VZCZCXYZ0007
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0295/01 0380913
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 070913Z FEB 07
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4022
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6342
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 7577

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000295 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - LLOYD NEIGHBORS 
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-TAIWAN RELATIONS, TAIWAN'S NAME CHANGE 
PLAN AND UN BID 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused their 
coverage February 7 on the DPP's government's recent move to remove 
the statues of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek from military compounds 
and parks around the island and its plan to remove military guards 
and MPs stationed at Chiang's mausoleum; on the diseased pork found 
in central and northern Taiwan; on the personnel reshuffle in the 
Presidential Office Monday evening; on Wang You-theng, founder of 
the debt-ridden Rebar Group; and on the speculation that KMT 
Chairman Ma Ying-jeou may be indicted soon for alleged embezzlement 
during his tenure as Taipei mayor. 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, an editorial in the 
pro-independence "Liberty Times," Taiwan's largest-circulation 
daily, discussed the remarks by U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of 
State Thomas Christensen in a written testimony recently on the 
cross-Strait situation.  The article criticized the Blue camp for 
blocking the U.S. arms procurements budget and called for a popular 
vote to decide on Taiwan's national security.  With regard to 
Taiwan's UN bid and name change plan, an editorial in the 
limited-circulation, conservative, pro-unification, English-language 
"China Post" lashed out at the DPP government, calling its recent 
moves a kind of "Cultural Revolution" similar to the one launched by 
the late Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong.  An editorial 
in the limited-circulation, pro-independence, English-language 
"Taiwan News," however, welcomed the DPP government's proposed UN 
bid under the name of Taiwan.  End summary. 
 
¶3. U.S.-Taiwan Relations 
 
"Let Taiwan People Decide [Their] National Security" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 550,000] 
editorialized (2/7): 
 
"U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific 
Affairs Thomas Christensen said in written testimony that the United 
States was deeply concerned that China continues to deploy missiles 
and weapons systems aimed at Taiwan and that the United States took 
note that China has refused to give up the option of using military 
force against Taiwan.  The United States would have to respond 
according to its duties laid out in the Taiwan Relations Act, he 
added. ... 
 
"But over the past few years, confrontations between the ruling and 
opposition parties seem to have become a weak link of the 'Taiwan 
Relations Act (TRA).'  According to the TRA, the United States will 
'provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character,' and it is 
really rare and commendable that this rule remains valid now, even 
given the impact caused by the Sino-U.S. 'August 17 Communiqu' 
signed in 1982.  To our great surprise, following the transfer of 
political power in 2000, the pan-Blue camp, which used to emphasize 
the extreme importance of Taiwan-U.S. relations, chose to join hands 
with Communist China to restrain Taiwan after it became the 
opposition party.  The pan-Blue camp has repeatedly blocked the 
[U.S.] arms procurements budget, even though the arms deal has been 
approved and pushed by the United States.  Given such a development, 
Taiwan's national defense will become vulnerable and short on 
defense capability.  [Should this be the case,] what else will the 
TRA be able to do? 
 
"In consideration of Taiwan's stalled pace with regard to the arms 
procurements, AIT Taipei Director Stephen Young held a press 
conference last October in which he urged the Legislative Yuan to 
pass the arms procurements budget in fall 2006 in an attempt to 
resolve the military imbalance in the Taiwan Strait.  Young added 
that, as Taiwan's most important security partner, the United States 
believes it is necessary to state its position and let the Taiwan 
people clearly understand the U.S. position.  Young also earnestly 
exhorted:  For the Taiwan people's sake, please pass the arms 
procurements budget! 
 
"Nonetheless, those who do not care about Taiwan's security 
continued to oppose the arms procurements just for opposition's 
sake.  Some people thus proposed that a popular vote be held on the 
stalled arms procurements, so that the public can decide on the 
issue free of the severe struggles between political parties.  In 
other words, let Taiwan people defend the island.  Honestly 
speaking, this might work as a resolution. ..." 
 
¶4. "Taiwan's Name Change Plan and UN Bid 
 
A) "The DPP's Cultural Revolution" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" 
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (2/7): 
 
"In China, Chairman Mao launched a 'Great Proletarian Cultural 
Revolution' to get rid of the 'olds' - in other words, anything that 
PLAN AND UN BID 
 
connected the Chinese people to their past, and replace the culture 
of the Chinese people with a new communist ideology.  The Democratic 
Progressive Party (DPP) is doing much the same with Taiwan.  It 
started innocently enough with 'common sense' changes like putting 
the name 'Taiwan' on the Republic of China passports, and as we 
predicted, this was only the thin end of the wedge. ... 
 
"The DPP had bigger things in its sights, namely the Chiang Kai-shek 
Memorial Hall.  This impressive structure was built to preserve the 
memory of the founder of modern Taiwan. ...  No one cares about the 
DPP and their narrow, inward-looking ideology.  All the DPP has done 
for Taiwan's international reputation is to blacken it by their 
thuggish tactics in the Legislature. ...  The DPP, with their narrow 
interpretation of history and their Cultural Revolution, have no 
concept of Chiang's important role in keeping Taiwan free and 
opening the way to a more democratic future." 
 
B) "Citizens Vote Needed for our U.N. Bid" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" [circulation: 
20,000] editorialized (2/7): 
 
"We support the proposal raised by lawmakers of the governing 
Democratic Progressive Party in the past week to launch a national 
campaign for a citizen's vote on whether our country should use the 
name 'Taiwan' in an application to enter the United Nations. ... 
Securing membership for Taiwan and our people in the U.N. and 
affiliated international organizations has since been a priority 
task of Taiwan's democratic movement and the DPP and has been 
pursued with various strategies and little concrete results by both 
the KMT government of Taiwan-born former President Lee Teng-hui, and 
by the DPP government of President Chen Shui-bian. ... 
 
"If we cannot enter the U.N. under the official and anachronistic 
constitutional moniker, there is no reason why we should not simply 
use 'Taiwan,' which is the best and simplest way to indicate our 
national identity. ...  Instead of continuing to allow itself to be 
paralyzed by Taiwan's political divisions, the DPP leadership 
appears to have finally realized that there are numerous issues that 
offer the opportunity to build 'center-left' majorities by combining 
the affirmation of Taiwan's national identity and democracy with 
promoting a national bottom-up debate and citizen participation." 
 
YOUNG