VZCZCXYZ0007
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0549/01 0530834
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 220834Z FEB 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8640
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 4704
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 5897

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000549 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - ERIC 
BARBORIAK 
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: PRESIDENT CHEN'S PROPOSAL TO 
ABOLISH THE NATIONAL UNIFICATION COUNCIL, AND THE U.S. 
 
 
¶1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused 
their coverage February 22 on U.S. National Security Council 
Senior Acting Director for Asian Affairs Dennis Wilder's 
visit to Taiwan February 13-17 to persuade President Chen 
Shui-bian to abandon his plan to abolish the National 
Unification Council (NUC) and National Unification 
Guidelines (NUG); U.S. arms procurements; and new Premier Su 
Tseng-chang's administrative report to the Legislative Yuan 
 
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Tuesday.  The pro-status quo "China Times" ran a banner 
headline on its front page that read: "U.S. Secret Envoy 
Comes [to Taiwan] to Stop Bian from Abolishing NUC and NUG 
but Meets with Rejection," while the front-page story of the 
pro-unification "United Daily News" said: "United States 
Sends Secret Envoy to Meet with Bian But Fails to Persuade 
[Chen] to Stop the Abolition of the NUC and NUG."  The 
"United Daily News" ran a news story on its third page with 
the headline: "Dennis Wilder [Conveys U.S.] Last Diplomatic 
Message; Washington Really Means It This Time."  The "China 
Times" also carried a news story on its fourth page topped 
with the headline: "Is Washington's [Move to] Expose [the 
Taiwan Visit of] Its Special Envoy an Alternative Way to 
Pressure Bian?"  The pro-independence "Liberty Times," 
Taiwan's biggest daily, on the other hand, ran a banner 
headline on its second page that said: "[Taiwan's National 
Security Council's] Study on [President Chen's Proposal to] 
Abolish the NUC and NUG Will Be Submitted to the President 
This Week." 
 
With regard to U.S. arms procurements, most papers reported 
on Defense Minister Lee Jye's remarks at the Legislative 
Yuan Tuesday in which he said his ministry needs all three 
weaponry items listed in the U.S. arms procurement bill, but 
added that he has cancelled the plan to upgrade Taiwan's PAC- 
2 missile batteries and will not include the budget for PAC- 
3 missiles in the bill in order to show respect to the 
opposition party. 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, journalist Sean 
Liu said in a news analysis in the "United Daily News" that 
Washington is really concerned that President Chen is 
"pushing for a plan that he did not talk about [publicly] in 
an attempt to change the status quo across the Taiwan 
Strait."  Professor Chen I-hsin of Tamkang University's 
Graduate Institute of American Studies also opined in the 
pro-unification "United Daily News" that Washington can tell 
the DPP government via private channels [e.g. sending an 
envoy to Taiwan] why the DPP should not rashly abolish NUC 
and NUG.  If Chen still insists on carrying out his plan, 
the article added, Washington should then make the 23 
million people of Taiwan understand the danger caused by the 
abolition of the NUC and NUG.  Washington correspondent 
James Wang criticized Washington in the pro-independence 
"Taiwan Daily," saying that the United States has deviated 
from its major interests by failing to proactively maintain 
the Taiwan people's right to self-determination and for 
allowing China to interfere in Taiwan's domestic affairs. 
End summary. 
 
A) "The United States Is Not Simply Concerned About 
[President Chen Shui-bian's] Proposal to Abolish National 
Unification Council but Bian's `Next Step'" 
 
Journalist Sean Liu said in a news analysis in the pro- 
unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] 
(2/22): 
 
". Like the reasons why Washington was concerned about 
Taiwan's defensive referendum in 2003, the focus of U.S. 
concern this time is not simply `whether [Taiwan] will 
abolish the National Unification Council and National 
Unification Guidelines.'  Instead, Washington is concerned 
that President Chen is pushing for a plan that he did not 
talk about [publicly] in an attempt to change the status quo 
across the Taiwan Strait.  In other words, the United States 
is concerned about Chen's `next step.' . 
 
"Taiwan relies on the United States' assistance in areas 
such as [the island's] security and foreign relations. 
There are many ways that the United States can penalize 
Taiwan.  Chen did not pay too much attention when Washington 
sent National Security Council Senior Director for Asian 
Affairs Michael Green to Taiwan in 2003 to communicate about 
the referendum issue.  President George W. Bush, as a 
result, soon `taught Taiwan a lesson' personally.  If the 
Presidential Office continues to overlook the U.S. warning 
this time, Taipei had better be mentally prepared about how 
severely Washington will chastise Taiwan." 
 
 
B) "When U.S. Envoy Fails to Stop [Chen] from Abolishing the 
National Unification Council ." 
 
Professor Chen I-hsin of Tamkang University's Graduate 
Institute of American Studies opined in the pro-unification 
"United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (2/22): 
 
". [Some] DPP officials mistakenly compared the referendum 
held in 2004 with [President Chen Shui-bian's] proposal to 
abolish the NUC and NUG.  They believe that as long as 
Taiwan stands firm in its position, the follow-up 
developments will be just like last time where the then-U.S. 
Secretary of State Colin Powell, who was opposed to Taiwan 
 
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holding a referendum, gave in.  However, the DPP officials 
overlooked the fact that the referendum on [buying] missiles 
and [Taiwan's] mainland policy differs from the move to 
abolish the NUC and NUG in terms of these issues' levels [of 
importance].  The referendum was simply about a public 
policy, whereas the move to abolish the NUC and NUG has 
entered the level of national security.  If [Taiwan] 
abolishes the NUC and NUG, followed by the holding of a 
referendum on a new constitution that seeks to change the 
island's national flag and national title, it will mean that 
the matter has entered the constitutional level and has thus 
directly touched the red line drawn by the United States. 
 
"As a result, U.S. President George W. Bush will ask his 
secret envoy to clearly tell the Chen Shui-bian 
 
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administration that if Washington gives in with regard to 
the abolition of the NUC and NUG, it is akin to agreeing to 
the DPP government's [plan] to remove the last safety valve 
for maintaining peace across the Taiwan Strait.  [If] the 
United States fails to stop the DPP government from 
abolishing NUC and NUG, it will likewise fail in stopping 
[Taiwan's plan to hold] a referendum on the new constitution 
and other future moves pushing for Taiwan independence. 
Once Beijing uses forces against Taiwan, forcing Washington 
to make a choice between Beijing and Taipei, Washington's 
decision may not be something that the Taiwan people are 
happy to see. 
 
"Nevertheless, the United States can make it clear to the 
DPP government via a private channel why the latter should 
not rashly abolish the NUC and NUG.  If the Chen Shui-bian 
administration still insists on going along with its plan, 
Washington should then make the 23 million people of Taiwan 
understand the danger caused by the abolition of the NUC and 
NUG." 
 
C) "The Interests of Superpowers and Taiwan's Democratic 
Choices" 
 
Washington correspondent James Wang said in the "Washington 
Review" column in the pro-independence "Taiwan Daily" 
[circulation: 100,000] (2/22): 
 
". The United States supports Taiwan's democracy, but it 
does not recognize Taiwan's democratic results, [and] even 
restricts Taiwan's democratic development.  Washington holds 
no particular position toward [China-Taiwan] `unification', 
but it goes by China's position [by saying] it `does not 
support Taiwan independence.'  Washington supports Taiwan's 
right to reject China's annexation [of the island], but it 
suppresses the [Taiwan people's] democratic principle of 
self-determination.  . 
 
"The United States not only fails to proactively safeguard 
Taiwan people's rights of self-determination but also allows 
China to interfere with Taiwan's domestic affairs and use it 
as a means to annex Taiwan.  The United Stats has abandoned 
the democratic and just position it should have and deviated 
from its major interests. .  Where will Taiwan's long-term 
interests lie if its people just sit back and let the United 
States constrain the island and allow China to sabotage the 
island's national security via a foreign political party? . 
Now that Taiwan people are their own masters, who can they 
blame if they don't stand up and fight the actions of a big 
country [i.e. the United States]? ." 
 
KEEGAN