VZCZCXYZ0006
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #3805/01 3120929
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 080929Z NOV 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2971
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5917
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 7134

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 003805 
 
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: U.S. ARMS SALES TO TAIWAN, INDICTMENT OF 
FIRST LADY WU SHU-CHEN, DPRK NUCLEAR PROGRAM 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies continued to 
put their focus November 8 on the aftermath of President Chen 
Shui-bian's televised address to the Taiwan people Sunday evening on 
the subject of the indictments of First Lady Wu Shu-chen and three 
presidential aides; and on the third presidential recall motion in 
the Legislative Yuan.  News coverage also focused on New York 
Yankees' pitcher Wang Chien-ming's return to his hometown for a 
holiday Tuesday.  The pro-independence "Liberty Times," Taiwan's 
largest-circulation daily, reported on page four that the 
supplementary budget bill for U.S. arms procurements was blocked for 
the 63rd time in the Legislative Yuan's Procedural Committee 
Tuesday, even though the Legislative Yuan has passed the FY2007 
budget for P-3C anti-submarine aircraft. 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a "Liberty Times" 
editorial criticized the pan-Blue camp for its repeated attempts to 
block the U.S. arms procurements bill and said the Blue-camp's 
ulterior purpose is to foster the island's ultimate unification with 
China.  Editorials in the pro-status quo "China Times" and the 
pro-unification "United Daily News" both continued to lash out at 
President Chen for having insulted Taiwan's public functionaries and 
"kidnapped" the DPP.  The limited-circulation, pro-independence, 
English-language "Taiwan News," on the other hand, devoted its 
entire page 7 to an opinion forum prepared by the paper's Editorial 
Department on North Korea's nuclear blackmail against the 
international community.  End summary. 
 
¶3. U.S. Arms Sales to Taiwan 
 
"To Tie [Cross-Strait] Direct Transportation and Arms Procurements 
Together, the Revealed Truth Is Getting Uglier" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 600,000] 
editorialized (11/8): 
 
"... Is it true that the budget for arms procurement 'is held 
hostage by domestic political conflicts'; that its passage [in the 
Legislative Yuan] has been stalled?  [In fact,] Stephen Young, out 
of diplomatic protocol, just put it in a concealed manner.  We are 
almost certain that, following the defense and offense in the 
Legislative Yuan for two years and five months, and in the wake of 
the pan-Blue camp's boycotts ... for 63 times, American officials 
have gradually figured out the hidden, ulterior motives and schemes 
behind the various 'high-sounding' reasons offered by the pan-Blue 
camp for 'opposing the arms procurements.'  Just as an anonymous AIT 
official said, some legislators who obstructed the defense budget 
can almost win a medal from China [for doing so.]  Apparently, there 
are two reasons why the pan-Blue camp remains so stubborn in 
'opposing the arms procurements':  namely, the pan-Blue camp 
supports 'ultimate unification between both sides on the Taiwan 
Strait' and 'cooperation between the KMT and Chinese Communist 
Party,' but it simply dares not say it out loud. 
 
"The pan-Blue camp's ulterior and ugly intentions have been further 
exposed over the past few days through its strong criticism against 
AIT Taipei Director Stephen Young.  In addition to making abusive 
and strong comments such as 'interfering in [Taiwan's] domestic 
politics,' 'to expel [Young from Taiwan],' and 'arms broker,' the 
pan-Blue camp raised the idea of 'using direct transportation [links 
across the Taiwan Strait]' in exchange for arms procurements. ... 
'[Cross-Strait] direct transportation [links]' is aimed at 
strengthening the inner power for fostering unification, while 
'opposition to arms sales' is designated to weaken [Taiwan's] 
military strength; both are strategic operations of the pan-Blue 
camp to accomplish 'ultimate unification.'   [We] hope the DPP 
government can distinguish between what is [in Taiwan's] interests 
and what is not, figure out the [Blue camp's] schemes, bravely spell 
out the truth that 'direct transportation [links across the Taiwan 
Strait] will do more harm than good to the sustainability of 
Taiwan's economics,' ... and resolutely turn down the Blue camp's 
unreasonable blackmail attached to the arms deal. ..." 
 
¶4. Indictment of First Lady Wu Shu-chen 
 
A) "The President Has Insulted All Public Functionaries" 
 
The pro-status quo "China Times" [circulation: 400,000] 
editorialized (11/8): 
 
"... President Chen addressed the Taiwan people a few days ago in 
the form of a press conference in which he refuted Prosecutor Eric 
Chen's indictment.  Appearing on TV, Mr. Chen seemed to have taken 
off his official hat of the presidency and put on the lawyer's gown 
to defend his innocence as 'a defendant.' ...  We believe that Mr. 
Chen's performance the other day has done severe damage to the 
ethics of Taiwan's public functionaries; we can [even] say it was an 
insult to all Taiwan public functionaries.  As a public functionary 
in the highest position in the Republic of China, [Chen] has 
 
practically insulted the entire public service system. ..." 
 
B) "Why Does DPP Prostrate Itself at the Feet of Chen Shui-bian?" 
 
The pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] 
editorialized (11/8): 
 
"... The weak state the DPP is in today is poles apart from the same 
party that defeated the KMT several years ago.  Why has the DPP, 
which used to be full of justice and aggressiveness, kept silent in 
the face of the party's corruption and decay?  If it is true that 
Chen Shui-bian has deceitfully kidnapped the DPP, people also need 
to ask:  Why is the DPP willing to be kidnapped by Chen?  ...  Chen 
thought he has narrowly got away [from his trouble] following his 
monologue-like 'report to the people,' but he has actually dumped 
the pressure onto the DPP. ... Deep involvement in calculations will 
only make the DPP fall deeper with Chen; only by re-grasping its 
ideals can the DPP regain the power to move the Taiwan people." 
 
¶5. "The International Community Is Watching China's Reaction to 
North Korea's Nuclear Blackmail" 
 
Cang Haiyue, a U.S.-based economist, noted on the "Forum" prepared 
by the Editorial Department of the pro-independence, 
English-language "Taiwan News" [circulation: 20,000] (11/8): 
 
"... Presently, the focus of concern over North Korean nuclear arms 
has already shifted.  The major goal of North Korea's nuclear test 
is to terrify the U.S. to force it to give sufficient attention to 
North Korea. ...   In recent years, North Korea has frequently 
employed nuclear blackmail against the international community, and 
China has greatly enhanced its international status amid the 
dangerous game between the U.S. and North Korea.  For sure, China is 
not only truly opposed to North Korea using nuclear blackmail 
against South Korea, the world, or the U.S. in particular, but it 
loathes that Kim Jong Il, whom it armed with a loaded gun, is no 
longer at its beck and call. 
 
"China fostered the rogue state North Korea mainly hoping that it 
would become a tool for political and diplomatic manipulation in the 
international community, thus strengthening the country's 
international status.  North Korea is also very clear about this 
point. ...  Amid this collaboration North Korea also slowly came to 
understand that it would gain more from its blackmail if it managed 
to shake off Chinese control to directly dialogue with the U.S. 
rather than just being a trump in China's hands.  This way of 
thinking certainly matches China's initial aspirations in supporting 
North Korea.  China regarded North Korea as a suitable tool - like a 
loaded gun that it pointed at its target without pulling the trigger 
- for keeping the U.S. under threat.  North Korea served as a trump 
card for China in negotiations with the U.S. and allowed China to 
establish a bipolar relationship with the U.S. in East Asia. ..." 
 
WANG