VZCZCXYZ0004
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #3322/01 2690958
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 260958Z SEP 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2317
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5704
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6918

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 003322 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - DAVID FIRESTEIN 
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
 
 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: PRESIDENT CHEN SHUI-BIAN'S CONSTITUTIONAL 
REFORM PROPOSAL 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan major Chinese-language dailies focused their 
coverage September 26 on Premier Su Tseng-chang's plan to confer 
with major political party leaders for a settlement of the current 
political stand-off; on the follow-on movements of former DPP 
Chairman Shih Ming-teh's campaign to oust President Chen Shui-bian; 
and on the U.S. State Department's reaction Monday to President 
Chen's proposed constitutional reforms that touch on the island's 
territory.  Both the pro-status quo "China Times" and the 
pro-unification "United Daily News" front-paged the remarks by the 
State Department Monday.  The "China Times" news story ran with a 
headline that said "United States Warns Bian That Constitutional 
Reforms Must Not [Involve] Territorial Change," and the headline of 
the "United Daily News" story said "United States Does Not Permit 
Taiwan to Change Territory."  The pro-independence "Liberty Times," 
Taiwan's largest circulation daily, also carried a news story on 
page two with the headline "United States Reminds: Bian Has Pledged 
That Constitutional Revision Does Not Touch on Territory." 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, an opinion piece in the 
"United Daily News" said President Chen's constitutional reform 
proposal that touches on territorial definition can no longer 
trigger a cross-Strait crisis.  A "China Times" editorial also 
criticized Chen for leading the DPP in trying to push the envelope. 
An editorial in the limited-circulation, conservative, 
pro-unification, English-language "China Post" said, "What Taiwan's 
people want now is not a better Constitution but a clean and honest 
president and a responsive and responsible government."  End 
summary. 
 
A) "Writing a New Constitution to Stir up More Trouble?  Bian Cannot 
Cause a Ripple" 
 
Professor Edward Chen of Tamkang University's Graduate Institute of 
American Studies opined in the pro-unification "United Daily News" 
[circulation: 400,000] (9/26): 
 
"The new constitutional issue regarding unification and independence 
raised by Chen Shui-bian will no longer be able to trigger a crisis 
in the Taiwan Strait. ...  Why has it become unlikely for the 
constitutional issue with regard to territorial change issue that he 
has tossed off to cause reverberations in the United States, China, 
and Taiwan? 
 
"Judged from Washington's perspective, first, the United States 
knows that Chen is anxious to extricate himself from the troubles 
caused by the campaign to oust him.  But Washington does not believe 
that the scandal-plagued Chen is capable of launching a movement to 
push for the writing of a new constitution or to conduct a 
referendum on the new constitution at this moment.  Second, the 
United States judges that, given the development of the 'Oust Bian' 
campaign, the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) led by Lee Teng-hui has 
changed its initial plan to draw a line between itself and Chen; 
instead, the TSU is hoping to reap where it has not sown by taking 
this opportunity to take over the voters who want to support neither 
Bian nor the Blue camp.  Even the TSU, which has always been keen on 
the unification versus independence issue, has come to realize that 
writing a new constitution is simply a trick Chen is using to get 
himself out of trouble.  As a result, the future prospect of the 
move to write a new constitution or to conduct a referendum on a new 
constitution is already self-evident. 
 
"In addition, from June to September this year, Chen has twice 
explained his stance to AIT Chairman Raymond Burghardt, assuring him 
that constitutional reforms would not touch on sensitive issues, nor 
would they exceed the current constitutional stipulations.  Even 
though Chen is mercurial, and it will not come as a surprise if he 
breaks his promise again, does he really dare to turn against the 
United States now?  Besides, even though Stephen Young, the 
inspector that Washington has posted to Taipei, has a gentler 
attitude compared with that of his predecessor Douglas Paal, he is 
certainly not ambiguous when it comes to principles. ..." 
 
B) "Starting Dialogue Is the First Step for Resolving Stand-off" 
 
The pro-status quo "China Times" [circulation: 400,000] 
editorialized (9/26): 
 
"... In addition to the inappropriate moves by the ruling party to 
mobilize its supporters to counterattack the campaign against the 
president, President Chen seems to be very eager to move closer to 
the radical Taiwan independence force.  Chen has been taking bolder 
and bolder actions, starting from changing the name of the [Chiang 
Kai-shek] airport, to pushing for Taiwan's bid to join the United 
Nations using the name of Taiwan, and to showing intentions to 
change the articles in the Constitution concerning Taiwan's 
territory. 
 
"It is really difficult to figure out the strategic logic behind the 
 
line [Chen] is taking now and his appeal [to his party].  Did he do 
so just to show his stance to the hasty independence force, which 
accounts for less than 20 percent of the people in Taiwan, in 
exchange for a limited sense of security?  One must know that, over 
the past three months, Chen has twice guaranteed to the United 
States that Taiwan's future constitutional reforms would not touch 
on sensitive issues such as the country's title and its territory. 
Now, not only is the country's title to be changed, but the proposal 
of a new constitution [redefining] Taiwan's territory has also 
become a mainstream view of the DPP.  All the more, Chen is leading 
his party personally to push the envelope.  Is it possible that Chen 
will not stop until wars start to break out everywhere [on the 
island]? ..." 
 
C) "Charter Change a Diversion" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" 
[circulation: 30,000] wrote in an editorial (9/26): 
 
"President Chen Shui-bian and his Democratic Progressive Party are 
at it again - championing China-provoking constitutional reforms to 
divert public attention from the scandal-plagued president and the 
growing unpopularity of the ruling party.  Immediately after he put 
his signature on the new charter, President Chen pledged to push for 
debates on a new Constitution, including the explosive issues of 
sovereignty, territory and formal independence for the self-ruled 
island.  Chen's relentless pursuit of Taiwan independence has 
incurred the wrath of the island's No. 1 enemy China and the 
irritation of its mentor and protector the U.S., causing political 
upheavals, economic stagnation and social division at home. ... 
 
"Constitutional reform is welcome when necessary, but not desirable 
when it irritates foes and allies alike and disturbs internal 
political stability.  What Taiwan's people want now is not a better 
Constitution but a clean and honest president and a responsive and 
responsible government." 
 
WANG