US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI4609

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 004609 
 
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, Foreign Policy 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: BUSH'S KYOTO SPEECH, APEC, BIRD FLU 
 
1. Summary: Taiwan dailies gave considerable front or second 
page coverage on November 17 to U.S. President George W. 
Bush's speech delivered in Kyoto on Wednesday, in which he 
lauded Taiwan as a model of freedom for China.  Coverage 
also focused on the pan-Blue legislators' move to slash the 
Mainland Affairs Council's budget for 2006; a court ruling 
ordering former President Lee Teng-hui to pay People First 
Party Chairman James Soong NT$10 million in compensation for 
a defamation suit; China's confirmation of its first three 
human bird flu cases; and local scandals.  All major Chinese- 
language Taiwan newspapers also reported how the Taiwan 
Presidential Office welcomed Bush's endorsement of Taiwan's 
democracy, saying it meant a lot to the island that Bush 
praised Taiwan at the start of his trip to Asia.  The 
centrist "China Times" ran a story on page two saying that 
prior to Bush's visit to Beijing this coming weekend, a 
former White House official paid a secret visit to Taiwan 
and met with President Chen Shui-bian to advise Taiwan not 
to make any provocative moves now. 
 
2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, an editorial in 
the pro-independence "Taiwan Daily" commented on Bush's 
speech, saying that when Bush compared Taiwan to democratic 
models like Japan and South Korea, he in fact endorsed 
Taiwan as an independent, sovereign state.  An opinion piece 
in the centrist, pro-status quo "China Times" discussed the 
nature of APEC and said that APEC will be hollowed once the 
East Asia Summit, from which the United States will be 
completely excluded, really takes shape.  An editorial in 
the limited-circulation, pro-independence, English-language 
"Taiwan News" said Taiwan should take the initiative to 
propose cooperation within APEC to study and produce 
vaccines against avian flu.  An editorial in the limited- 
circulation, conservative, pro-unification, English-language 
"China Post" also called for international cooperation to 
curb avian flu.  End summary. 
 
1. Bush's Kyoto Speech 
 
"Bush Wants China to Learn from Taiwan's Democracy and 
Freedom.  How Could the Pan-Blue Camp Be So Merciless as to 
Destroy Taiwan's Democracy!" 
 
The pro-independence "Taiwan Daily" [circulation: 100,000] 
commented in an editorial (11/17): 
 
"[U.S. President George W.] Bush delivered a speech in Kyoto 
Wednesday, lauding Taiwan's democracy, freedom and 
prosperity and saying Taiwan is a model for China to learn 
from. . 
 
"It is noteworthy that in a few days, Bush will meet with 
Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beijing.  Bush will ask China 
to continue implementing its currency reform policy, 
increase U.S. exports to China, and protect intellectual 
property rights.  Sources said the neo-conservative force in 
the U.S. hopes that the Bush administration will adopt a 
tough position toward Beijing with regard to issues like 
human rights and religious freedom.  Bush, on the other 
hand, hopes to influence China's social transformation via 
economic and trade development. . 
 
"Bush's speech stressed the value of Taiwan's democracy and 
clearly pointed out China's totalitarianism.  It is 
particularly pleasing to see that when Bush listed Taiwan, 
together with Japan and South Korea, as democratic economic 
models and asked China to play an aggressive role [in this 
aspect], he has in fact endorsed Taiwan's [status] as a 
country, an independent sovereign state. ." 
 
2. APEC 
 
A) "How Much Can [We] Expect from APEC?" 
 
Wang Chen-yu, a visiting research fellow at Harvard 
University's Law School, said in an opinion piece in the 
centrist, pro-status quo "China Times" [circulation: 
400,000] (11/17): 
 
". Since the nature of APEC is totally different from that 
of closed regional organizations (such as the North American 
Free Trade Agreement and European Union), most APEC member 
nations attend the [annual] meetings with the attitude that 
it is at least better than nothing.  But the United States 
tends to define the APEC meetings as an important occasion 
to influence the direction of Asia's economy and trade.  As 
a result, Washington is akin to becoming a leader of APEC, 
dictating all agenda relevant to the United States while 
other countries pay only little attention to the meetings. . 
Some subtle changes, however, have occurred in this 
situation over the past few years.  Given the tight schedule 
of a series of summit meetings followed by the ASEAN Plus 
Three and plans to organize free trade [zones], Asian 
nations have shown a greater interest in establishing closed 
free trade zones rather than a `tasteless' open regional 
forum like APEC. . 
 
". If the `East Asia Summit' really takes shape, APEC will 
become hollowed.  More importantly, the United States will 
be completely excluded from this closed regional 
organization that ASEAN nations and China are eager to 
build.  Such a development has led the United States to 
criticize the East Asia Summit recently for being a `black 
box;' all the more, it indicates Washington's anxiety of 
being marginalized. ." 
 
B) "No More Insults in APEC Meetings" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" 
[circulation: 20,000] editorialized (11/17): 
 
". The [Taiwan] government should intensify its 
comprehensives international publicity and dialogue efforts 
in order to win affirmation in the world community for 
Taiwan's existence and development and its efforts to 
realize the values of democracy, freedom, peace, progress 
and sustainability. 
 
"Hence, we urge our delegation [to APEC] to make positive 
use of this opportunity, despite the PRC's interference, to 
manifest Taiwan's existence and potential contribution to 
the world community and help other delegates and countries 
to better understand our diligence and friendship. 
 
"Last year, Taiwan was the first to raise the proposal in 
APEC to intensify research and production of vaccines 
against infectious diseases and received widespread approval 
for this initiative.  In light of the rising threat of avian 
influenza in the Asia-Pacific region and in the world, 
Taiwan should also take the initiative to propose 
cooperation within APEC to research, develop and produce 
vaccines and other medicines to deal with avian flu and its 
possible mutations. ." 
 
3. Bird Flu 
 
"International Cooperation Needed to Curb Bird Flu" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China 
Post" [circulation: 30,000] wrote in an editorial (11/17): 
 
". Encouragingly, Taiwan and the United States are planning 
to cooperate in a project to develop a vaccine against avian 
flu, the Council of Agriculture announced during a seminar 
on Tuesday.  This joint effort should be a helpful step to 
preventing the outbreak of the killer disease on this 
island. . 
 
". Yesterday U.S. President George W. Bush called on Asia- 
Pacific leaders to learn from the outbreak of deadly SARS in 
2003 and join forces to fight a potential worldwide spread 
of bird flu. .  The remarks are valid and noteworthy.  Few 
countries would be spared if a bird flu pandemic that the 
WHO warns of occurs.  Countries around the globe should make 
collective efforts to prevent that scenario from becoming 
reality.  Countries may squabble over certain issues, but on 
a health issue such as the bird flu crisis, all should work 
closely together as Bush has urged." 
 
PAAL