VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0868 0750736
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 160736Z MAR 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9123
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 4878
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6069

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000868 
 
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: AFTERMATH OF PRESIDENT CHEN SHUI-BIAN'S 
CESSATION OF THE NATIONAL UNIFICATION COUNCIL AND GUIDELINES 
 
 
¶1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused their 
coverage March 16 on Premier Su Tseng-chang's Wednesday remarks on 
improving Taiwan's public order; the freeway electronic collection 
system scandal; the call for a new investigation into the 319 
shooting incident; the rally planned by the DPP for March 18; and 
other local issues.  Most papers reported on their front page 
Premier Su's remarks Wednesday that he will resign from his position 
and quit politics for good if he cannot reduce Taiwan's crime rate 
within six months.  All papers also carried in their inside pages 
U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesman Adam Ereli's reiteration 
Tuesday that President Chen Shui-bian must live up to his pledges 
with regard to Taiwan's cross-Strait policy.  The pro-independence 
"Liberty Times," Taiwan's biggest daily, and the pro-independence 
"Taiwan Daily" both ran the results of an opinion survey released by 
the Institute for National Policy Research Wednesday, in which 73 
percent of respondents said they are not willing to sacrifice 
Taiwan's democracy in exchange for economic development.  The same 
poll also revealed that 83 percent of respondents said they were 
opposed to letting the government unilaterally decide whether Taiwan 
should unite with China or choose independence in the future. 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, only one commentary 
continued to focus on the aftermath of President Chen's announcement 
to cease the function of the National Unification Council (NUC) and 
the application of the National Unification Guidelines (NUG). 
Professor Edward Chen at Tamkang University's Graduate Institute of 
American Studies opined in the pro-unification "United Daily News" 
that Washington could use its March 2 statement as a magic spell to 
constantly remind Chen to live up to his pledges.  End summary. 
 
"[Taiwan] Has Successfully Weathered [the Storm] of the Cessation of 
the NUC and NUG?  Washington [Can Use the State Department's March 2 
Statement] as a 'Magic Headband' [to Restrain Taiwan]" 
 
Professor Edward Chen of Tamkang University's Graduate Institute of 
American Studies opined in the pro-unification "United Daily News" 
[circulation: 400,000] (3/16): 
 
"... [U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesperson Adam] Ereli's 
remarks Wednesday indicated that the earlier news reports saying 
that Washington has decided to give President Chen Shui-bian a break 
[regarding the NUC and NUG controversy] did not [reflect] the real 
situation. ...  In fact, Washington does need to make the best use 
of its [March 2] written statement and use it to seize Chen by the 
throat. ... What Chen said during his interview with the Washington 
Post Tuesday with regard to Taiwan's new constitution was true.  But 
[achieving] the success of his constitutional reform plans has never 
been Chen's goal; instead, what he cares about is the process. 
During the process of constitutional reengineering, Chen can not 
only inflame the passion of his supporters, raise the Taiwan 
people's awareness of Taiwan-centered values, intensify the ethnic 
mistrust and confrontations between unification and independence 
[supporters on the island], thereby consolidating the Green 
fundamentalists' support and manipulating the elections, but also 
generate an impact on cross-Strait relations or even trigger 
conflict between the United States and China. 
 
"In the wake of his announcement to 'cease the function of the NUC 
and the application of the NUG', Chen will definitely [get to] have 
'his next step.'  Constitutional re-engineering may be his next 
step, but it is a plan that most people have expected.  What on 
earth will be his next step that surprises everyone?  Nobody knows. 
In light of Chen's unpredictability, Washington's [March 2] 
statement is akin to buying an insurance policy for itself. ...  If 
Washington is smart enough, it would not necessarily have to please 
Chen by letting the NUC and NUG matter be over.  As long as the 
United States mentions its [March 2] statement on and off in the 
future, it will be like chanting a magic spell to Chen all the time, 
reminding him that the NUC and NUG are not abolished." 
 
KEEGAN