VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #1311/01 1040800
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 140800Z APR 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9701
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5061
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6256

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001311 
 
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: KMT-CCP ECONOMIC FORUM 
 
¶1. Summary: Taiwan's papers gave significant coverage April 14 of 
President Chen Shui-bian's remarks Thursday that he would step down 
if any of the first family had improperly accepted gift vouchers to 
the SOGO Department Store.  Coverage also focused on the KMT-Chinese 
Communist Party (CCP) Economic Forum, which kicked off in Beijing 
today; the corruption scandals surrounding former Presidential 
Office Deputy Secretary-General Chen Che-nan; and other local 
political issues.  The pro-independence "Liberty Times," Taiwan's 
biggest daily, ran a banner headline on its second page that read: 
"[Former President] Lee [Teng-hui] Criticizes the KMT-CCP Forum as a 
Move to Help China to Use Economic and Trade Ploys to Annex 
Taiwan." 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a news analysis in the 
pro-unification "United Daily News" said KMT Honorary Chairman Lien 
Chan will hold a lot of leverage in future interactions between 
Washington, Beijing and Taipei.  A separate "United Daily News" 
commentary called the KMT-CCP forum another window of opportunity 
opened for both sides of the Taiwan Strait, adding that it may very 
likely be a result of the United States' hard work.  A commentary in 
the limited-circulation, pro-independence, English-language "Taipei 
Times," however, said "Lien might be able to act pompous when he has 
the CCP behind him, but the CCP is playing to a home audience, 
strengthening its position by promoting unification between China 
and Taiwan."  End summary. 
 
A) "Beijing Lays Itself out to Treat Lien Chan as One of Its Own 
People" 
 
Journalist Yang Yu-wen commented in a news analysis in the 
pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (4/14): 
 
"One year after Lien Chan and Hu Jintao jointly created the history 
of reconciliation between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party, 
the two met again in Beijing [Thursday].  Over this past year, the 
two men have been working together to gradually push for steady 
development of an interaction mechanism across the Taiwan Strait. 
... 
 
"In addition to his influence shown in the [KMT-CCP] platform, Lien 
in fact continues to play a leverage role in the interactions 
between Washington, Beijing and Taipei, and his influence should not 
be easily overlooked.  In the wake of President Chen Shui-bian's 
decision to cease the functions of the National Unification Council, 
a move that irritated the United States, which, as a result, sought 
to belittle Ma Ying-jeou in an attempt to revenge Chen, the current 
development is that Washington is forming a 'follow-up consensus' 
with Taiwan's presidential hopeful [i.e. Ma] over the Five No's 
pledge; the two sides have even gone so far as to discuss the 
so-called modus vivendi across the Taiwan Strait.  Beijing does not 
have a direct role to play in Washington interactions with Ma.  But 
Lien and Hu's joint efforts to promote the KMT-CCP forum at this 
time has, to a certain extent, secured the KMT's route of 
reconciliation with regard to cross-Strait relations.  ... 
 
"No matter what plans Ma has in mind, while the KMT-CCP forum is 
already able to further shape policies and stabilize current 
cross-Strait relations, the situation jointly created by Lien and Hu 
will have formulated a new and fully-developed status by 2008. 
Given the competition and cooperation of the two frameworks - the 
KMT-CCP forum and the U.S.-China-Taiwan dialogue, Washington may not 
be the only one that can direct the future situation.  Judging from 
this grand perspective, this chess move by Lien and Hu has actually 
carried far-reaching implications." 
 
B) "Another Window of Opportunity" 
 
Journalist Luo Chia-wei opined in the "United Notes" column of the 
pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (4/14): 
 
"... Since President Chen announced the 'proactive management and 
effective opening' policy in his New Year's Day speech, a tightened 
cross-Strait trade relationship has become the [government's] main 
policy direction in Chen's remaining term.  But given Ma Ying-jeou's 
successful visit to the United States and pressure posed by the 
forthcoming meeting between U.S. President George W. Bush and 
Chinese President Hu Jintao, the DPP's policy direction seems to 
have swung over to the opening side again. ... 
 
"President Chen himself revealed recently that he has met with AIT 
Taipei Director Stephen Young four times already [over the past 
month].  Were these meetings just to clear up the messy situation 
created by [Chen's announcement to] cease the functions of the 
National Unification Council?  While Chen and Ma, in their recent 
meeting, called on Beijing to clarify the definition of the 1992 
Consensus, it was not simply a move aimed at mug-slinging each 
other.  All these signs showed that this suddenly opened window of 
opportunity may very likely bear traces of the United States' hard 
work. ..." 
 
C) "What Would Chiang Do?  Call on the Firing Squad" 
 
Cao Changqing, a Chinese-born freelance journalist currently 
residing in the United States, opined in the pro-independence, 
English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 30,000] (4/14): 
 
"... This time, Lien is making another trip to Beijing, amid great 
fanfare, to take part in the so-called KMT-CCP Economic Forum.  This 
should remind the Taiwanese people that, even though the KMT has 
been relegated to the opposition, its leaders have not lost their 
dictatorial mindset.  Their attitude has been that if they can't 
govern, they can at least stir things up in Taiwan, and form a 
relationship with their old enemy in China.  This is an attempt to 
secure their goals any way they can, but history has shown that this 
is bound to lead to disaster. ...  Lien might be able to act pompous 
when he has the CCP behind him, but the CCP is playing to a home 
audience, strengthening its position by promoting unification 
between China and Taiwan. ..." 
 
YOUNG