US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI3961

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 003961 
 
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 
 
 
1. Summary: Major Chinese-language Taipei dailies 
focused their coverage September 24-26 on a rally in 
support of the U.S. arms procurement bill and a 
demonstration organized by the Anti-Arms Procurement 
Alliance that were both held on Sunday; a proposal by 
President Chen Shui-bian to set up a US$250 million 
fund for financing development in Central America; and 
an extortion scandal involving a local TV star.  The 
pro-independence "Liberty Times" ran a banner headline 
on its front page September 26 that read: "In Support 
of [U.S.] Arms Procurements, Taiwan People Take to the 
Street to Speak Out."  The other Chinese-language 
newspapers also reported on the rally and the counter- 
demonstration in their inside pages.  To follow up on 
last week's speech by U.S. Deputy Under Secretary of 
Defense Richard Lawless on Taiwan's blocked arms 
procurement bill, the pro-unification "United Daily 
News" quoted Taiwan Defense Minister Lee Jye September 
24 as saying "Washington's Remarks Interfere with 
Taiwan's Domestic Affairs."  Several newspapers also 
carried news stories September 24 in their inside pages 
on former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard 
Armitage's remarks that Taiwan should work to 
strengthen its communication mechanisms with high- 
ranking U.S. officials and not rely solely on the 
American Institute in Taiwan for such interaction. 
 
The pro-independence "Taiwan Daily" ran a banner 
headline on its front page September 24 that read: 
"[Chinese President] Hu Jintao's [Proposal to] Work 
with the United States in Opposing Taiwan Independence 
Gets Turned Down."  The sub-headline added: "Bush Hopes 
That Governments of Both Sides of the Taiwan Strait 
Resume Dialogue As Early As Possible; with Regard to 
[Hu's] Proposal of `Joining the Chinese Side,' a U.S. 
Official [States]: The United States Has Its Own 
Position." 
 
2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a "Liberty 
Times" editorial said the Sunday rally shows that no 
one should question the Taiwan people's determination 
to defend themselves.  An opinion piece by "Taiwan 
Defense Review" Director Mei Fu-hsing in the mass- 
circulation "Apple Daily" said the KMT should not 
oppose the U.S. arms procurement bill as such action 
will harm the mutual trust between the United States 
and Taiwan.  Journalist Wu Chung-tao said in a news 
analysis in the "United Daily News" that the underlying 
logic with regard to U.S. pressure on Taiwan to buy 
weapons is that a war in the Taiwan Strait is 
inevitable.  Professor Chang Ya-chung commented in an 
opinion piece in the "United Daily News" that the 
policy to buy weapons in exchange for Taiwan's national 
security is an erroneous one.  End summary. 
 
A) "No One Should Question the Determination of the 
Taiwan People to Defend Themselves" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 
600,000] editorialized (9/26): 
 
". The more Taiwan becomes isolated, the happier the 
pan-Blue camp gets.  The United States' questioning of 
Taiwan's determination to defend itself will perhaps 
encourage the pan-Blue camp to continue [maintaining 
its position] to oppose the [U.S.] arms procurements. 
Why?  This is because the pan-Blue camp and Beijing 
authorities both believe that the biggest hurdle to 
unification across the Taiwan Strait lies in 
Washington's security commitment to Taiwan, as 
evidenced in Washington's sending two carrier battle 
groups to the areas near Taiwan during the cross-Strait 
tension in 1996.  Washington's annoyance toward Taiwan, 
or even its reserved attitude to help defend the island 
are exactly what Beijing and the pan-Blue camp have 
been seeking eagerly. 
 
"In the Legislative Yuan nowadays, the will of 
political parties have severely intervened with public 
opinion.  Sunday's rally calling for defense of Taiwan 
indicated that no one should question Taiwan people's 
determination to defend themselves.  Who will gain if 
people fail to look into the motives behind the pan- 
Blue camp's anti-arms procurement movements and thus 
question Taiwan people's determination to defend 
themselves?  Surely it will be the pan-Blue camp and 
Beijing authorities.  This is the situation that we 
hope our American friends will see clearly." 
 
B) "For Its Own Sake, the KMT Should Not Oppose Arms 
Procurements" 
 
Mei Fu-hsing, director of the "Taiwan Defense Review," 
wrote in an opinion piece in the mass-circulation 
"Apple Daily" [circulation: 570,000] (9/26): 
 
". The opposition parties have indeed succeeded in 
slashing the prestige and credit of the Chen Shui-bian 
administration and the DPP by [blocking] the arms 
procurement bill.  But their moves have also harmed the 
foundation of mutual trust between the United States 
and Taiwan now, and they have started to erode the 
traditional friendship and trust of the U.S. 
conservatism faction toward the pan-Blue camp.  This 
will be a significant warning signal for the KMT which 
aspires to regain the ruling position in 2008." 
 
C) "Mud Slinging Everywhere, But What About [Taiwan's] 
National Defense Strategies?" 
 
Journalist Wu Chung-tao commented in a new analysis in 
the conservative, pro-unification "United Daily News" 
[circulation: 400,000] (9/26): 
 
". The [U.S.] arms procurement bill involves the United 
States, China and Taiwan and has an impact on Taiwan's 
domestic political climate.  The reason why Washington 
has been placing pressure on Taiwan over the past two 
years is because it is concerned about tilting balance 
of military power across the Taiwan Strait.  But 
Washington's concern stems from its need to guarantee 
the United States' strategic plan in the West Pacific; 
namely, maintaining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait 
is in the United States' interests. 
 
"However, the arms procurement bill does not matter to 
Washington-Beijing-Taipei ties only; it is also related 
Taiwan's national security as well as the status and 
future directions of both sides of the Taiwan Strait. 
In particular, the price tag earmarked for the arms 
procurements is very high.  In addition to endless mud- 
slinging and harsh debates, how come people are not 
offered a detailed bookkeeping analysis of the budget 
and a clear explanation of the government's national 
defense strategy. . 
 
"With regard to the United States' pressure on Taiwan 
and the government's need to spend a huge amount of 
money buying weapons [from the United States], the 
underlying logic is actually based on the assumption 
that `a war is inevitable' in the Taiwan Strait. 
Judged from the military aspect, it is a fact that the 
balance of military power across the Taiwan Strait is 
gradually disappearing.  But issues regarding whether a 
war will break out in the Taiwan Strait, whether only 
the zero-sum situation will be the final solution for 
both sides of the Taiwan Strait, and whether public 
opinion really support military competitions could 
still be discussed." 
 
D) "It Is an Erroneous Policy to Use Arms Procurements 
in Exchange for Security" 
 
Chang Ya-chung, professor of political science of 
National Taiwan University, commented in an opinion 
piece in the conservative, pro-unification "United 
Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (9/25): 
 
". The next stage of the anti-arms procurement movement 
is to tell Taiwan people that it is basically an 
erroneous policy [for Taiwan] to rely on using the arms 
procurements or the United States in exchange of its 
own security.  The discussion of arms procurements 
should no longer focus on the question of `whether' 
they can protect Taiwan's national security but on the 
question of `how' Taiwan can get the security it needs. 
Taiwan's security must be built on political 
reconciliation across the Taiwan Strait and Taiwan's 
`wealth' development strategy in the globalized era.  . 
Taiwan's elites should be gathered to present a 
comprehensive discourse proactively on how to find a 
right road for Taiwan to walk in terms of its future 
security, peace and development. ." 
 
KEEGAN