Cablegate: Media Reaction: Cross-Strait Relations

VZCZCXYZ0015
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #2729 2220900
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 100900Z AUG 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1557
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5533
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6744

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 002729

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - SCOTT WALKER
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS

1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies continued to
focus their coverage August 10 on former DPP Chairman Shih
Ming-teh's efforts to oust President Chen Shui-bian; investigations
into the details of the Presidential Office's special state affairs
expense account; the resignation of the Minister of Transportation
and Communications; and Super Typhoon Saomai, which skirted Taiwan
today. The pro-unification "United Daily News" front-paged a photo
of tearful Shih and a story with the headline "Shih Ming-teh Stays
Firm on Ousting Bian." The pro-status quo "China Times," on the
other hand, ran a banner headline on page seven with the headline
"Secret Meeting with Hezbollah Leader Nasrallah; James Huang Touches
Sensitive Nerve of U.S.-Israel Alliance."

2. In terms of editorials, an editorial in the pro-independence
"Liberty Times," Taiwan's biggest daily, urged the Taiwan government
to create a broader space for itself in the international community
by using new diplomatic thinking, and to push the island's UN bid by
using the name of Taiwan. A "China Times" editorial, onthe other
hand, called on Premier Su Tseng-chang to continue the "Su
revisionism" and move toward the middle course. End summary.

A) "Taiwan Must Create Broad Space in International Community Using
New Diplomatic Thinking"

The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 600,000]
editorialized (8/10):

"... Taiwan must no longer entangle itself on the battlefield of
cash diplomacy. It must have new pragmatic thinking to avoid
unnecessary waste of resources and to create a broader space for
itself in the international community. The significance of new
diplomatic thinking lies primarily on changing Taiwan's mentality,
which attaches too much importance to the number of its diplomatic
allies; instead, Taiwan should put its emphasis on showing its
energy in the international community. In other words, the
government should abandon formalism, and focus its diplomatic work
on strengthening the island's substantive relations with the United
States, Japan, and European countries, rather than wasting its
valuable resources on countries that barely have any influence in
the international community. Also, Taiwan's previous attempts to
join the United Nations using the name of the 'Republic of China'
were nothing but a mockery, a waste of energy and time. Thus, we
should apply the pragmatic diplomacy principle on Taiwan's UN bid,
too. In short, Taiwan must be pragmatic with its diplomatic
strategies, no matter whether it is about making more friends or
joining the international organizations. Taiwan must adjust its
priorities with regard to building substantive foreign relations and
formalism, so that it can get out of the diplomatic quagmire and
face a turning point of extensive opportunities."

B) "Why Not Give Su's Revisionism One Last Chance?"

The pro-status quo "China Times" [circulation: 400,000]
editorialized (8/10):

"... For the currently low-spirited Green camp, what 'Su's
revisionism' stands for is definitely an asset rather than a
liability; it provides multiple possibilities for the Green camp to
get out of the dead end of its ideology. One must know that Chen
Shui-bian was able to win the presidential elections in 2000 in a
less promising situation mainly because of the vision created by his
'new middle course.' Even though he chose to back down from the
'middle course' afterwards, this line remains to be operational.
'Su's revisionism,' likewise, offers an operational possibility.
But the fact that the DPP members are vying to get rid of the
'revisionist' line now is akin to blocking all the possibilities for
Su to move toward the middle course.

"Surely we are watching how Premier Su is going to face this test.
It is absolutely impossible to ask Beijing to extend a goodwill
gesture to Taiwan in future diplomatic battles across the Taiwan
Strait; neither is it likely to ask the Green camp to put aside its
assertion of fundamentalism. Yet the time and tide for
globalization wait for no one. If Su, who upholds pragmatism,
decides to put out the fire of his revisionist line, it will be
tantamount to missing the chance to walk out of Chen's shadow
hovering over him."

YOUNG

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