VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #1791 1450810
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 250810Z MAY 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0343
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5245
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6458

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001791 
 
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:  PENTAGON REPORT ON CHINA'S MILITARY POWER 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's dailies all gave front-page coverage May 25 to 
the prosecutors' questioning of President Chen Shui-bian's in-laws 
Wednesday and the detention of Chen's son-in-law Thursday morning 
for his alleged role in a snowballing insider trading scandal. 
Coverage also focused on the U.S. Defense Department's 2006 report 
on China's military power; talks between Taiwan and Chinese military 
officials scheduled in July in Hawaii; the DPP's disputed nomination 
process for the year-end Taipei and Kaohsiung mayoral races; and 
other local corruption scandals.  The pro-independence "Taiwan 
Daily" front-paged:  "United States Urges [Taiwan and China to] Talk 
about Cross-Strait Military Buffer Zone in July."  The pro-status 
quo "China Times" also ran a banner headline on an inside page with 
the headline "United States Invites Both Sides [of the Taiwan 
Strait] for Military Talks Next Month."  The "Taiwan Daily," in 
addition, ran a banner headline on page three that read "U.S. 
Defense Department Report Warns That [China] Needs to Assess 
Possibility of U.S. and Japanese Involvement If It Uses Force 
Against Taiwan." 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, an editorial in the 
pro-independence "Liberty Times," Taiwan's biggest daily, criticized 
pan-Blue legislators for blocking the U.S. arms procurement bill 
while the U.S. Defense Department report warns of unbalanced 
military powers across the Taiwan Strait.  A "China Times" analysis, 
on the other hand, said that even though China-U.S. military 
exchanges have been going on for over twenty years, the United 
States still cannot figure out how to assess China's intentions and 
its force operations.  End summary. 
 
A) "United States Is Concerned About Unbalanced Military Powers in 
Taiwan Strait.  What About Us?" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 600,000] 
editorialized (5/25): 
 
"... Over the past few years, when the United States published its 
annual report on China's military, it always reminded the world of 
the potential threat to world peace caused by China's rise.  The 
unbalanced military powers across the Taiwan Strait are, in 
particular, a focus of U.S. concern.  Washington's consent to sell 
major weaponry to Taiwan, such as submarines, anti-missile systems, 
and anti-submarine aircraft, is aimed at strengthening Taiwan's 
defense capabilities, deterring China's aggression to invade 
[Taiwan], and ensuring cross-Strait and world peace.  It is a pity 
that the pan-Blue camp keep blocking the arms procurements, a move 
that is akin to tearing down Taiwan's defense capabilities; and [the 
pan-Blue camp's] joining hands with Chinese Communist Party to 
restrain Taiwan is also designed to tear down Taiwan's psychological 
defense capabilities.  Once Taiwan's national and psychological 
defenses both fall apart, perhaps China can annex Taiwan without 
having to waste any single soldier or bullet. ..." 
 
B) "United States Fails to Figure out China's Strategic Thinking" 
 
Journalist Chi Lo-i wrote in a news analysis in the pro-status quo 
"China Times" [circulation: 400,000] (5/25): 
 
"Chinese people are indeed difficult to understand.  The fifty-page 
report on 'The Military Power of the PRC' fully reveals the United 
States' bitter anxiety and expectations for strengthening military 
exchanges with Beijing.  Military exchanges between China and the 
United States have been going on for over twenty years, but the 
United States still cannot figure out how Beijing exercises its 
strategic powers.  This is the major concern expressed in this 
year's 'China Military Power Report.' ... 
 
"The military power report lists in detail the general directions of 
Beijing's hawkish force, pointing out how many of these moves are 
aimed at Taiwan.  But behind all its intelligence obtained from 
surveillance, the United States has no idea about how to assess 
Beijing's intentions or weapons operations. ... The U.S. idea, as 
indicated in the report, is that the more it cannot figure out, the 
more it needs to strengthen communication [with China].  Strictly 
speaking, this year's China military power report is more or less 
the same as last year's.  It is a result of [Washington's] 
evaluation following continued observation.  Political motives 
aside, its description of the external developments of Beijing's 
military power is, in general, objective. ..." 
 
YOUNG