Cablegate: Media Reaction: U.S. Arms Procurements
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
260910Z Sep 05
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