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

VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #1409 3340951
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 300951Z NOV 09
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2832
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9546
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0943

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001409

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/P, EAP/PD - THOMAS HAMM
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON

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

Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news
coverage November 28-30 on Taiwan's economy, which showed signs of
stable growth for the first time in eighteen months; on the
controversy caused by the animated news story service launched by
the "Apple Daily;" and on the 46th Golden Horse Awards, considered
the Chinese-language equivalent of the Oscars, which was held in
Taipei County on Saturday evening. In terms of editorials and
commentaries, an op-ed in the pro-independence, English-language
"Taipei Times" discussed U.S.-China-Taiwan relations in the wake of
U.S. President Barack Obama's China visit. The article said Taipei
is now facing a crisis, given that both China and the United States
are urging both sides of the Taiwan Strait to engage in political
talks. A separate "Taipei Times" op-ed, written by a senior fellow
at the American Enterprise Institute, called Obama's Asia trip a
"self-defeating" tour as "Obama simply seems unable or unwilling to
defend U.S. interests strongly and effectively." End summary.

A) "The Crisis after the Obama-Hu Statement"

Lai I-chung, an executive member of the Taiwan Thinktank, opined in
the pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation:
30,000] (11/30):

"The joint statement issued by Chinese President Hu Jintao and US
President Barack Obama on Nov. 17 was cause for concern. Taiwan was
further marginalized in the triangle of relations between Taiwan,
the US and China and is now in an unprecedented predicament. Taiwan
must amend the Referendum Act to state that 'cross-strait agreements
shall be decided by public referendum.' That is the only way for a
united Taiwan to deal with the enormous pressure for political talks
this nation can now expect from Hu. ...

"The US' promises to Taiwan weakened and Washington violated its
1982 'six assurances' to Taiwan by endorsing cross-strait political
talks. With Obama's endorsement, Hu is expected to pile on the
pressure to achieve his dream of creating an irreversible framework
for unification before he steps down in 2012. ... Hu said recently
that Taiwan cannot avoid political negotiations with China, meaning
that such talks are likely to be on the table soon after an ECFA is
inked. Judging from his sophistication and deviousness, Hu will ask
that Taiwan make a commitment during the signing process to pave the
way for political talks and an agenda for a possible Ma-Hu meeting
in 2011.

"Just a week before the Hu-Obama meeting, China sent a large
delegation of academics to Taiwan. Their tough stance on
unification indicates that Beijing was aware of Washington's support
for cross-strait political talks in advance. In the face of both
the former's oppression and the latter's push, Taipei is facing a
crisis: Political talks seem inevitable. The situation today is
even more critical than it was in 1979, when the US established
diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China. The US and
China are now cooperating to lead Taiwan to the slaughter. The only
solution is to strengthen the nation's democratic mechanisms as soon
as possible and give the public substantial power to decide its
future. ... If Taiwan does not amend the Referendum Act and put
cross-strait agreements to referendums, it will find itself squeezed
between China and the US into a difficult and irreversible
situation."

B) "Obama's Self-defeating Asia Tour"

John Bolton, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute,
opined in the pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times"
[circulation: 30,000] (11/29):

"US President Barack Obama's first visit to Asia since his
inauguration was one of the most disappointing trips by any US
president to the region in decades, especially given media-generated
expectations that 'Obamamania' would make it yet another triumphal
progression. It was a journey of startlingly few concrete
accomplishments, demonstrable proof that neither personal popularity
nor media deference really means much in the hard world of
international affairs. ... Overall, Obama surely suffered his worst
setbacks in Beijing -- on trade and economics, climate change and
security issues. ... Many media analysts attributed the lack of
significant agreements in Beijing to the 'rising China, declining
America' hypothesis, which suits their ideological proclivities.
But any objective analysis would show that it was much more Obama's
submissiveness and much less a new Chinese assertiveness that made
the difference. Obama simply seems unable or unwilling to defend US
interests strongly and effectively, either because he feels them
unworthy of defense, or because he is untroubled by their
diminution. ... If, by contrast, Obama continues to behave as a
'post-American' president, China and others will know exactly how to
take advantage of him."

STANTON

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