VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #4162 3540843
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 200843Z DEC 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3499
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6115
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 7345

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 004162 
 
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: SIX-PARTY TALKS 
 
 
Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies shifted their 
focus on December 20 from local politics to sudden plunges in stock 
markets in Thailand and other Asian countries Monday.  The 
pro-unification "United Daily News" front-paged a news story whose 
headline read "[Former President] Lee Teng-hui Supports Frank Hsieh 
to Run for Presidency [in 2008]."  The local papers, however, gave 
very limited reporting and editorial coverage to the Six-Party Talks 
currently going on in Beijing.  Only one op-ed piece in the 
pro-status quo "China Times" discussed the Six-Party Talks and said 
the nightmare of global nuclear proliferation might become a reality 
if the Six-Party Talks fail to make Pyongyang agree to get rid of 
its nuclear weapons.  End summary. 
 
"Nightmare of Global Nuclear Proliferation" 
 
To-hai Liou, visiting research fellow at the Australian National 
University's Research School of Asia and the Pacific, opined in the 
pro-status quo "China Times" [circulation: 400,000] (12/20): 
 
"... It is certain that if the Six-Party Talks fail to make 
Pyongyang agree to get rid of its nuclear weapons, Northeast Asia 
will likely become the second area after South Asia to possess 
nuclear weapons in the post-Cold War era.  Such a development will 
also likely turn the nightmare of global nuclear proliferation into 
a reality, because countries in the Middle East are waiting for a 
favorable moment to make their moves. ...  Judged from this 
perspective, it is plausible to say that now is the time for a 
showdown in the Six-Party Talks.  The future development [of the 
talks] will bring about changes in the entire East Asian strategic 
security tectonic plates and will create a very strong impact on 
Taiwan.  This writer believes that, based on the final resolution 
pattern of the North Korea nuclear issue, three scenarios - namely, 
'co-management by China and the United States [over North Korea],' 
'tri-polar system formed by China, the United States, and Japan,' 
and 'U.S.-China confrontation' - may possibly happen. ..." 
 
WANG