VZCZCXYZ0011
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #2099/01 1702204
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 192204Z JUN 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0753
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5330
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6538

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 002099 
 
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: CROSS-STRAIT CHARTER FLIGHTS 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused their 
coverage June 17-19 on the rallies held by the pan-Green and 
pan-Blue camps over the weekend to show their support for and 
opposition to President Chen Shui-bian; inauguration of the 
Taipei-Ilan Hseuhshan Tunnel; the crash of an F5-F fighter jet in 
Chiayi Saturday; and further investigations into President Chen 
Shui-bian's son-in-law's alleged role in an insider trading scandal 
and into the alleged role of First Lady Wu Shu-chen in the Sogo 
Department Store ownership case.  The pro-status quo "China Times" 
on June 19 front-paged the results of its latest poll, which show 
that 53 percent of those polled believe it is inappropriate for 
President Chen to remain in his position.  The same poll also shows 
that the president's approval rating rose from 21 percent to 28 
percent in three weeks in May, and that only two percent more 
support the recall motion than those who do not support it (42 
percent vs. 40 percent). 
 
¶2. Several papers editorialized on the agreement to open up special 
cross-Strait charter flights.  A "China Times" editorial said the 
cross-Strait charter flights can barely meet the Taiwan people's 
genuine needs and they are of little significance for Taiwan's 
economy.  An editorial in the pro-unification "United Daily News" 
said the cross-Strait charter flights will only make the Taiwan 
people tilt even more toward China, while they do nothing to help 
build Taiwan's economic independence.  An editorial in the 
limited-circulation, conservative, pro-unification, English-language 
"China Post" said the move is more politics than economics, and more 
of a gesture than substance.  End summary. 
 
A) "Opening Cross-Strait Charter Flights Nothing but Small Steps, 
Slow Dancing" 
 
The pro-status quo "China Times" [circulation: 400,000] 
editorialized (6/17): 
 
"Officials on both sides of the Taiwan Strait simultaneously 
announced the 'special charter flights' and 'holiday passenger 
charter flights' policy, which indeed was a sign of alleviation in 
the long-deadlocked, highly confrontational cross-Strait relations. 
Even though there is still distance between the policy and the real 
needs of the Taiwan people, and the policy differs from the 
perception behind the pan-Blue camp's proposed direct transportation 
bill, it is a small step [for the Taiwan government] after all. 
It's just that this small step is not a 'tango,' but a 'small-step 
slow dance,' swinging back and forth.  In fact, only one of the four 
types - 'special cargo flights,' ' emergency medical flights,' 
'special humanitarian flights,' and 'institutionalized holiday 
flights' - is of any genuine significance, that is, the 
'institutionalized holiday flights.' 
 
"The only breakthrough is the 'institutionalized holiday flights' 
because this expands the original model for Chinese Lunar New Year 
charter flights to become regular charter flights on the four major 
holidays of the year.  This is good news for the Taiwan businessmen 
on the mainland who want to return to Taiwan for the Lunar New Year 
holidays.  But such an opening will only benefit some Taiwan 
businessmen; it is of little help for Taiwan's economy. ...  We 
don't want to pour cold water on the government, but the opening 
this time is of little significance.  ..." 
 
B) "The World Is Flat, but the Taiwan Strait Is Tilted!" 
 
The pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] 
editorialized (6/19): 
 
"... The four [types of] direct charter flights that both sides of 
the Taiwan Strait agreed on last week created an impasse; [the 
policy] will only make the Taiwan people tilt all the more westward 
in their behaviors and psychology, but it will do nothing to help 
build Taiwan's economic and trade independence. ...  If [Taiwan] 
wants to be more proactive, it must move further towards more 
comprehensive direct transportation [with China] and work in a more 
comprehensive way to enhance Taiwan's liberalization and 
internationalization, in an attempt to set the groundwork for Taiwan 
to become an 'Asian-Pacific platform.' [Taiwan] must not just do it 
for the convenience of the Taiwan businessman, but should also put 
regional function under consideration.  While striving for the goal 
of becoming an 'Asian-Pacific platform,' [Taiwan] must first 
ascertain its national identity and the constitutional strategic 
structure of the Republic of China.  If not, it will be a mockery 
and a tragedy to push for Taiwan independence on the one hand, and 
to push for direct charter flights on the other. ..." 
 
C) "Direct Flights, of Sorts" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" 
[circulation: 30,000] wrote in an editorial (6/17): 
 
"Are direct flights across the Taiwan Strait in the offing?  It 
seems that there is no light at the end of the tunnel, despite this 
week's announcement in Taipei and Beijing that the two sides wills 
start nonstop chartered passenger flights during major Chinese 
holidays. ...  The move is more politics than economics.  It is more 
of a gesture than substance.  This is because of the basic ideology 
of the ruling party, which opposes closer relations with the 
mainland.  The Chen administration has been firmly opposed to direct 
transportation links with the mainland, for fear that such links 
would eventually bring the two parts together. ... 
 
"Is this a harbinger for the resumption of long-awaited normal 
transport links?  Probably not, judging from the Democratic 
Progressive Party's (DPP) political stand.  But Premier Su 
Tseng-chang is a pragmatist who may take some pragmatic measures, 
 
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including allowing weekend chartered flights, to build up his 
popularity ahead of the presidential elections two years from now." 
 
KEEGAN