VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0431 0570852
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 260852Z FEB 07
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4221
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6403
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 7645

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000431 
 
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: NORTH KOREA, TAIWAN'S NAME CHANGE CAMPAIGN 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  With the week-long Lunar New Year holidays coming to an 
end, Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies continued to focus 
their coverage February 24-26 on possible candidates vying for the 
2008 presidential elections, and on the upcoming sixtieth 
anniversary of the 2-28 Incident.  In terms of editorials and 
commentaries, a column in the pro-status quo "China Times" commented 
on North Korea.  The article speculated that Washington and 
Pyongyang are secretly discussing plans to establish diplomatic 
ties.  An editorial in the limited-circulation, conservative, 
pro-unification, English-language "China Post," on the other hand, 
criticized the DPP government's name change campaign, saying the 
move may not do any good for Taiwan.  End summary. 
 
¶2. North Korea 
 
"Are the United States and North Korea Secretly Discussing 
Establishment of Diplomatic Ties?" 
 
The "International Outlook" column in the pro-status quo "China 
Times" [circulation: 400,000] wrote (2/26): 
 
"... Pyongyang is indeed changing its attitude.  Kim Jong Il said 
this year will be North Korea's year for developing its economy. 
[Should this be true,] the country will then have to achieve some 
breakthroughs in its foreign relations.  [For Pyongyang,] as long as 
it sticks to its position with regard to the stored nuclear weapons, 
it seems viable to freeze or demolish nuclear facilities in exchange 
for economic benefits.  As for the United States, it will be 
basically acceptable as long as it is able to get Pyongyang to keep 
only a minimum of non-threat nuclear weapons and stop nuclear 
proliferation on the Korean Peninsula.  As it stands now, it seems 
certain that the two countries will have to normalize their 
relations.  If the North Korean nuclear issue can be resolved this 
way, it will not be as difficult as people have imagined for 
Washington and Pyongyang to establish diplomatic ties." 
 
¶3. Taiwan's Name Change Campaign 
 
"Re-naming Doesn't Pay" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" 
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (2/24): 
 
"On the surface, President Chen Shui-bian's re-naming of state-owned 
enterprises to drop 'China' or 'Chinese' in favor of 'Taiwan' or 
'Taiwanese' is a step benefiting his cause for Taiwan independence. 
In reality, however, the move may not work to his advantage.  First 
of all, Washington is not amused.  U.S. State Department Spokesman 
Sean McCormack has stated bluntly that 'the United States does not 
support changes in terminology for entities administered by Taiwan 
authorities.'  Perhaps more seriously, he warned that 'President 
Chen's fulfillment of his commitments will be a test of leadership, 
dependability and statesmanship, as well as his ability to protect 
Taiwan's interests, its relations with others, and to maintain peace 
and stability in the Taiwan Strait.'  There are harsh words.  The 
name change, while giving Taiwan a separate identity, is in fact 
admitting that Taiwan is a part of China, a claim by the Beijing 
regime from the beginning. ..." 
 
YOUNG