Cablegate: Media Reaction: U.S.-Taiwan Relations

VZCZCXYZ0018
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0742/01 0920854
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 020854Z APR 07
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4732
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6590
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 7836

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000742

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - LLOYD NEIGHBORS
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-TAIWAN RELATIONS

1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies gave
significant news coverage March 31 - April 2 to the National
Communications Commission's penalty on TVBS, a famous cable
television network in Taiwan, for the network's violation of news
ethics and principles of reporting by helping to shoot and air
controversial video footage last Monday. News coverage also focused
on a recent large-scale reshuffle of top prosecutors and on the 2008
presidential elections. The pro-independence "Liberty Times"
front-paged a banner headline April 2 that said "Trial for the Use
of Special Mayoral Allowance Case to Begin Tomorrow; Ma [Ying-jeou]
Will Run [in the 2008 Presidential Election] Even If Convicted in
the First Trial."

2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a weekly column in the
pro-independence "Liberty Times" featured new TECRO chief Joseph Wu.
The article described him as a person who puts Taiwan's interests
as his top priority and is keen on communication with others. An
op-ed piece in the pro-unification "United Daily News," on the other
hand, discussed President Chen Shui-bian's "Four Wants and One
Without" remarks and said Washington regards Chen's "wants" as
"remote and unrealizable wishes." End summary.

A) "For Joseph Wu, Taiwan Comes First, and Communication Is the Best
Strategy to Resolve Confrontation"

The "People of the Week" weekly column in the pro-independence
"Liberty Times" [circulation: 500,000] noted (4/2):

"... Beginning from his long-term research work at National Chengchi
University's Institute of International Relations to his
appointments as the deputy secretary-general of the Presidential
Office, the chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council, and to the new
representative to the U.S. recently. Joseph Wu's jobs have always
focused on U.S.-China-Taiwan relations, and he always faces his jobs
with an optimistic and enthusiastic attitude. Compared with other
political figures who like to put on bureaucratic airs, Wu is a
person that one can easily get intimate with when they meet for the
firs time. Even though his contact may be someone from the
opposition camp, Wu is capable of shortening their distance,
starting communicating and becoming friends with him. ...

"Not only having worked this way in Taiwan, Wu also upholds the same
ideals when it comes to the triangular relationship among the United
States, China and Taiwan. He tries his best to seek the U.S.
support, and when dealing with China, he will not avoid it but will
seek opportunities to communicate with China. This is because he is
confident that only when a bridge of communication is established
can both sides seek common ground while accepting the existing
differences; he believes that [communication can] resolve the
misunderstanding of the Chinese authorities caused by their failure
to understand Taiwan's public view and thus prevent them from coming
to a wrong judgment. ... "I am a DPP member, but this does not
affect my appointment as a government official. Wu noted seriously,
'As long as Taiwan's interests are regarded as top priority, I
believe that with sincere and honest communication, misunderstanding
and confrontation will all be resolved.'"

B) "I Don't Want Your 'Imperatives'"

Washington correspondent Vincent Chang wrote in an op-ed piece in
the pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000]
(3/31):

"Chen Shui-bian put forward the 'Four Wants' to prove his bravery
and to state clearly that 'Taiwan wants independence.' In response
to Chen's remarks, not only the United States and China sought to
play them down, but several pro-independence bigwigs also believe
that there was no need to take A-Bain's statements seriously. Those
wise pro-independence heavyweights have seen through A-Bian, and
exactly as they expected, the 'Four Wants' were indeed drawn back
the next day. Fearing that the Americans might lecture Taiwan, the
Presidential Office, the Executive Yuan, and the DPP all unanimously
but somewhat mentally deranged defended A-Bian by saying that the
'Four Wants' do not clash with the 'Four Nos.' ...

"But the Bian administration did a great job by using a very erudite
English word - 'imperative' - in its position papers for other
countries to describe the simple 'want.' Taiwan's official position
papers thus called the 'Four Wants' as 'Four Imperatives.' The word
'imperative' is a very strong word; it means not only 'want' or
'desire' but the strong-handed 'must have/be.' When reading the
word 'imperative,' U.S. officials' heartbeats went faster, thinking
that A-Bian might mean it seriously this time. But as they read
along and saw that 'Taiwan wants independence' was translated into
'It is imperative for Taiwan to be independent, they immediately
breathed a sign of relief. It turned out that A-Bian was just
bluffing and he did not mean what he said to the foreigners. The
'independent' in the English position paper is an 'adjective,' when
translating the English back to Chinese directly, it means 'Taiwan

has to be independent.' Isn't this the 'status quo' of Taiwan? Why
not just say 'It is imperative that Taiwan be independent and build
a nation?' Why use the word 'imperative' together with an adjective
just to deceive itself?

"Few people really talked about it when Taiwan's official English
version of the 'Four Wants' made debut; moreover, there was 'pirated
version.' Chinese ambassador to China Zhou Wenzhong used 'Four
Wants,' a move that means he took A-Bian's 'Four Wants' seriously.
But U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East-Asian and
Pacific Affairs Thomas Christensen used the words 'Four Wishes' when
testifying before Congress. The 'Four Wants' has been turned into
'remote and unrealizable wishes' by the Americans. This translation
seemed to be the interpretation that understands A-Bian's words and
behaviors best, and it also manifest Washington's mentality in
dealing with the Four Wants - namely, I don't want your
'imperatives!'"

WANG

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