VZCZCXYZ0004
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #4046 3380936
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 040936Z DEC 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3334
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6038
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 7261

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 004046 
 
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., CHINA AND TAIWAN RELATIONS 
 
 
Summary:  Taiwan's major dailies December 4 focused on a secret 
meeting between KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou and PFP Chairman James 
Soong one week before mayoral elections in Taipei and Kaohsiung; the 
return of President Chen Shui-bian's son, Chen Chih-chung, and 
daughter-in-law, Huang Rui-ching, from the United States to Taiwan; 
and the traffic accident of a tourist bus, killing 21 and injuring 
24 aboard. 
 
In terms of editorials and commentaries, two editorials commented on 
scholarly opinions at a seminar at George Washington University on 
December 1.  The pro-independence "Liberty Times," Taiwan's largest 
circulation daily, urged in its editorial that the government look 
squarely into Professor Robert Sutter's warning that if Taiwan's 
pan-Blue alliance continues building closer ties with China, this 
will make the United States reevaluate its Taiwan policy and will 
even negatively influence the deployment of U.S. military in this 
region. The mass-circulation "Apple Daily" noted in its editorial 
that one should not feel surprised about these opinions, and 
President Chen should take responsibility for the deterioration in 
Taiwan-U.S. relations.  End summary. 
 
A) "Look Squarely at a Warning from a U.S. Scholar on Taiwan's 
Relaxation of its Self-Defense" 
 
The pro-independence, Taiwan's largest circulation daily "Liberty 
Times" [circulation: 600,000] editorialized (12/04): 
 
"Professor Robert Sutter of the U.S.'s Georgetown University said at 
a seminar that the image that Taiwan is unwilling to defend itself 
is deeply rooted in people's minds in Washington, D.C., and it will 
negatively influence Taiwan's lobbying in the United States. 
[Professor Sutter added that] If the pan-Blue alliance continues 
building closer relations with China, this will make the United 
States reevaluate its Taiwan policy and even negatively influence 
the deployment of the U.S. military in this region.  In other words, 
the negative influence of blocking the passage of the U.S. arms 
procurement bill on Taiwan's security, on its strategic position, 
and even on Taiwan-U.S. relations is gradually growing; this is a 
warning that we cannot neglect. 
 
"... Due to the ideology of the pan-Blue alliance, and after the 
change of ruling parties in 2000, it [the pan-Blue alliance] has on 
the one hand hindered the administration of the Chen government; on 
the other hand, it has not concealed its pro-unification attitude 
but has made several pilgrimages to China to express that attitude, 
and it has clandestinely become a tool to carry out China's 'United 
Front' strategies. 
 
"The blocking of the U.S. arms procurement bill by the pan-Blue 
alliance is solid evidence proving that the pan-Blue alliance has 
become China's tool for 'United Front' strategies. ...  The pan-Blue 
alliance's method not only reduces Taiwan's national defense 
strength but also severely jeopardizes Taiwan's image and has made 
Taiwan a rascal who only intends to rely on the protection of others 
without paying a price for self-defense. ..." 
 
B) "U.S.-Taiwan Relations are Bad" 
 
The mass-circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 500,000] 
editorialized (December 4): 
 
"At a seminar in Washington, D.C., several U.S. scholars said that 
the Bush Administration is the friendliest administration toward 
Taiwan, but [President] Chen Shui-bian's style of doing whatever he 
pleases has sabotaged the relationship; no matter which political 
party becomes the ruling party, the good opportunity is gone. 
 
"This is a depressing but unsurprising conclusion.  President Chen 
has weighed foreign affairs, cross-Strait relations, and Taiwan-U.S. 
relations on the scale of domestic politics and personal advantage 
and disadvantage; the result is inevitable. ..." 
 
YOUNG