VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #3988 3330842
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 290842Z NOV 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3227
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6006
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 7230

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 003988 
 
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: CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS AND U.S. MIDDLE EAST 
POLICY 
 
 
Summary:  Taiwan's major dailies November 29 focused on State Public 
Prosecutor-General Wu Ying-chao's demand to adopt "a consistent 
standard" for either investigation of the special allowance case 
involving Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou, or Tainan Major Hsu Tien-tsai; 
the earliest possible date (December 23) for the Taiwan High-Speed 
Railway to begin operations; and the seizure of marijuana and 
hydroponic equipment used for cultivating it in Taipei.  In inside 
pages, the focus was on whether President Chen Shui-bian's son, Chen 
Chih-chung, has applied for immigration to the United States. 
 
 
In terms of editorials and commentaries, Taiwan's pro-independence, 
largest-circulation daily "Liberty Times" editorialized that the 
Taiwan authorities should not again help China to be a kingdom of 
silicon wafers.  Commentator Lin Po-wen opined in the pro-status quo 
"China Times" that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice should also 
be blamed for the U.S. quagmire in Iraq.  End summary. 
 
A) "The Taiwan Authorities are Again Helping China to be a kingdom 
of silicon wafers" 
 
The pro-independence, Taiwan's largest "Liberty Times" [circulation: 
600,000] editorialized (11/28): 
 
"... The Investment Commission under the Ministry of Economic 
Affairs (MOEA) said November 13 that the government will withdraw 
restrictions on Taiwan investment of 0.18 micrometers manufacturing 
process for wafers by the end of 2006; the MOEA also reached an 
initial agreement with the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) that they 
will allow the ProMOS Technologies and the Powerchip Semiconductor 
Corp to set up 8-inch wafer fabs in China.  After a few days, the 
MAC Chairman [Joseph Wu] also confirmed that he will greatly ease 
the restrictions on the enlargement of the 'mini-three links' and 
0.18 micrometers manufacturing process for wafers.  It seems that 
the DPP government is making another wave of 'grand liberalization' 
after its 'proactive liberalization' [policy] in 2002 in order to 
satisfy the needs of Taiwan businesspeople in China and 
entrepreneurs who seek achievements in the Chinese mainland. 
 
"... We consider that the government's policies, including those in 
the economic and financial sectors, should list the benefit of all 
Taiwan people as well as national security as a priority; this is 
also the prerequisite for businesses.  'Liberalization' is not an 
aimless policy.  Rather than allowing Taiwan's silicon wafer fabs to 
expand their production quantities in China, we consider it better 
to persuade these businesses to spend capital, human resources, and 
time on the R&D of new technologies; they might be arduous for the 
time being, but they will benefit business operations in the future. 
..." 
 
B)"The War in Iraq is in a Quagmire; Former National Security 
Practitioners Criticized that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is 
Also to be Blamed" 
 
Commentator Lin Po-wen opined in the pro-status quo "China Times" 
[circulation: 300,000] (November 29): 
 
"U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was forced to step down; 
insiders in Washington D.C. all know that Secretary of State 
Condoleezza Rice was behind this, since she was bullied by bossy 
Rumsfeld.  Recently, however, some former national security 
practitioners from both parties consider that Rice should be at 
least partially responsible for the Bush Administration's quagmire 
in Iraq; they even criticize Rice in public. 
 
"... Claire McCaskill, a Democratic Senator-elect for the State of 
Missouri who just beat her Republican rival, criticized President 
George W. Bush's Iraq policy by saying in her victory address that 
'[we] might be able to establish a regime, but not a democracy, at 
the barrel of a gun.' 
 
"[If] [e]ven a local politician has sense like this; doesn't Rice, 
who has a Ph.D. in political science and has worked in the field of 
national security for years, know about it?  No wonder Vice 
President Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld led 
Rice around by the nose.  After taking on the position as Secretary 
of State, Rice's subordinates can only show off how Rice has 
traveled around the world, and has flown tens of thousands of miles. 
 But where are her diplomatic accomplishments?" 
 
YOUNG