VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #1452/01 1170817
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 270817Z APR 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9893
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5118
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6321

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001452 
 
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.-CHINA-TAIWAN RELATIONS 
 
 
¶1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies continued to 
center their reporting April 27 on four main stories: the corruption 
scandal surrounding former Presidential Office Deputy 
Secretary-General Chen Che-nan, the scandal concerning the 
 
SIPDIS 
construction of Taiwan's high-speed railway system, the controversy 
over the First Family's assets management, and the year-end Taipei 
mayoral race.  Coverage also focused on President Chen's interview 
with the "Asian Wall Street Journal" Tuesday.  The pro-independence 
"Liberty Times," Taiwan's biggest daily, ran a banner headline on 
its page two that said: "Bian [Says] When Interviewed with the Asian 
Wall Street Journal: the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party Join 
Hands to [Try to] Take Back the Ruling Power [of Taiwan] in 2008." 
The pro-independence "Taiwan Daily," in addition to reporting on 
Chen's interview on its front page under a headline similar to that 
of the "Liberty Times," also spent one third of its page three 
carrying various news stories on the same topic, and one of its news 
stories was topped with the headline: "The President [Speaks of] the 
Bush-Hu Meeting: the United States Did Not Allow China to Score 
Points on the Taiwan Issue."  The "Taiwan Daily" also ran the 
results of an opinion survey conducted by the Taiwan Think Tank 
Wednesday, which said 77 percent of those polled said they are in 
favor of three-party talks by Taiwan, the United States, and China 
to discuss issues concerning cross-Strait peace, while 60 percent 
said they don't believe Chinese President Hu Jintao's pledge to 
maintain world peace and stability. 
 
¶2. Several pro-independence papers editorialized on Chen's interview 
with the "Asian Wall Street Journal."  A "Liberty Times" editorial 
urged the ruling DPP government to put aside their personal gains 
and infighting and do a good job so as to secure the party's victory 
in the 2008 presidential election.  A "Taiwan Daily" editorial urged 
the United States to pay attention to Taiwan's determination to 
pursue democracy and to support Taiwan's elected government so that 
Washington will not lose its ally and interests in the Asia-Pacific 
region.  Liu Kuan-teh, a Taipei-based political commentator, opined 
in the limited-circulation, pro-independence, English-language 
"Taipei Times" that "Taiwan should take the initiative by playing a 
positive role in pushing forward China's economic liberalization and 
democratic opening, while reinforcing the country's defensive 
capability."  End summary. 
 
A) "To Safeguard the Taiwan-Centric Regime, [the Ruling Party] Had 
Better Get Rid of Its Individualism" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 600,000] 
editorialized (4/27): 
 
"President Chen Shui-bian said during a recent interview with the 
'Asian Wall Street Journal' that when he was elected president in 
2000, China was waiting for Taiwan's opposition parties to impeach 
him, but such an attempt failed because they did not get enough 
support from the Taiwan people.  When he was re-elected in 2004, 
Chen added, China waited again to see if the election lawsuits filed 
by the opposition parties could turn out in their favor, but they 
failed again.  Chen said now China is working with the opposition 
parties in launching a 'soft decapitation[of attacks aimed at Chen's 
family and his administration]' plan, in an attempt to smear the 
Taiwan government and the Taiwan leader. ... 
 
"It now seems a very tough test for the Taiwan-centric 
administration [i.e. the pan-Green administration] to continue its 
rule in 2008, and if handled improperly, the pro-China 
administration will likely regain power again. ... This newspaper 
thus sincerely calls on the leaders of the ruling party to put aside 
their personal gains and infighting.  In order to let the 
administration of nativism to continue its rule, the government 
officials must not pay attention to short-term benefits but should 
join hands together to do their jobs well and let the Taiwan people 
see their performance. ..." 
 
B) "The United States Must Attach Great Importance to Taiwan's Will 
to Pursue Democracy and Proactively Support [Taiwan's] Elected 
Government so that It Will Not Lose Its Ally and Interests in the 
Asia-Pacific Region" 
 
The pro-independence "Taiwan Daily" [circulation: 100,000] 
editorialized (4/27): 
 
"... We want to remind the U.S. government that should China succeed 
in its scheme to help the KMT to regain power over Taiwan, China 
will take control of Taiwan's politics.  Also, should the old 
[pro-China] influences in Taiwan revive and Taiwan's democracy 
regress, China will annex Taiwan, gain sea dominance over the Taiwan 
Strait, and break the United States' strategy to use the island 
chains in the Pacific for its blockade tactics.  In the face of the 
rise of totalitarian China, the United States and Taiwan, which are 
both democracies, are closely related and share the same interests. 
Taiwan is a faithful ally of the United States, and [as a result], 
the United States should attach great importance to Taiwan's 
democratic achievement, pay close attention to the Taiwan people's 
determination and will to pursue normalization of their country, and 
proactively support Taiwan's elected government and its leader.  The 
United States cannot afford to lose its interests in the 
Asia-Pacific region by losing its ally." 
 
C) "US-Taiwan Relationship Needs Fresh Viewpoint" 
 
Liu Kuan-teh, a Taipei-based political commentator, opined in the 
pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 
30,000] (4/27): 
 
"While the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) felt relieved after US 
President George W. Bush's simple reiteration of his official policy 
toward cross-strait relations, an essential element that constructs 
future US-Taiwan relationship must be incorporated in the 
decision-making process of President Chen Shui-bian's 
administration. ...  The Chen administration should react to Bush's 
statement in a strategic way.  One the one hand, because Bush did 
not bring up the democratic principle of respecting Taiwanese 
people's freedom of choice as his predecessor President Bill Clinton 
did before, Chen and the DPP should continue to push for the 
principle of 'the people decide' as the fundamental basis of 
US-Taiwan relations. 
 
"On the other hand, the DPP government should work harder with its 
US friends to strengthen the necessity of Beijing's leaders' 
engagement in dialogue with the duly elected leader of Taiwan and 
its democratically elected government.  In light of Washington's 
policy to encourage China into being a 'responsible stakeholder' in 
the international system, Taiwan should take the initiative by 
playing a positive role in pushing forward China's economic 
liberalization and democratic opening, while reinforcing the 
country's defensive capability." 
 
YOUNG