US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI4272

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 004272 
 
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, ESTH, Cross Strait Politics 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: CHINA'S SPACE PROGRAM/AVIAN 
FLU 
 
1. Summary: Major Chinese-language Taipei dailies 
centered their coverage October 20 on DPP Legislator 
Lin Cho-shui's proposal to trim the budget for the 
financial support of former presidents and vice 
presidents- [limiting the timeframe to 10 years of 
public support for former presidents, and recalling 
financial support for former vice presidents.] 
 
2.  Newspaper editorials commented on China's space 
policy and avian flu. The centrist, pro-status quo 
"China Times" said China is not yet a "super power" in 
space and would most possibly focus the development of 
space business in the fields of observation, 
communications, and positioning. 
 
3.  The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei 
Times" called upon the WHO to put human lives before 
politics, and allow Taiwan become a member state in 
order to fight hand-in-hand against avian flu.  The pro- 
independence, English-language "Taiwan News" said 
Taiwan should use the APEC mechanism to contribute to 
the research and development of avian flu vaccines, and 
added that Taiwan officials should let the public 
understand the danger of bird flu. End summary. 
 
A) "The Success of the Shenzhou XI Would Not Lead to 
Global Competition in Space" 
 
The centrist, pro-status quo "China Times" 
[circulation: 400,000] editorialized (10/20): 
 
". A more objective statement is that China has become 
a major power, but not a superpower, in space via the 
Shenzhou XI project.  The so-called `major power in 
space' means that a country could independently design 
and complete a space project of certain scale, and 
China has obviously crossed this threshold.  A 
`superpower in space,' however, needs strong and solid 
industrial and economic foundations. . Comparing with 
the United States and Russia, China still falls far 
behind. 
 
". China started to develop space business in 1956 out 
of military concerns,  i.e. developing rockets means 
developing guided-missiles.  Regarding satellites, re- 
entry remote sensing satellites with reconnaissance 
capabilities were the biggest part.  After China 
adopted the `reform and open' policy [in 1979], China's 
space business was obviously aimed at facilitating 
economic development.  China's thinking is to 
industrialize space technology and promote its 
applications. . The most possible direction for 
development should be focused on observation, 
communications, and positioning in order to support 
[China's] joint operations.  In the foreseeable future, 
it is burdensome and unnecessary for China to move 
toward `militarization in the space' 
 
B) "Health Politics and Halting Bird Flu" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" 
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (10/20): 
 
". Taiwanese, like everyone else in the world, are 
concerned about the spread of this disease.  But as 
Taiwan is not a member of the World Health organization 
(WHO) - because of China's incessant political 
interference - it is excluded from the global disease 
prevention and control network.  As a result, it can 
only seek help indirectly from other WHO member 
nations.  This makes a mockery of the WHO's 
humanitarian and sans frontier claims.  It also poses a 
threat to the Taiwanese population, and leaves open a 
loophole in the international public health network. 
 
"Whether looked at from the perspective of Taiwan's 
basic rights to healthcare or global disease 
prevention, we can never allow the nightmare of our 
near-solitary fight against the SARS epidemic in 2003 
to happen again. 
 
"Instead, the WHO should accept Taiwan's allocation to 
become an observer nation.  Human lives must be put 
before politics." 
 
C) "Everyone Responsible for preventing Avian Flu" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" 
[circulation: 20,000] said in its editorial (10/20): 
"Therefore, our country should take the opportunity 
offered by the upcoming meeting of the Asia-Pacific 
Economic Cooperation forum in Pusan, South Korea to 
propose cross-border cooperation to research and 
develop effective vaccines. 
"If we are able to promote the successful development 
and production of effective vaccines through the APEC 
mechanism, Taiwan will have made a major contribution 
to global society. 
". Official efforts to raise awareness are especially 
critical, given Taiwan's geographic location as a key 
stop on the migration paths of various types of birds 
in East Asia and its role as a nesting and breeding 
spot in the autumn for birds flying from the north from 
northeast China, Siberia, the Korean peninsula and 
Japan to Southeast Asia or the South China Sea. ." 
 
PAAL