Cablegate: Media Reaction: Cross-Strait Relations

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

UNCLAS TAIPEI 004813

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: CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS

1. Summary: Major Chinese-language Taiwan dailies focused
their coverage December 7 on the possible personnel
reshuffle in the DPP and Cabinet and the possible merger
between the KMT and the PFP in the wake of last Saturday's
elections. The centrist "China Times" ran an exclusive news
story on its front page with the headline: "Bian Invites
[Legislative Yuan President] Wang Jin-pyng to Head the
Cabinet," while the front-page headline story of the pro-
unification "United Daily News" said "Chance of [PFP
Chairman James] Soong Running for the Taipei City Mayorship
is 80 Percent." The pro-independence "Liberty Times"
reported on its page two that "DPP Members Believe [Vice
President] Annette Lu Has Strong Ambitions to Vie for the
DPP Chairmanship." The pro-independence "Taiwan Daily," on
the other hand, carried an exclusive interview with
Presidential Office Senior Advisor Koo Kuang-min on its
front and third pages saying that Koo urged President Chen
to declare Taiwan-centered awareness as his core policy.

2. Several newspapers continued to editorialize December 7
on the reforms of the DPP government. An editorial in the
"United Daily News" discussed Taiwan's cross-Strait policy,
urging President Chen to use a `framework of economic and
trade interaction' to sustain `political peace and
stability" across the Taiwan Strait. End summary.

"Cross-Strait Relations: Use the `Framework of Economic and
Trade Interaction' to Sustain `Political Peace and
Stability'"

The pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation:
400,000] commented in an editorial (12/7):

". [President] Chen Shui-bian's remarks prior to last
Saturday's [island-wide] elections that `cross-Strait
relations will become more limited should the pan-Blue camp
win a sweeping victory' indicated that he was clearly aware
that cross-Strait policy is essential to the ruling of
Taiwan. Chen's remarks aroused strong antipathy [among
people] partially because of his threatening tone and
partially because he insisted on lying to the people since
he knew what he said was not viable.

"Following Saturday's elections, DPP's Straits Exchange
Foundation Chairman Chang Chun-hsiung asked, `How could [the
government] possibly restrict cross-Strait relations?'
Chang's view was not just his own but a consensus shared by
many Taiwanese people and foreign companies in Taiwan. In
the wake of the 3-in-1 elections, there were mounting voices
inside the DPP calling for the [government] to renounce its
`isolation policy,' moderately pursue `globalization,' and
open the three links across the Taiwan Strait. Such calls
not only reflected the post-election situation in Taiwan but
were also a natural trend resulting from changes in history
and in the world. .

"We invite Chen Shui-bian to repeat his self-inventive
slogan several times: `Establish a cross-Strait framework
for peaceful and stable interaction!" The sole and only way
to carry out the spirit of this slogan is to `use a
`framework of economic and trade interaction' to sustain
[cross-Strait] `political peace and stability.'"

KEEGAN

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