VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0530/01 0670840
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 080840Z MAR 07
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4361
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6435
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 7686

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000530 
 
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: PRESIDENT CHEN SHUI-BIAN'S "FOUR WANTS" 
REMARKS, U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news 
coverage March 8 on the pairing between possible candidates vying 
for the 2008 presidential elections; on Vice President Annette Lu, 
who on Wednesday demanded a written apology from the Associated 
Press and CNN for using "Scum of the Nation" in the headlines of 
their reports of her announcement to run for the 2008 presidential 
election; and on other local political issues.  Two Chinese-language 
dailies -- the pro-status quo "China Times" and the pro-unification 
"United Daily News" -- and the three English-language papers all 
front-paged the agreement reached between former KMT Chairman Ma 
Ying-jeou and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng to run on a joint 
ticket for the 2008 presidential elections. 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, the "Black and White" 
column in the "United Daily News" continued to comment on President 
Chen Shui-bian's recent "Four Wants and One Without" announcement. 
The article satirized Chen for putting up a big show of Taiwan 
independence while discovering in the end that only one of the four 
DPP bigwigs wants to follow his lead.  An op-ed piece in the 
limited-circulation, pro-independence, English-language "Taipei 
Times," on the other hand, commented on the U.S. presidential 
election in 2008 and its relation to Asia.  The article said 
"because of the United States' unique role in many walks of Asian 
life," Asia is more "intense" in watching the U.S. presidential 
contest.  End summary. 
 
¶3. President Chen Shui-bian's "Four Wants and One Without" Remarks 
 
"How Sad [President Chen's] Cry Is" 
 
The "Black and White" column in the pro-unification "United Daily 
News" [circulation: 400,000] noted (3/8) 
 
"Chen Shui-bian tossed off the 'Four Wants and One Without' remarks, 
but both Washington and Beijing have actually seen through the fact 
that he looks tough in manner but is cowardly at heart.  Even though 
Washington reprimanded him harshly and Beijing also issued a 
statement rebuking him, these were nothing but routine practices. 
The only unfortunate one that bears the brunt of Chen's remarks was 
the Taiwan stock market, from which some tens of billions of [New 
Taiwan] dollars simply vaporized without any reason. 
 
"Some people believe that Bian's 'Four Wants and One Without' 
announcement has drawn a clear line limiting the four DPP bigwigs 
vying for the presidential candidacy.  But is this true?  As 
expected, Frank Hsieh, who once advocated "One China under the 
Constitution" and "reconciliation and co-existence," should have 
been the one who received the greatest impact from Bian's radical 
slogans that emphasize independence and name change.  But just look 
at Hsieh's unhurried response; he said he believes Bian must have 
had control of certain domestic information before he made such 
remarks, and he totally disregarded the question of whether he 
personally agreed with Bian or not. ... 
 
"Bian wanted to draw a line for the four bigwigs to follow, but when 
he looked around, he might find that only Yu Shyi-kun, who is the 
weakest of the four bigwigs in terms of [political] strength, is 
following him.  For Bian, isn't it rather sad that his show 
promoting Taiwan independence ends up this way?" 
 
¶4. U.S. Presidential Election 
 
"The American Election and Asia" 
 
Kurt Campbell, chief executive officer and co-founder of the Center 
for a New American Security, opined in the "On Taiwan" column in the 
pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 
30,000] (3/8): 
 
"... While Europeans and others watch the US presidential contest 
with interest and often have strong views about preferred outcomes, 
Asia is in many ways unique and much more intense.  This is because 
of the US' unique role in many walks of Asian life - the ultimate 
guarantor of peace and stability in Asia, the primary market for 
most Asian exports of consumer goods, and still the agenda setter 
for most matters of regional dialogue and discussion (despite 
China's enormous gains). ... 
 
"... Despite the desire to neatly compartmentalize Democrats and 
Republicans into different boxes when it comes to policy approaches 
to Asia, the most obvious truth about US politics when it comes to 
Asia is that the most intense debates are often within the parties 
rather than between them. ...  US foreign policy and national 
security debates currently are completely consumed by Iraq, and this 
preoccupation on the dire circumstances of the Middle East is 
decidedly bipartisan.  This focus on the chaos and ruin of US policy 
and what to do about it is likely to predominate in policy circles 
for years to come and will easily cast the longest shadow on the 
REMARKS, U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 
 
2008 elections.  Nevertheless, it's perhaps not too early to sketch 
out at least some broad contours of likely policy approaches that 
may transcend party differences when it comes to the future of Asia 
in the coming campaign. ... 
 
"There are obvious elements of both cooperation and competition in 
Sino-US relations, but expect to hear more of the latter as the 
campaign heats up. ...  Indeed, there is an increasing appreciation 
across the political spectrum that the maintenance of a US security 
role in Asia is of critical importance to the nation (an area for 
which the Bush team deserves but is unlikely to receive much 
credit.)  This is one area of good news for a coming political 
campaign that is likely to be one of the bitterest and harshly 
contested in modern history. ..." 
 
YOUNG