VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0560/01 0720313
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 130313Z MAR 07
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4413
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6457
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 7710

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000560 
 
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: AP AND CNN INCIDENT WITH VP ANNETTE LU; 
PRESIDENT CHEN SHUI-BIAN'S "FOUR WANTS" REMARKS 
 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Taiwan's newspapers March 10-12 focused their coverage 
on a KMT decision to revoke the party membership of National Defense 
Minister Lee Jye for agreeing to remove statues of late KMT leader 
Chiang Kai-shek from military compounds. 
 
¶2.  In terms of editorials and commentaries, the pro-independence 
"Liberty Times" editorialized that that the government should 
proactively market of Taiwan's democratic image in order to 
highlight the differences between a democratic Taiwan and an 
authoritarian China.  The pro-unification "United Daily News" asked 
whether the DPP request to deport an AP reporter in Taiwan is moving 
Taiwan's status back to that of an authoritative regime.  The 
pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" said, however, 
that Vice President Annette Lu has been useless in promoting legal 
reform and awareness of civil rights in Taiwan but has brought media 
outlets such as CNN and The Associated Press (AP) to their knees for 
quoting abusive language from Beijing.  The pro-unification "United 
Daily News" questioned in its editorial why the eradication of the 
ROC would be in the interests of Taiwan people.  Commentator Sun 
Ching-yu opined in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily" that President 
Chen Shui-bian's remarks of "Four Wants and One Without" are his 
style of child's play and there is no need to bother paying 
attention to them.  An editorial in the pro-unification "China Post" 
said that Washington's reaction to President Chen's "Four Wants and 
One Without" was unexpectedly mild and amounted only to a gentle 
slap on the wrist.  End summary. 
 
¶3.  Report on Annette Lu's Feud with AP and CNN 
 
A)  "The Government Should Proactively Market Taiwan's Democratic 
Image 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 500,000] 
editorialized (3/10): 
 
"One thing worthy of paying attention to is that, although the 
inappropriate words against Vice President Annette Lu came from 
China's propaganda, they appeared in [the reports of] 
internationally famous media such as the Associated Press and CNN. 
The phenomenon indicates that some international media, perhaps 
influenced by China's propaganda, or perhaps because they have 
recruited more Chinese employees, or maybe both, have unconsciously 
shown China's uncivilized ideology in their reports.  ... 
 
"... We believe that related government agencies in charge of 
Taiwan's image should proactively market the image of Taiwan's 
democracy.  Especially in wide-ranging international affairs, there 
are several opportunities to highlight the differences between a 
democratic Taiwan and an authoritarian China." 
 
B)  "To Protest or to Oppress: The Sense of Propriety in the Dealing 
with the Associated Press Incident" 
 
The pro-unification United Daily News [circulation: 400,000] noted 
in its editorial (03/10) 
 
"...  In the [Associated Press] incident, the most noticeable thing 
is not the anger of Vice President Annette Lu but the radical 
reaction of the DPP.  It is unimaginable that the political party 
elevated the 'protest' to 'deportation' within two days.  Let's put 
aside whether it is too severe to 'deport' a journalist whose report 
is hardly vicious; how can a political party that has experienced 
the oppression of press freedom by an authoritarian regime and has 
claimed to 'insist 100 percent press freedom,' speak so easily of 
'deportation?' 
 
"... Since the DPP cannot discern the difference between 'protest' 
and 'deportation,' it shows that the political party does not 
understand the sharpness of the political sword in hand. ... 
Compared with the deportation of an AP reporter 26 years ago, is 
Taiwan moving backward to the status of an authoritarian regime?" 
 
 
C)  "Annette Lu Tames the World Press" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 
30,000] said in its editorial (3/10): 
 
"You've got to hand it to Vice President Annette Lu. As the nation's 
most powerful woman and a self-declared feminist, she has been 
useless in promoting legal reform and rights awareness in a country 
that this week received another battering in a US State Department 
report over its failure to punish physical and sexual abusers of 
women and children. 
 
"But she sure can bring media outlets like CNN and The Associated 
Press (AP) to their knees for quoting abusive language from Beijing. 
In the week that she announced her push for the Democratic 
PRESIDENT CHEN SHUI-BIAN'S "FOUR WANTS" REMARKS 
 
Progressive Party (DPP) nomination for president, Lu pounced on two 
of several news outlets that recycled the expressions "scum of the 
nation" and "insane" just when she was looking to make an extra 
headline out of her campaign launch. 
 
"Beijing's insults are ludicrous and demean every Taiwanese. But 
they are dramatic, and to many entertaining, which is why news 
agencies and correspondents turn to them when they seek to spice up 
their stories. For years, this newspaper has criticized 
international news agencies for misrepresenting Taiwan and 
portraying it as a "renegade Chinese province" at the expense of the 
Taiwanese view. In this instance, however, AP and CNN were simply 
playing the same old tune. While objectionable, these kinds of 
reports are nothing new." 
 
¶4. President Chen Shui-bian's "Four Wants" Remarks 
 
D)  "Why Eradicate the ROC?" 
 
The pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] said 
in its editorial (3/12): 
 
"... There are at least three points opened for debate in President 
Chen's manipulation [of 'Four Wants and One Without.']  First, the 
shift has moved the statement of Taiwan's sovereignty from 
'completed Taiwan independence,' meaning that Taiwan 'is already 
independent,' to 'Taiwan independence in progress,' meaning that 
Taiwan 'has yet become independent.'  Is this shift a move forward 
or backward?  Second, the 'Resolution on Taiwan's Future' is an 
official document passed by the DPP through a democratic mechanism 
within the party, while Chen Shui-bian's remarks of 'Four Wants and 
One Without' are only his political manipulation.  Third, from the 
perspective that Taiwan must maintain its relations with the U.S. 
and defend against China, will the 'Republic of China in the form of 
a completed Taiwan independence' or 'Republic of Taiwan in the 
progress of Taiwan independence' be more advantageous to Taiwan? 
 
"... When the United States and Taiwan have drawn their bottom line 
on 'de jure Taiwan independence,' they have shown explicitly that 
other than 'de jure Taiwan independence,' the status quo and 
development of the 'Republic of China' can both be maintained.  In 
other words, it is okay if the national title of the Republic of 
China is not changed; to some extent, this is the realization of 
'Republic of China in the form of Taiwan independence.' 
 
"However, the moves of 'name changes and constitutional reform' 
adopted by Chen Shui-bian and the DPP have narrowed the definition 
of Taiwan independence and moved backward to 'change in the national 
title and construct a new Constitution.'  These are tantamount to 
denigrating the ROC and resenting the ROC, and are digging one's own 
grave in terms of politics.  'ROC' is what Taiwan's life depends on; 
why expose it to the risk of death?" 
 
E)  "Don't Bother to Pay Attention to A-Bian's Style of Child's 
Play" 
 
Commentator Sun Ching-yu opined in the mass-circulation "Apple 
Daily" [circulation: 580,000] (03/10): 
 
"... All in all, the remarks of 'Four Wants and One Without' are 
another A-Bian style of child's play.  The United States and China 
have heard them several times and are therefore reluctant to 
respond.  Taiwan people and media should not be serious about them 
at all.  Just take it as the government is supporting a person who 
has nothing to do. ..." 
 
F)  "A Slap on the Wrist" 
 
An editorial in the pro-unification China Post [circulation: 30,000] 
said that (03/10): 
 
"...  Washington's reaction was unexpectedly mild. State Department 
Spokesman Sean McCormack commented the following day that Chen's 
rhetoric was 'unhelpful.'  It was a gentle slap on Chen's wrist. 
 
"McCormack was unusually mealy-mouthed.  'The United States does not 
support independence for Taiwan,' he reiterated Washington's 
position.  'President Bush has repeatedly underscored his opposition 
to unilateral changes to the status quo by either Taipei or 
Beijing,' he said, adding, 'any rhetoric that would raise doubts' 
about Chen's inaugural commitments and guarantees to renounce Taiwan 
independence is 'unhelpful.' 
 
"In fact, 'unhelpful' was the only word the State Department had 
chosen to comment on Chen's latest utterance.  In the lead-up to the 
2008 presidential elections, Taiwan's citizens may expect more of 
such diplomatic rhetoric from Washington, as our fire-brand 
president is bound to make repeated challenges to Washington's 
PRESIDENT CHEN SHUI-BIAN'S "FOUR WANTS" REMARKS 
 
one-China policy and Beijing's red line on Taiwan independence." 
 
YOUNG