VZCZCXYZ0011
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0313/01 0390844
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 080844Z FEB 07
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4048
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6349
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 7582

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000313 
 
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: SIX-PARTY TALKS, CHINA'S ANTI-SATELLITE 
MISSILE TEST, TAIWAN'S POLITICS 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused 
February 8 on KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou, who proactively visited the 
Taiwan High Prosecutor's Office Wednesday to further explain his 
role in the alleged misuse of a special allowance during his tenure 
as Taipei mayor; on the DPP's proposed legislation concerning 
transitional justice and its plan to remove military guards and MPs 
stationed at Chiang Kai-shek's mausoleum; and on other political 
issues. 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, the "International 
Outlook" column of the pro-status quo "China Times" discussed the 
Six-Party Talks and said it will be ridiculous if the Bush 
administration decides to restore the 1994 framework, which the 
United States itself had torn down.  An op-ed piece in the 
limited-circulation, pro-independence, English-language "Taipei 
Times" discussed the recent Chinese anti-satellite missile test. 
The article said "The U.S. won the Cold War.  But in China it faces 
a different kind of challenge."  With regard to the DPP's recent 
move to remove statues of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek from 
military compounds and parks around the island and its plan to 
eliminate military guards and MPs stationed at Chiang's mausoleum, 
an editorial in the limited-circulation, conservative, 
pro-unification, English-language "China Post" criticized the move 
as de-Sinicization, while an editorial in the pro-independence, 
English-language "Taiwan News" welcomed it as a move to push for 
justice.  End summary. 
 
¶3. Six-Party Talks 
 
"Is United States Going to Restore the 1994 Agreement?" 
 
The "International Outlook" column of the pro-status quo "China 
Times" [circulation: 400,000] noted (2/8): 
 
"The 'Six-Party Talks' on the nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula 
resumed February 8.  But a bizarre episode has taken place, namely: 
The talks seem to have returned to the 1994 framework, which the 
United States itself had torn down.  The Bush Administration, in 
particular, refused to recognize this framework.  Wouldn't it be 
ridiculous if Washington decides to restore it right now? ...  The 
1994 agreement is something the Bush Administration has 
consistently opposed.  Now Christopher Hill, the U.S. negotiator, 
intends to restore it in order to break the current impasse.  How is 
the Bush Administration going to explain itself?" 
 
¶4. China's Anti-Satellite Missile Test 
 
"Hu Jintao, Military Clash over Strategies" 
 
Paul Lin, a political commentator based in Taipei, opined in the 
pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 
30,000] (2/8): 
 
"... Despite China's insouciance, then going ahead with the test was 
clearly intended to provoke the US. ...  The reason different 
Chinese officials gave different statements on the test hints at an 
internal power struggle among high-level officials.  Hu inherited 
former president Deng Xiaoping's strategy of 'dimming our lights and 
thriving in the shadow,' and has even toned down the strategy and 
made it more manipulative.  The PLA is taking the tougher, directer 
approach and wants in particular to manifest the military's 
influence before this autumn's 17th National Congress of the Chinese 
Communist Party (CCP) or to help former Chinese president Jiang 
Zemin and his supporters pose a potential challenge to Hu. 
 
"This will without a doubt vex Hu, since he has been working hard to 
present China to the international community as on the road to 
'peaceful development' rather than posing a threat to other 
countries.  His reason for this is to gain access to more advanced 
military and space technology from Western nations.  But the PLA 
could spoil Hu's strategy.  What is happening now is a direct result 
of escalating tensions between Hu and the PLA. ...  The US has been 
carefully watching the expansion of China's military abilities and 
has applied stringent regulations on exports to China.  But if Hu 
continues his strategy of charming the international community, it 
could succeed in getting those regulations changed.  The US won the 
Cold War.  But in China it faces a different kind of challenge." 
 
¶5. Taiwan's Politics 
 
A) "Desinicization Hurts Tourism" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" 
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (2/8): 
 
"Ever since the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party 
(DPP) gained power, the government has been trying to rid the island 
of everything that has to do with China and with Kuomintang (KMT) 
 
MISSILE TEST, TAIWAN'S POLITICS 
 
rule, regardless of whether it's practical and possible. ... The 
mausoleum of the late President in Taoyuan County and Chiang 
Kai-shek Memorial Park in Taipei are tourist attractions that draw 
large numbers of visitors from the Chinese mainland.  Changing the 
status quo would certainly keep away many mainland tourists." 
 
B) "Push for Justice Mustn't Be Delayed" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" [circulation: 
20,000] editorialized (2/8): 
 
"We strongly support the spirit of yesterday's decision by the 
governing Democratic Progressive Party to accelerate moves to 
promote transactional justice and human rights legislation, and 
press the government to investigate official responsibility for a 
wide range of human rights violations that may have occurred during 
the decades of authoritarian rule by the former ruling Kuomintang. 
...  [C]ontrary to claims made by pan-KMT politicians of a new 
'cultural revolution,' all that the DPP is advocating is returning 
Taiwan to a more 'normal' state in which the fascistic values of 
authoritarians do not receive special protection or propagation with 
the resources and thus the authority of a democratic state.  We 
should not understate the difficulty or the importance of this 
project. ... 
 
"We need not naively assume that the DPP or its chairman have 
launched this action free of political motivations.  However, 
critics in the authoritarian party should consider why the governing 
party and its leaders believe that the support of both 'pan-green' 
and 'middle' voters can be successfully gained by calls for 
'transitional justice' and realize that the best way to reduce the 
'market value' of the DPP's appeal is to help and not hinder the 
process of realizing transitional justice in Taiwan." 
 
YOUNG