US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI4585

UNCLAS TAIPEI 004585 
 
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: BUSH'S TRIP TO ASIA 
 
 
1. Summary: Major Chinese-language Taipei dailies focused 
their coverage November 15 on the upcoming 3-in-1 elections, 
local scandals, and a Council of Agriculture announcement 
Monday that H7N3, a highly pathogenic strain of avian flu, 
was found in southern Taiwan.  Both the centrist "China 
Times" and pro-unification "United Daily News" reported on a 
seminar on China-U.S. relations, which kicked off in Beijing 
Monday. Both papers agree the main focus of the seminar is 
Taiwan.  Local newspapers gave very limited coverage to the 
upcoming APEC meeting in Pusan and President George W. 
Bush's trip to Asia.  "China Times" is the only newspaper 
that devoted significant space for straight news stories on 
Bush's visits to Japan and China. 
 
2. Editorials in two limited-circulation, English-language 
newspapers discussed Bush's Asia trip.  The pro- 
independence, English-language "Taipei Times" editorial 
condemned the expansion of Chinese hegemony and its 
authoritarian structure, urging the United States to work 
with other democratic countries to pressure Beijing into 
making substantial progress in its democratic development. 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China 
Post" editorial, however, said Taiwan is not a hot issue on 
Bush's agenda this time because, thanks to U.S. intervention 
and Beijing's Anti-Secession Law, the momentum in Taiwan 
toward independence has stalled.  End summary. 
 
A) "Excessive Profits Erode Security" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" 
[circulation: 30,000] commented in an editorial (11/15): 
 
"US President George W. Bush will visit Japan, South Korea, 
China and Mongolia on his latest trip to Asia.  The Bush 
administration's China policy has increasingly been 
influenced by experts who favor economic engagement in terms 
of huge market and business opportunities, while paying less 
attention to the constant expansion of Chinese hegemony and 
its authoritarian structure, which oppresses democratic 
forces. . 
 
"If the US regards Beijing as responsible, on what grounds 
can it condemn countries such as North Korea and Iran?  The 
threat these nations pose to international security and 
democracy is limited compared with that posed by a nuclear 
power such as China. . 
 
"The US has much to lose if Bush continues to rely on those 
who take an economic view and champion profit at the expense 
of international security in the construction of his 
administration's foreign policy.  China stands out in that 
it is so clearly poised, both by virtue of its size and its 
nuclear arsenal, to threaten regional and international 
peace.  If it were not for Beijing's support, would a 
government like North Korea's dare to act in such a high- 
handed manner? ." 
 
B) "Taiwan Not on Bush Agenda" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China 
Post" [circulation: 30,000] wrote in an editorial (11/15): 
 
". This will be Bush's third official visit to China. 
Taipei is always apprehensive whenever a top U.S. official, 
especially the president, goes there.  But this time Taiwan 
has receded from a hot issue to a background issue of U.S.- 
China relations because the momentum in Taiwan towards 
independence has stalled, thanks to U.S. intervention and 
Beijing's new tactics. 
 
"There is a general agreement in Washington that since 
Beijing passed an anti-secession law in March, condoning 
military force against Taiwan independence, there has been a 
reduction in cross-strait hostility.  U.S. constraints on 
Taipei pursuing pro-independence initiatives that risk 
conflict with China will likely remain strong through to the 
end of President Chen Shui-bian's term of office in 2008. 
This relaxed status quo is cherished by all except the Chen 
administration, which seeks to break it." 
 
PAAL