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Cablegate: Media Reaction: Bush's Trip to Asia

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

150841Z Nov 05

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.

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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

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