strait, that does not mean that Taiwan has to 
follow every step the United States takes.  A "Liberty 
Times" editorial, on the other hand, elaborated on 
President Chen's reiteration of "Taiwan and China being 
one country on each side of the Taiwan Strait,' saying 
Taiwan needs to take action (e.g. rectifying its name 
and writing a new constitution) so as to become a 
normal country.  An editorial in the limited- 
circulation, pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan 
News" commented on President Chen's planned transits in 
the United States en route to Central American.  The 
editorial urged the DPP government to "utilize the 
transit stops to constructively strike a balance 
between Washington, Taipei and Beijing."  End summary. 
 
1. U.S. Arms Procurement 
 
"Has Taiwan Decided to Walk the Road to an Arms Race?" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification "United Daily News" 
[circulation: 400,000] editorialized (9/19): 
 
". What is more worrisome is that the so-called 
`security impasse' across the Taiwan Strait may not be 
caused by the negligence of any side involved but 
possibly by actions taken during conflict between 
hegemonies in the Asia Pacific region.  In terms of the 
U.S. containment of Beijing, Washington has been 
adopting more and more of the strategies that it once 
used to employ against the former Soviet Union, such as 
the island chain defense, stopping Beijing from 
acquiring military technology, and forcing Beijing to 
engage in an arms race by raising its defense budget 
and developing space weapons.  Washington's pressure on 
Taiwan to pass the arms procurement bill is part of the 
United States' plan to force Beijing to engage in an 
arms race.  The United States appears to plan to wear 
down China's economy, and it remains to be seen whether 
Washington can achieve its aim.  But during this 
process of attrition, Taiwan's economy might be 
undermined. 
 
"Given the big picture in which Washington and Beijing 
are fighting for hegemonic power, it tests the rulers' 
wisdom with regard to how Taiwan can play an 
appropriate role.  Nevertheless, Taiwan does not 
necessarily have to buy all the weapons as requested by 
the United States even though it only has limited room 
to act on its own.  Take the three items of weaponry 
that Taiwan plans to buy as an example -- if Taiwan can 
make use of the conflict between Washington and Beijing 
skillfully, it may likely be able to acquire the 
weapons that it needs without having to pay such a high 
price.  There are precedents that Taiwan can follow. . 
 
"In addition, even though the United States plays an 
indispensable role in maintaining security across the 
Taiwan Strait, it does not mean that Taiwan has to 
follow every step the United States takes.  In this 
regard, South Korea is a very good example: in the face 
of Pyongyang's threats, even though Seoul also has 
raised its defense budget, bought and produced many 
weapons, and maintains a military alliance with the 
United States, it still insists on abiding by its own 
independent principle when engaging with the North 
Korean administration.  ." 
 
2. U.S.-China-Taiwan Relations 
 
A) "Without [Moving to] Rectify Its Name and Write a 
New Constitution, How Can Taiwan [Claim That It and 
China Are] One Country on Each Side of the Taiwan 
Strait?" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 
600,000] editorialized (9/19): 
 
"A senior adviser to the U.S. State Department said 
last week when testifying before the Congress that [PFP 
Chairman] James Soong had [passed a message to Beijing] 
when visiting China saying that President Chen Shui- 
bian is willing to adopt a more flexible approach with 
regard to the contents of one China and is willing to 
engage in a dialogue with Beijing.  But both Chen and 
Soong denied it.  Chen reiterated last Saturday that he 
will never take back or change the remarks he made in 
2002 [asserting] that `Taiwan and China are one country 
on each side of the Taiwan Strait. .' 
 
"The discourse about `Taiwan and China being one 
country on each side of the Taiwan Strait' must be 
carried out via actions.  Also, corresponding measures 
to fulfill this discourse, namely, the moves to rectify 
Taiwan's name and write a new Constitution, must be 
adopted so as to turn Taiwan into a normal country. 
Taiwan people should applaud when President Chen 
emphasized that he will not retrieve or change his 
statement.  But given China's increasingly severe 
suppression on Taiwan, verbal announcements alone were 
not enough.  What Taiwan needs is action. 
 
"It's a pity that when Premier Frank Hsieh assumed his 
position, he announced that the government would slow 
down the movements to rectify Taiwan's name and write a 
new Constitution, the move that will thus slow down the 
pace to make Taiwan a normal country.  It goes without 
saying that Hiseh's announcement is a step moving 
backward when it comes to maintaining Taiwan's 
sovereignty.  What happened [over the past few months] 
has proved that the DPP government's efforts in slowing 
down the moves to rectify Taiwan's name and write a new 
Constitution in exchange for the pan-Blue camp's 
agreement for reconciliation and co-existence were 
wasted in vain.  [On the contrary,] China has been 
intensifying its united front tactics against the 
island. ." 
 
B) "Striking a Balance in the U.S., Taiwan, China 
Triangle" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" 
[circulation: 20,000] commented in an editorial (9/19): 
 
"President Chen Shui-bian will embark on a state visit 
to several of Taiwan's diplomatic allies in Central 
America and the Caribbean tomorrow with transit stops 
in Miami and San Francisco in the United States. .  The 
presidential excursion coincides with several major 
events affecting the triangular relationship between 
the U.S., Taiwan and the People's Republic of China and 
therefore provide an essential opportunity for the 
Democratic Progressive Party government to utilize the 
transit stops to constructively strike a balance 
between Washington, Taipei and Beijing. . 
 
". While reinforcing its security alliance in Asia to 
contain the spread of influence of the PRC military 
build-up, Washington needs Beijing's cooperation on 
issues involving North Korea, anti-terrorism and 
economic openness. 
 
"In this regard, the timing and context of President 
Chen's transit stops will become a testing point for 
U.S.-Taiwan relations as well.  It is fair to say that 
although ties between Taipei and Washington are in 
better shape when compared to two years ago, there are 
still those in the Bush administration that do not 
trust the DPP government.  Washington's main concern 
continues to be over the impression that the DPP 
administration is constantly `pushing the envelope' by 
strengthening the symbols of state sovereignty. 
 
"Taiwan should cooperate with the U.S. in terms of 
increasing its visibility at the highest level and in 
practical and positive ways, but we should take care to 
avoid giving the impression that our moves to provide 
assistance to members of the world community have a 
`gotcha' element that can make other countries and non- 
government organizations wary for what Taiwan is 
offering because it has strings attached. . 
 
"To maximize the positive effect of his transit and to 
avoid misinterpretation from Washington, Chen should 
highlight Taiwan's democratic achievements and assets 
as well as express the strong desire [of] Taiwan to act 
as a partner in the global effort to promote democracy. 
.  Chen should also reaffirm Taiwan's resolution to 
defend itself, in part by restating his position that 
defense spending should amount to three percent of our 
gross domestic product.  We must not leave leaders in 
Washington thinking that Taiwan wants the U.S. to be 
the sole defenders of Taiwan from PRC aggression while 
Taiwanese do nothing to defend their democracy and 
sovereignty. . 
 
"Nevertheless, efforts made solely by Taiwan is not 
good enough.  The Bush administration must refrain from 
incorporating a double standard to treat Taiwan in the 
course of its engagement with Beijing. 
 
"What Bush should really contemplate is the degree to 
which his administration can keep a balance 
safeguarding his own national interests and a full- 
fledged democratic Taiwan while engaging in building a 
`constructive, candid and cooperative' relations with 
China. ." 
 
KEEGAN