VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #1743/01 1420904
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 220904Z MAY 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0287
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5231
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6443

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001743 
 
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: TAIWAN'S NATIONAL SECURITY REPORT, 
U.S.-TAIWAN RELATIONS 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused their 
coverage May 20-22 on President Chen Shui-bian's apology for the 
First Family's involvement in the recent insider trading scandal; 
alleged involvement by Chen's son-in-law in the snowballing insider 
trading scandal; Taiwan's first National Security Report; the DPP's 
internal feud; the island's bid to join the WHO; and the year-end 
Taipei and Kaohsiung mayoral races.  In addition, almost all papers 
carried on inside pages AIT Director Stephen Young's first press 
conference with the Taiwan media last Friday. 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times," Taiwan's biggest daily, ran a 
banner headline on page two May 22 that said "To Set up a 
Cross-Strait Anti-Bird Flu Hotline, [Taiwan Health Minister] Hou 
Sheng-mou Invites His Chinese Counterpart to Talks."  The 
pro-independence "Taiwan Daily" ran a banner-headline news story on 
page four May 22 that read "[Defense Ministry] May Likely Withdraw 
[U.S.] Arms Procurement Bill and Include It in [Ministry's] Annual 
Regular Budget for Next Year." 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, an editorial in the 
pro-status quo "China Times" called the National Security Report 
insignificant, as the government has failed to specify its strategic 
thinking and the measures it will adopt to cope with the challenges 
facing Taiwan.  A "United Daily News" analysis also described the 
report as a patchwork that has been revised many times without 
coming to the point.  An editorial in the limited-circulation, 
conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" said 
there is nothing new in the report, whereas the many promises listed 
inside are unenforceable.  "Taiwan Daily" Washington correspondent 
James Wang, on the other hand, criticized Deputy Secretary of State 
Robert Zoellick's recent remarks in a congressional hearing.  Wang 
said Zoellick has made some serious, inappropriate remarks, as he 
took China's position as the United States' position in terms of 
cross-Strait relations.  An opinion piece in the 
limited-circulation, pro-independence, English-language "Taipei 
Times" said Taiwan-U.S. ties are strong enough to survive the recent 
spat over Chen's transit.  End summary. 
 
¶3. Taiwan's National Security Report 
 
A) "How Can a National Security Report Be Binding If It Has No 
Influence at All?" 
 
The pro-status quo "China Times" [circulation: 400,000] 
editorialized (5/22): 
 
"... A genuinely significant National Security Report that deserves 
everyone's attention is not something that [the government will] use 
to teach its people a lesson in international relations or frighten 
its people about how fierce Beijing is.  Instead, the report should 
clearly tell its people what the government's strategic thinking is 
with regard to coping with the relevant challenges, and what the 
government's measures are to cope with them.  Also, it should 
clearly explain to its people why the measures the government 
proposed are effective and can solve the problems [facing Taiwan]. 
Unfortunately, this is exactly the part in the entire National 
Security Report that 'shows nothing new at all.'  When it talks 
about 'building high-quality, proper-quantity national defense 
capabilities,' ... to 'promote flexible diversified diplomacy,' to 
'strengthen an economy of sustainable development and competitive 
edge,' or to 'rebuild social relations,' these are all policy 
objectives, rather than viable strategies.  Even if they were policy 
objectives that the ruling authorities believe they should 
implement, why didn't they do that in the past six years?  Isn't it 
already too late, now that it occurred to the government that it 
should rebuild social relations and make the island's economy 
competitive and diplomacy more flexible, when there are only two 
years remaining in its term?  Do they really want to promote these 
policies in a hurry in two years?  If the government is already 
pushing these policies, how can it explain the so many problems 
facing Taiwan now? ..." 
 
B) "A Quilt That Has Been Patched Numerous Times" 
 
Journalist Huang Ya-shih commented in a news analysis in the 
pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (5/21): 
 
"... AIT Taipei Director Stephen Young recently welcomed [Taiwan's] 
National Security Report and emphasized that it was made from 
'Taiwan's perspective.'  But Young also admitted that he had 
exchanged views [on the report] with his 'good schoolmate' Chiou 
I-jen many times and that Chiou must be very happy, now that the 
long-awaited report has finally came out.  What Young implied seemed 
to mean that Taiwan has revised its report repeatedly and it finally 
'passed the interview.' 
 
"When reading into the report, it does look like a 'big quilt' that 
has been revised numerous times, bearing with it 'the U.S. shadow,' 
 
the 'theory of China's threats' to please the pro-independence 
faction, and the 'pie of cross-Strait exchanges' that is used to 
deal with those who advocate [cross-Strait] opening.  But each idea 
proposed in the report seemed to merely touch upon the issue without 
really coming to the point.  Perhaps for the Bian administration, it 
is better now to remain pointless than to bring about extra 
complications, both internally and externally." 
 
C) "A 'National Security Report'" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" 
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (5/22): 
 
"... It's a non-report, if you allow us to coin that word.  It 
doesn't tell anything we don't know about Taiwan's national 
security.  It doesn't propose anything that can be done under the 
existing circumstances. ...  Though it's a non-report, the bulky 
document can be considered a political party platform.  It seems 
President Chen is laying down the Democratic Progressive Party 
platform long before a candidate is to be nominated next year, 
albeit he himself cannot run for a third term.  As the party 
platform goes, his National Security Report is full of promises, 
which, of course, are by and large breakable. ..." 
 
¶4. U.S.-Taiwan Relations 
 
A) "Which Country's Deputy Secretary of State is Zoellick?" 
 
Washington correspondent James Wang noted in the "Washington Review" 
column of the pro-independence "Taiwan Daily" [circulation: 100,000] 
(5/20): 
 
"... In response to some American congressmen's criticisms of the 
State Department's tactless mistreatment of President Chen 
Shui-bian's transit, Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick made 
a few inappropriate remarks that did not suit his position at all: 
Taiwan is an 'economy,' 'Taiwan independence means war,' and that 
Taiwan will keep running into a wall if it keeps bumping up against 
the United States' long-lasting 'one China' policy.  As the U.S. 
deputy secretary of state, Zoellick's statements went beyond 
President George W. Bush's position, and he took China's position to 
be the United States' position.  For a diplomat, Zoellick has made 
some serious, improper remarks. ... 
 
"Taiwan wants to bump up against the United States' 'one China' 
policy because ... doing so is in Taiwan's interest and this is 
something Taiwan should do.  Washington fails to review new 
situational developments and fails to kindly respond to Taiwan's 
expectations.  Instead, Zoellick even put on a hegemonic face, 
denounced Taiwan not to bump against the U.S. policy, and echoed 
China by saying 'Taiwan independence means war.'  [Zoellick's] 
hypocrisy and arrogance make people doubt the United States' 
sincerity in advocating democracy and freedom." 
 
B) "Taiwan-US Ties Strong Enough to Survive Spat" 
 
Huang Tien-lin, national policy adviser to the president, opined in 
the pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 
30,000] (5/20): 
 
"... Are Taiwan-US relations really so fragile that the US would 
abolish the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) because of a simple spat over 
Chen's transits?  If they were, the two would have severed relations 
long ago...  But money can achieve anything.  China is not only 
expanding its economic interests into the US, but also building its 
dominance in Southeast Asia.  The difficulties of Chen's transit 
were a direct result of China's economic and military expansion. 
Hence, I would like to advise those Taiwanese lawmakers who warn 
that the US may abolish the TRA that if you are really worried about 
Taiwan's future, you should stop pushing proposals in the 
Legislative Yuan that promote cross-strait economic integration and 
trade." 
 
YOUNG