VZCZCXYZ0018
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #1606/01 1300845
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 100845Z MAY 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0107
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5189
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6390

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001606 
 
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.-TAIWAN RELATIONS 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  Amid extensive reporting May 10 that a KMT hopeful will 
drop out of the party primary for the year-end Taipei mayoral race, 
Taiwan newspaper coverage also focused on President Chen Shui-bian's 
press briefing in Costa Rica Tuesday, his transit plans, exchanges 
of greeting with U.S. First Lady Laura Bush, and local political 
issues.  The pro-independence "Liberty Times," Taiwan's biggest 
daily, ran a banner headline on page two that read:  "Bian: It Will 
Do Both Sides Good Not to Transit the United States."  The 
pro-status quo "China Times" also ran a banner headline on page 
three that said:  "Return Trip Will Transit a Non-ally in South 
America." 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a "Liberty Times" news 
analysis urged Taiwan to put aside the transit uproar and find again 
common interests with the United States.  A "Liberty Times" opinion 
piece, however, condemned the U.S. State Department for making 
humiliating transit offers to Chen.  An editorial in the 
limited-circulation, pro-independence, English-language "Taipei 
Times" said the Taiwan people should feel saddened and humiliated 
that Chen's humble request for transit stops in the U.S. was 
rejected.  A separate "Taipei Times" commentary urged Taiwan to 
rethink its diplomatic orientation and go its own way.  An editorial 
in the pro-unification "United Daily News" said Chen is the one who 
was most badly hurt by the transit incident, and that a majority of 
Taiwan's people will not hate the United States just because of 
Chen's provocative remarks.  A separate "United Daily News" opinion 
piece speculated Chen may use more provocative remarks or behavior 
to challenge Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao in the next two 
years.  A "China Times" opinion piece said Taipei-Washington 
relations are walking a tight rope.  An editorial in the 
limited-circulation, conservative, pro-unification, English-language 
"China Post" urged Chen not to incessantly strain Taipei's relations 
with the United States by pursuing pro-independence policies.  End 
summary. 
 
A) "Waving Good-bye to Transit Uproar and Trying to Find Common 
Interests Again" 
 
Washington correspondent Nadia Tsao noted in a news analysis in the 
pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 600,000] (5/10): 
 
"... An isolated Taiwan has no more important ally in the 
international community than the United States.  No matter if it's 
about security, economic, political, or even NGO aspects, U.S. 
support is closely related to Taiwan's survival.  Taiwan has zero 
resources in swinging between the United States and China and 
hedging its bets like other Asian countries do.  The United States 
should understand that in an international climate where the 
significance of transit diplomacy is twisted and often exaggerated 
in Taiwan, the Taiwan leader's displeasure [with the U.S. transit 
offers] has its reasons.  Even though there may be conflicts of 
interests between the two sides, Taiwan's leaders still have the 
responsibility to seek common ground between Taiwan and the United 
States and not give up the dialogue [with Washington]." 
 
B) "Disgraceful U.S. State Department" 
 
Cao Changqing, a China-born freelance journalist based in the U.S., 
opined in the pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 
600,000] (5/10): 
 
"President Chen Shui-bian is about to conclude his visit to Central 
and South America and return to Taiwan tomorrow.  The fact that 
Chen's transit sites during this visit hit one snag after another 
was widely reported in the media.  It has also aroused the Taiwan 
people's anger because the terms offered by the U.S. State 
Department for Chen's transits were almost humiliating to Taiwan. 
... Chen's decision not to transit the United States is a right 
choice that maintains Taiwan's dignity. ...Whenever necessary, the 
Taiwan people must cry out aloud their protests to let this world 
that lacks morality hear their voices." 
 
C) "Transit Saga No Cause for Celebration" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 
30,000] editorialized (5/10): 
 
"... The U.S. offer of transit stops in Anchorage, Alaska, or 
Honolulu, Hawaii, amounted to a slap in the face.  While both are 
lovely cities, they are not part of the US mainland, nor are they 
considered political or economic centers.  And even in these 
outlying cities, Chen was only given permission for a five-hour 
stopover, ruling out the possibility of the president conducting any 
meaningful meetings - which was the real motivation for transiting 
in the US to begin with. ...  In spite of what China and its yes-men 
in Taiwan would have the world believe, Chen is the president of 
this country.  The reception accorded to him by another government 
is therefore a direct reflection on the standing of this nation. 
So, while Chen should not take this incident personally, we should. 
Taiwanese should feel saddened and humiliated that the president's 
humble request for transit stops that would allow him to speak to 
like-minded figures in the US were rejected.  Under the 
circumstances, it is baffling that some people have seen this 
incident as a cause for celebration. ..." 
 
D) "Chen's Woes Reveal Need for Some US Reflection" 
 
Political Columnist Hu Wen-huei commented in the pro-independence, 
English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 30,000] (5/10): 
 
"... In the past, the Chen administration's foreign policy has 
always been orientated toward the US.  It should conduct a major 
rethink of its diplomatic orientation and go its own way.  Given the 
international situation and Taiwan's predicament, the current and 
future Taiwan-US relationship is and will continue to be extremely 
important.  Nevertheless, continued absolute reliance on the US will 
exact a price, as the US tends to look on Taiwan as a pawn in its 
game.  Taiwan is expected to comply 100 percent with the US' 
commands, on pain of being put to rights either covertly or overtly. 
 ... 
 
"The smallest action on the part of the US has major repercussions 
in Taiwan:  When the US coughs, Taiwan gets a cold.  Chen's recent 
US transit episode was an example of Taiwan being caught off guard, 
and ending up a loser no matter what it did to resolve the 
situation. ...  Without an international strategy and careful 
implementation, Taiwan will find it even harder to break out of its 
diplomatic isolation.  Let's make sure this unusual incident is a 
one-off event, and that it never happens again." 
 
E) "Suddenly, Chen Shui-bian Changes into an Anti-U.S. 
Frontrunner?" 
 
The pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] 
editorialized (5/10): 
 
"... In fact, the United States, when handling [Chen's] transits 
this time, had draw a clear line to separate 'U.S.-Taiwan relations' 
from 'U.S.-Bian relations.'  Now Chen even went so far as to 
describe the U.S. government's political penalty against him as 
'Washington treating Taiwan as a lackey.'  Chen's move has evidently 
and maliciously twisted the U.S. government's original meaning and 
deliberately incited the Taiwan people's hostility against the 
United States.  As it stands now, [we] only saw how Chen has started 
to talk incoherently just to cover up his own mistakes and evade 
Washington's humiliation of him! 
 
"The situation is very clear now:  The United States will not 
destroy its relations with Taiwan just because of its discord with 
Chen.  Nor is Chen able to dodge the responsibility that he should 
shoulder for the major setback of his handling 'Bian-U.S. relations' 
by using provocative sentences such as 'the United States treats 
Taiwan as a lackey.'  In the wake of this uproar, the United States 
will remain intact despite Chen's protests, and the spine of 
Taipei-Washington ties will not be broken.  Also, a majority of the 
Taiwan people will not hate or dislike the United States simply 
because of Chen's provocation.  The one that is most badly hurt is 
Chen himself. ... In the face of such developments, the United 
States will start to question the credibility of the DPP and Taiwan 
independence activists.  This is by no means an asset that Chen has 
created for the DPP and the Taiwan independence supporters, but a 
big disaster that can hardly be overcome! ..." 
 
F) "Lackey ... Will [Chen] Become More Confrontational and 
Provocative in the Next Two Years?" 
 
Professor Edward Chen of Tamkang University's Graduate Institute of 
American Studies opined in the pro-unification "United Daily News" 
[circulation: 400,000] (5/10) 
 
"... The United States has at least several purposes behind its 
decision to embarrass Chen Shui-bian, using his transit request: 
First, the United States sent two envoys to Taiwan to negotiate over 
the scrapping of the National Unification Council (NUC) early this 
year, but they returned without fulfilling their mission.  This made 
Bush all the more determined to strengthen supervision of Chen's 
'next step' following the NUC decision. ... Second, Bush intended to 
use this opportunity to show that when Taiwan jeopardized U.S. 
national interests using the name of democracy, Washington can 
definitely use diplomatic means to make Taiwan obey it. ...  What 
worries the Taiwan people is whether Chen will use more 
confrontational and provocative remarks and behavior in the next two 
years to challenge the consensus reached by Bush and Chinese 
President Hu Jintao to prevent Taiwan independence. ... " 
 
G) "Taiwan-U.S. Relations Walking a Tight Rope" 
 
Professor Philip Yang of National Taiwan University's Department of 
Political Science opined in the pro-status quo "China Times" 
[circulation: 400,000] (5/10): 
 
"... The uproar caused by [Chen's] transits mainly resulted from the 
fact that Washington has seen through Taipei's transit strategy - 
namely, Taipei hoped to reduce the domestic political pressure it 
suffered and finally resolve its interaction difficulties with 
Washington in the wake of the cessation of the National Unification 
Council (NUC) by using [Chen's] transits in the continental U.S. and 
warm support from Washington this time.  But the United States did 
not want to offer what Taipei wished for.  In particular, if Beijing 
interprets [Washington's allowing Chen's transits] as the United 
States showing support for the cessation of the NUC, it will alter 
the definition and balance of the cross-Strait status quo. 
Washington does not want to give Taipei the opportunity to use 
personal or domestic factors to manipulate Taipei-Washington 
relations and cross-Strait relations.  It thus adopted preventive 
measures to avoid a crisis. ..." 
 
H) "Mistakes Made by Chen in Transit Battle with U.S." 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" 
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (5/10): 
 
"... By deciding to once again to bypass Anchorage and choose 
non-U.S. transit points on his way home, Chen apparently wanted to 
convey a message to the Bush government that he could do without the 
U.S.  And by refusing to return through Alaska, Chen actually missed 
out on a good opportunity to meet and talk with U.S. officials that 
would have helped ease relations strained by his earlier 
high-profile protest, paving the way for a fresh start on bilateral 
relations.  Chen said yesterday in Costa Rica that his decision not 
to touch U.S. soil won't affect relations with Washington.  No one 
would believe that. ... Washington, long fed-up with Chen's past 
manipulation of issues that threatened to undermine America's 
interests, would not allow him to get away with it so easily this 
time.  The U.S. may likely separate Chen and his government from its 
relations with Taiwan. ... 
 
"A third major mistake Chen made in negotiating his U.S. transit 
stops is that he equated his personal interests with national 
interests.  Washington's unwillingness to give him better treatment 
was surely a grave political blow to him and his party.  But this 
has nothing to do with Taiwan's national interests.  If Chen really 
has Taiwan's interests in his heart, he should have never allowed 
himself to incessantly strain our most important U.S. relations by 
pursuing pro-independence policies, just for the sake of advancing 
partisan benefits." 
 
YOUNG