VZCZCXYZ0006
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #2203/01 1772202
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 262202Z JUN 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0887
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5352
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6559

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 002203 
 
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. MILITARY EXERCISES IN GUAM, RECALL OF 
PRESIDENT CHEN SHUI-BIAN 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused their 
coverage June 24-26 on the pan-Blue and pan-Green camps' continued 
wrestling prior to the Legislative Yuan's scheduled vote July 27 on 
the presidential recall motion; Academia Sinica President Lee 
Yuan-tseh's statement Sunday blasting the performance of the DPP and 
calling for stability and reconciliation in Taiwan; the government's 
efforts to retain control over a local financial holding company 
after securing a majority of board seats last Friday; and the arrest 
of an ex-convict for allegedly extorting local companies.  The 
pro-independence "Liberty Times," Taiwan's biggest daily, ran a 
banner headline on page two June 24 that read "'Where Should Taiwan 
Be Heading in Wake of Recall Vote June 27?'  Bian: Political 
Negotiations Inside [Taiwan], Cross-Strait Dialogue Outside."  The 
pro-status quo "China Times" front-paged June 25 "In Response to 
Middle-Class Expectations Following Recall Vote, KMT Returns to 
Middle Course."  The "Liberty Times" also quoted a senior Washington 
official in a news story on page two June 25 as saying that the 
United States has full confidence in Taiwan's political development. 
 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a "Liberty Times" 
editorial said that the 'Valiant Shield' exercise was about testing 
whether Guam can be the hub of the Western Pacific theater.  With 
regard to the presidential recall, a separate "Liberty Times" 
editorial urged both President Chen and KMT Chairman Ma to 
substitute confrontation with negotiation after the recall vote.  An 
editorial in the limited-circulation, pro-independence, 
English-language "Taiwan News" urged political leaders to restrain 
their ambitions and safeguard local democracy.  A "China Times" 
editorial said safeguarding a nativist regime does not mean Taiwan 
should safeguard corruption.  An editorial in the pro-unification 
"United Daily News" criticized President Chen's "schemes," saying 
they are not being used to find a direction for Taiwan but to cover 
up Chen's responsibility for the First Family's corrupt practices. 
End summary. 
 
¶3. U.S. Military Exercises in Guam 
 
"Strategic Significance of U.S. Military Exercises in Guam to the 
Western Pacific" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 600,000] 
editorialized (6/24): 
 
"... What's more noteworthy with regard to 'Valiant Shield' is its 
strategic significance.  The fact that Guam was chosen as the venue 
for such a large-scale military exercise, which brought together 
three carrier battle groups, indicated that the U.S. military is 
realigning its global military deployment and that the U.S. military 
deployment center in the Western Pacific since the mid-20th century 
has gradually shifted from Okinawa, Japan, to Guam.  It is worth 
noting that given the expanded military harbors and airfields in 
Guam in recent years, at which B-1 and B-2 strategic bombers are 
stationed, this exercise shows the intention to test whether Guam 
will become the hub of the Western Pacific theater. 
 
"No matter if it's the carrier battle groups or the B-1 and B-2 
strategic bombers, they are basically offensive, and there must be a 
hypothetical enemy in each military exercise.  Even though 
Washington did not specify its hypothetical enemy for the Guam 
exercise, to judge from its evident offensive strategic planning, 
China, which has been proactively expanding its military buildup in 
the Western Pacific over the past few years, is without a doubt the 
self-evident target.  In the meantime, China was invited to observe 
a U.S. exercise for the first time.  While China emphasized that the 
move highlighted that its bilateral relations with the U.S., 
including their military exchanges, have improved, Washington 
claimed that military transparency will help increase other 
countries' understanding. ...  In fact, the United States often has 
used the deterrent force demonstrated by its military transparency 
to daunt its military rivals from taking rash actions. ...  Even 
though the Chinese leaders were not allowed to observe the whole 
exercise process aboard the USS Reagan, a move indicating inadequate 
mutual trust between the two sides, the United States' intention to 
ask the People's Liberation Army to weigh its own capabilities is 
evident enough. ..." 
 
¶4. Recall of President Chen Shui-bian 
 
A) "Bian and Ma Should Substitute Confrontation with Negotiation 
after June 27" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 600,000] 
commented in an editorial (6/26): 
 
"... Taiwan's political situation is corrupt, and its democratic 
operation out of order.  The one happiest to see this is China, 
which has been coveting Taiwan's sovereignty.  If the ruling and 
 
opposition parties continue their infighting incessantly, Taiwan's 
political situation will be scorched.  No matter who will win in the 
future, he will have nothing to gain.  The public has had enough of 
the recall motion and is bored with the no-confidence vote.  [We] 
hope that after the [recall] vote June 27, President Chen and 
Chairman Ma will ponder the people's view desiring stability, and 
work together to strive to heal the wounds.  They should substitute 
confrontation with negotiation if they attach great importance to 
the public's view and democracy, shouldn't they?" 
 
B) "Safeguarding Local Democracy" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" [circulation: 
20,000] editorialized (6/26): 
 
"Tomorrow the opposition former ruling Kuomintang and its allied 
People First Party will push for a legislature floor vote on their 
motion to recall President Chen Shui-bian for the Democratic 
Progressive Party, based on vague and vacuous allegations described 
as the '10 major crimes.'  The motion has virtually no chance of 
passage since approval requires a two-thirds majority of the 221 
members of the Legislative Yuan, while the KMT and PFP, even with 
the support of the misnamed Non-Partisan Solidarity Uni8on, have at 
most 120 seats, 28 seats short of this threshold.  ... 
 
"The pan-KMT camp cannot make a convincing case for a recall simply 
by harping on the administrative failings of President Chen and the 
DPP government and by ignoring the DPP's achievement and 
whitewashing the hefty contribution by the boycotts of the KMT-PFP 
majority to Taiwan's current woes. ...  We have full confidence that 
Taiwan's democratic society has the capability to overcome its 
transitional challenges, but it is up to political leaders from each 
camp to restrain their ambitions and respect for our democratic and 
legal system and refocus attention on the urgent needs of our 
people's welfare." 
 
C) "Safeguarding a Nativist Regime Is by No Means Tantamount to 
Safeguarding Corruption" 
 
The pro-status quo "China Times" [circulation: 400,000] 
editorialized (6/24): 
 
"...  As a result, let's rise above semantics and return to basics! 
There is no regime that cannot be overthrown; in particular, people 
cannot be disallowed to challenge or doubt a regime simply because 
it is being labeled 'nativist.'  Such logic itself is 
'anti-democratic.'  Any nativist regime can be judged, criticized, 
reviewed, or even be replaced by another regime as long as it is 
involved in corruption, violates its pledges to the people, and has 
a poor management performance.  One must not simply try to overlook 
and cover up the facts, or even try to safeguard the regime simply 
because it is labeled 'nativist.' ..." 
 
D) "Chen Shui-bian's Asymmetrical Faces and His Asymmetrical Words 
and Deeds" 
 
The pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] noted 
in an editorial (6/25): 
 
"... Over the past few years, when people saw Chen Shui-bian, he was 
a president whose power was uneven with his responsibilities, and 
whose discourse was not balanced with his actions.  Chen can 
flip-flop anytime he wants; he doesn't have to remain consistent at 
all, and he does not care whether he has contradicted himself or 
not. ...   As a state leader, Chen has no central thoughts, and 
people can hardly tell his core values.  What's most pathetic is 
that his contrivances, versatile schemes, and capriciousness were 
not used to find a direction for Taiwan but to cover up his 
responsibility for the First Family's corrupt practices and to 
resolve the crises of his incompetent administration. ... 
 
"As the scandals involving the First Family develop, what concerns 
people most is actually not whether the President will step down, 
but will Taiwan's political situation thus see a turning point? 
However, judged from Chen's and the DPP's attitude, the people of 
Taiwan must be disappointed, because Chen is still Chen, and the DPP 
remains his exclusive political domain. ..." 
 
KEEGAN