VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0707/01 0660831
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 070831Z MAR 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8894
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 4807
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6005

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000707 
 
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: U.S. RESPONSE TO PRESIDENT CHEN'S 
ANNOUNCEMENT OF CESSATION OF NATIONAL UNIFICATION COUNCIL 
AND GUIDELINES 
 
 
¶1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies shifted 
the focus of their coverage March 7 from the uproar caused 
by President Chen Shui-bian's announcement regarding the 
cession of the National Unification Council (NUC) and 
National Unification Guidelines (NUG) to Taiwan-born 
filmmaker Ang Lee's Oscar award and other local issues.  The 
pro-status quo "China Times" ran a news story on its page 
four with the headline: "If Bian [Seeks to] Amend the 
Constitution or Draft a New Constitution, the United States 
May Likely Lay Its Last Cards on the Table"; vertical to 
this was the sub-headline:  "[U.S.] Worries That Chen's 
Announcement of Cessation of the NUC and NUG Will Trigger 
Something Like That of a Dike Bursting."  The pro- 
independence "Liberty Times," Taiwan's biggest daily, 
carried a news story on its page two with the headline: 
"Bian Insists on Ceasing [the Functioning of] the NUC in 
Order to Win over the Right to Define the Status Quo."  The 
sub-headline added: "Taiwan Strives for Preserving the 
Status Quo of Democracy, Freedom and Peace, and the United 
States Cannot Oppose [Taiwan's Goal]." 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, only the English- 
language papers continued to editorialize on Chen's decision 
concerning the NUC and NUG.  DPP Legislator Lin Cho-shui 
opined in the limited-circulation, pro-independence, English- 
language "Taipei Times" that the selection of the word 
"cease" is intended to allow Taiwan and the United States to 
have its own interpretation.  Lin added that he believes 
that the greatest concession Chen is prepared to offer to 
the United States is "to say that no official has used the 
word `abolish,' and that he will not `recognize' the 
continued existence of the NUC."  An editorial in the 
limited-circulation, conservative, pro-unification, English- 
language "China Post" said "Chen's pledge was meant to fool 
allies in Washington, enemies in Beijing and critics at 
home."  End summary. 
 
A) "Taiwan Must Use Leverage Wisely" 
 
DPP Legislator Lin Cho-shui commented in the pro- 
independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 
30,000] (3/7): 
 
". In Mandarin, the word `cease' can be translated as 
`zhongzhi', but to be exact, the word `zhongzhi' should be 
translated as `terminate.'  Both the Taiwanese and the US 
sides are aware of this, and the use of the word `cease' is 
intended to let each side hQe its own interpretation. 
After last Monday, the US has repeatedly interpreted the 
word `cease' to mean `freeze,' while Taiwan has continued to 
equivocate on the meaning of the word `zhongzhi,' merely 
stressing that a consensus has yet to be reached on the 
cessation of the National Unification Council (NUC) and its 
guidelines. . 
 
"These different interpretations of the word `cease' imply 
that the US does not have the means to force Taiwan to act 
as the US wishes in every instance. . Now that the US wants 
Taiwan to offer yet another concession while at the same 
time humiliating President Chen Shui-bian, I'm afraid that 
the greatest concession Chen is prepared to offer is to say 
that no official has used the word `abolish,' and that he 
will not `recognize' the continued existence of the NUC. 
 
"The reason that Taiwan is not able to accept everything the 
US wants is that although the two countries' interest 
overlap, there are also interests that Taiwan cannot give 
up.  The US cannot make Taiwan do everything exactly as it 
wants, because although there are great differences in the 
strength and bargaQing chips that the US, China and Taiwan 
possess in the international political arena, Taiwan is not 
completely without leverage.  Great powers such as the US 
and China cannot always take what they want when they want 
it, and a small country can take advantage of the interests 
it shares with such great powers to protect its own 
interests. 
 
"Because the timing isn't ideal, however, only some 20 
percent of voters support Chen's wish to abolish the NUC and 
the unification guidelines - a figure that corresponds to 
the number of staunch DPP supporters.  Almost 50 percent, 
however, do not support the move.  This shows that while 
Chen's attempt to abolish the council and guidelines may 
have consolidated his leadership with staunch DPP 
supporters, he has lost his more moderate supporters. ." 
 
 
B) "Did He Abolish NUC or Not?" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China 
Post" [circulation: 30,000] editorialized (3/7): 
 
"The troublemaker is in trouble.  But President Chen Shui- 
bian is undaunted and making more trouble, using his famous 
skill of double-taking to enhance his independence 
credentials at the expense of Taiwan's dignity and 
interests. . Ignoring the U.S. demand of clarification on 
the status of the NUC, the president on Friday told Japan's 
Yomiuri newspaper that he was determined to draft a new 
Taiwan Constitution for a referendum before his term ends in 
¶2008.  Again, he argued with a straight face that this would 
not change the status quo. . 
 
"Chen's pledge was meant to fool allies in Washington, 
enemies in Beijing and critics at home.  But only the 
Americans are willing fools, who dread to be dragged into a 
conflict with China over Taiwan independence but keep on 
turning a blind eye to Chen's separatist moves.  Most of 
Taiwan's people don't want to be part of the PRC, neither do 
they want to go to war with it for independence.  For more 
than five decades, Taiwan has been trained to accept the 
status of `a self-ruled, democratic Chinese non-state beyond 
Beijing's jurisdiction.'  It's too late to turn it into a 
`non-Chinese' entity.  Unless America is ready to confront 
the potential Chinese rival now, and, of course, destroy 
Taiwan in th process." 
 
KEEGAN