Cablegate: Media Reaction: Six-Party Talks, Cross-Strait
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 003166
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/RSP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD -
ROBERT PALLADINO
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: SIX-PARTY TALKS, CROSS-STRAIT
RELATIONS
1. Summary: Amid the extensive July 27 coverage of a
game-rigging/player-bribery scandal in [Taiwan's]
Professional Baseball League, all the major Chinese-
language Taipei dailies also ran articles on remarks
President Chen Shui-bian's made during a video
conference with members of the Foreign Correspondents
Club of Japan the previous day. Among the major
Chinese-language newspapers, only the pro-independence
"Taiwan Daily" covered Chen's remarks on the front
page; the article was topped with the headline: "Bian:
If [Taiwan] cannot effectively manage [its high-tech
industry's investments in China], [the government]
would prefer that the island refrain from moving
westbound." The sub-headline added: "[Chen] has for
the first time released [a message of] `effective
management coming before active opening'; [Chen] has
adjusted cross-Strait policy and urges Taiwan
businessmen to follow the [government's] call of `Four
First' to first put their investments in Taiwan." The
newspaper also spent almost all of page two and three
reporting on Chen's remarks and related cross-Strait
trade issues. The pro-independence "Liberty Times,"
Taiwan's biggest daily, and the centrist "China Times,"
also spent a whole page covering Chen's remarks but
only in their inside pages.
2. The Taipei dailies spent much less space July 27
reporting on the Six-Party Talks regarding North
Korea's nuclear abilities than they did on local
topics. The only daily that offered substantial
coverage was the centrist "China Times," which spent
almost one third of its page 13 with articles on the
topic; outside of a wire story report, the articles
focused on the possible impact of the Six-Party Talks
on Taiwan. "Taiwan Daily," on the other hand, did not
carry any news story on this topic.
3. In terms of editorials and commentaries, former
Taiwan National Security Council Deputy Secretary-
General Antonio Chiang wrote in the mass-circulation
"Apple Daily" that as South Korea seeks to assume a
more proactive role in the Six-Party Talks, Seoul has
become a "wind sleeve" for people wanting to observe
how the situation changes on the Korean peninsula.
Only two limited-circulation, pro-independence, English-
language newspapers published editorials on President
Chen's video conference remarks with regard to cross-
Strait relations. The editorials of both the "Taipei
Times" and "Taiwan News" said Chen's remarks were
"significant" and demonstrate his long-term vision of
democratic values. End summary.
1. Six-Party Talks
"Wind Sleeve of the Korean Peninsula"
Former National Security Council Deputy Secretary-
General Antonio Chiang commented in the mass-
circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 500,000]
(7/27):
". But each country [participating in the Six-Party
Talks] has its own plans in mind. The United States is
the world policeman that wants to maintain order with
regard to nuclear weapons. China wants to become a
safety lever in the Northeastern Asian region and to
use North Korea as a strategic buffer zone by trying to
manipulate the issue. Russia, which used to have a
profound influence in this region, naturally does not
want to find itself marginalized. South Korea, on the
other hand, is more concerned about the [possible]
collapse of North Korea and less worried about the
nuclear weapons possessed by Pyongyang. It thus has
tried very hard to assist Pyongyang in improving its
economy and to persuade Uncle Sam to cease using a
tough attitude toward North Korea. As for Japan, even
though it is a direct victim [of the nuclear crisis on
the Korean Peninsula], all it can do, due to some
historical factors, is to hide behind the United States
and let Washington do the talking for it. South Korea,
on the other hand, has criticized Japan for creating
some kind of hurdles for the Six-Party Talks; Seoul has
claimed that Tokyo was there to disturb the talks, and
such an accusation has greatly embarrassed Japan. .
"In the face of such an impasse, South Korea has
gradually assumed a more proactive role by
strengthening its ties with both North Korea and China.
Seoul took the liberty of communicating with North
Korea and the United States, and the result [of such
communication] is gradually taking shape. On the
surface, Beijing still seems to be the host of the Six-
Party Talks. But in reality, Pyongyang may still favor
Seoul to play a leading role [in resolving the issue]
because both Koreas are of the same ethnic origin,
whereas the brotherhood between China and North Korea
merely exists in name.
"Seoul has changed its policies toward Pyongyang and
Beijing, and the moves have created tension between
itself and Washington. But when it comes to the issue
of a nuclear crisis in the Korean peninsula, the United
States, no matter whether it decides to go to war or
live harmoniously with North Korea, cannot do it
without the cooperation of South Korea. As a result,
Seoul has become the wind sleeve if people want to
observe [how] the situation changes on the Korean
Peninsula."
2. Cross-Strait Relations
A) "Time for a Healthy Dose of Reality"
The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times"
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (7/27):
"President Chen Shui-bian, in a videoconference that
linked him up with the Foreign Correspondents' Club of
Japan in Tokyo yesterday, focused on the nation's
attempts to realize the virtue of understanding,
effective cooperation and long-term peace in cross-
strait relations. He said he hoped that under the
principle of democracy, parity and peace, the door to
cross-strait negotiations will be reopened. .
"Chen - who, full of wishful thinking, has been
offering Beijing many goodwill gestures - is finally
waking up and is tasting the bitter fruit of his
efforts. But it is surprising to see that the
opposition leaders still cannot see the error of their
ways. They remain full of hope that the Chinese
Communist Party (CCP)-KMT show will help improve their
political prestige. .
"China continues to treat Taiwan as the enemy and, in
pursuing its cross-strait policy, has sought every
means to destroy it. Given this situation, any talks
in Taipei between the KMT and the CCP are not likely to
yield any result beyond a mass of propaganda applauding
their achievements.
"We hope that the KMT will realize its naivety in
trying to `bargain with a tiger for its skin.' As Chen
pointed out at the videoconference, if China's
`peaceful rising' is not accompanied by `discovering
peace' and `developing democracy,' then it is unlikely
to ever have a government that loves peace. ."
B) "Chen Urges Hope for PRC Democracy"
The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News"
[circulation: 20,000] noted in an editorial (7/27):
"During a rambling 90-minute videoconference with
members of the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan
yesterday, President Chen Shui-bian proposed that the
world democratic community work to construct `a new
balance of power that supports Taiwan democracy and
cross-strait peace. .'
"No less significant was Chen's decision to take the
`high road' of expressing active concern for the
welfare and democratic rights of the 1.3 billion people
of China as well as of the 23 million residents of
Taiwan. .
"Given the degree of political polarization and the
presence of chauvinists in all camps in Taiwan, the
president's statement required considerable political
courage and stands as one of his best, if unfortunately
rare, demonstrations of long-term vision and commitment
to democratic values."
PAAL