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Viewing cable 06AITTAIPEI1552, MEDIA REACTION: PRESIDENT CHEN SHUI-BIAN'S OVERSEAS TRIP

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06AITTAIPEI1552 2006-05-05 08:33 2011-08-23 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
VZCZCXYZ0014
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #1552/01 1250833
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 050833Z MAY 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0038
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5168
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6372
UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001552 
 
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 SHUI-BIAN'S OVERSEAS TRIP 
AND THE U.S. 
 
 
1. Summary:  Taiwan's dailies gave significant coverage May 5 to 
President Chen Shui-bian turning down Washington's stopover offer 
and making instead a transit of Abu Dhabi Thursday.  The 
pro-unification "United Daily News" front-page banner-headlined: 
"[Taiwan Foreign Minster] James Huang Strongly Protests to United 
States for [Chen's] Failure to Transit Lebanon," while both the 
pro-status quo "China Times" and mass-circulation "Apple Daily" 
front-paged Chen's anger with the U.S. transit plans and speculated 
about Chen's whereabouts.  The "Apple Daily" ran an eye-catching 
color headline on page two that said: "Transits Hit One Snag After 
Another, Bian and United States Break Up."  The pro-independence 
"Liberty Times," Taiwan's biggest daily, carried a news story on 
page two with the headline:  In Pre-departure Remarks, Bian 
Criticizes China for 'Driving Taiwan to the Wall.'"  The "China 
Times," however, ran a news story on page two with the headline: 
"Not Wanting to Play [Chen's] Game, the United States Deliberately 
Leaks Message [of Chen's Decision Not to Transit Alaska]." 
 
2.  In terms of editorials and commentaries, an "Apple Daily" 
editorial said that while being turned down by Washington, Chen 
could seize the opportunity to win back the support of pro-Green 
voters.  A "China Times" editorial criticized Chen for inviting 
humiliation on himself, and a separate "China Times" news analysis 
said U.S. good will is worn out and that the Chen administration is 
badly hurt.  An editorial in the conservative, pro-unification, 
English-language "China Post" urged the Chen administration to find 
out why the U.S., a longtime ally of Taiwan, has become so 
unfriendly.  An editorial in the pro-independence "Taiwan Daily," on 
the other hand, criticized Washington's "rude" behavior toward Chen, 
saying the United States has slapped itself in the face and trampled 
on the core values of democracy and freedom.  End summary. 
 
A) "Bian Suffers Loss in One Place but Makes Gain in Another" 
 
The mass-circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 500,000] commented 
in an editorial (5/5): 
 
"... As a matter of fact, having undergone such an embarrassing 
process [of applying for transits in the U.S.], no one in the role 
of president will want to transit Alaska.  ... Thus, refusing to 
transit was A-bian's only choice.  We can blame Bian for damaging 
Taiwan-U.S. ties and thus asking for humiliation himself.  But as it 
stands now, Bian's choice to turn down Washington's humiliation was 
the right decision; he has maintained minimum dignity for himself 
and Taiwan. 
 
"For Taiwan's part, pan-Green supporters are biding their time and 
waiting for Bian's clear signal.  Bian can seize this opportunity to 
win back the support of those pan-Green voters.  For the United 
States, it will not hurt Taiwan because of Bian's refusal to transit 
America.  This is because Washington has decided to treat Bian and 
Taiwan separately.  Also, for the United States, Taiwan is of 
strategic interest, so it will not hurt Taiwan's security. ..." 
 
B) "[Chen] Asking for an Insult and Not Striving for Taiwan's 
Foreign Relations" 
 
The pro-status quo "China Times" [circulation: 400,000] 
editorialized (5/5) 
 
"... [President Chen's overseas trip] has not only generated the 
most embarrassing record in the history of overseas visits by 
Taiwan's leaders, but is also the most humiliating visit by a Taiwan 
leader since the invention of the so-called 'stop-over diplomacy.' 
... 
 
"We must say that with regard to Chen's trip to Central and South 
America this time, Taiwan has made serious mistakes and misjudgments 
in terms of situation assessment at the strategic level and real 
operations at the tactic level.  For the strategic level, the ruling 
authorities, judging from the way they handled [Chen's] stop-over 
diplomacy this time, have evidently had a few serious blind spots 
and mistakes with regard to perception of the current status of 
Taipei-Washington-Beijing ties.  First, they mistakenly believe that 
the uproar triggered by Chen's decision to 'cease the functions of 
the National Unification Council NUC)' early this year is already 
over.  Second, they misjudged the situation and believe that Taiwan 
has more room to maneuver since Washington-Beijing ties did not 
significantly improve in the wake of U.S. President George W. Bush's 
meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao, in which Bush did not 
publicly criticize Taiwan.  Third, since KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou 
had received a privileged reception during his trip to the United 
States [in March], the authorities unilaterally judged that 
Washington would at least offer a balanced treatment of Chen's 
transits in the U.S.  The key to such strategic misjudgments lies in 
the wishful thinking of the Taiwan authorities, that they can still 
be a 'player' in the triangular relationship between Taipei, 
Washington, and Beijing.  But the truth is that after all the 
 
reckless moves of conducting [Taiwan's first] referendum and ceasing 
the functions of the NUC, Taiwan long ago became a bargaining chip 
that both the United States and China want to proactively 'manage.' 
..." 
 
C) "U.S. Goodwill Has Worn Out, Bian Administration Badly Hurt" 
 
Journalist Wu Tien-jung wrote in analysis in the pro-status quo 
"China Times" [circulation: 400,000] (5/5): 
 
"... The damage done to Taipei-Washington relations is far greater 
than that which occurred after the Taiwan referendum incident in 
2004.  [Some] American people confirmed that, following this series 
of surprises, they no longer know Chen Shui-bian's future direction, 
and they don't know who on earth can really influence Bian. ...  But 
Washington turned down the request by the ROC president to transit 
the U.S. mainland this time, and Chen also determinedly refused to 
transit Alaska.  Both sides were actually using a very strong and 
extreme way to prove what has been reported in the media over the 
past few years - namely, there are some problems, and not small 
ones, in the relationship between the DPP government and the United 
States. ..." 
 
D) "We Must Examine Why U.S. Is Behaving Unfriendly" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" 
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (5/5): 
 
"Washington's refusal to allow President Chen Shui-bian to transit 
through America proper is widely seen as a deliberate snub to him, a 
new sign that suggests Taipei's relations with the Bush 
administration remain strained in the wake of the nasty row early 
this year over a controversial plan to abolish the National 
Unification Guidelines.  The incident is truly regrettable.  But 
regret aside, the matter of why a longtime ally has now become so 
unfriendly to use deserves a sober review. ...  The last-minute 
decision to drop Anchorage from his Taipei-Paraguay flight 
apparently was a move made deliberately by Chen to show his 
displeasure with the U.S. government about the way it handled his 
transit application this time.  He chose to transit through Abu 
Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.  This new twist is likely to add to 
the transit dispute causing bitterness between Taipei and 
Washington. ... 
 
"It is yet unknown as to whether Chen will still transit through 
Anchorage on his return flight on Thursday next week from Costa 
Rica, the other destination, beyond Paraguay, of his two-nation 
Latin American visit.  But what is clear now is a need for Taipei to 
take the initiative to repair the bilateral relationship strained by 
the recent series of unpleasant events.  Maintaining friendly 
relations with a country which absorbs the bulk of Taiwan's 
technology products and provides with defense support is of great 
importance to this island." 
 
E) "Disrespect for Taiwan's Leader Is Akin to Inflicting a Blow to 
Freedom and Democracy.  The United States Should Re-evaluate Its 
Strategy Toward Taiwan" 
 
The pro-independence "Taiwan Daily" [circulation: 100,000] 
editorialized (5/5): 
 
"... The Bush administration's rude behavior today showed no respect 
to Taiwan's duly-elected leader, Chen Shui-bian, and the 23 million 
people of Taiwan; all the more, it has slapped itself in the face 
and trampled on the core values of democracy and freedom.  The 
results of Chen's transit negotiations with the United States this 
time have not only harmed Taiwan but also dealt a heavy blow to the 
universal values of freedom and democracy.  The United States takes 
pride in being the stronghold of global democracy, but its 
determination and actual behavior in safeguarding freedom and 
democracy need to be re-examined and evaluated. ..." 
 
YOUNG