VZCZCXYZ0025
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0630 0790829
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 200829Z MAR 07
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4526
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6493
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 7738

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000630 
 
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: JOSEPH WU'S APPOINTMENT AS NEW TECRO CHIEF 
 
 
Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies gave significant 
coverage March 20 to a local murder case in which the police 
admitted Monday that they had arrested the wrong man.  News coverage 
also focused on the year-end legislative elections and the 2008 
presidential elections.  An op-ed piece in the pro-unification 
"United Daily News" commented on the appointment of incumbent 
Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Joseph Wu as the new TECRO chief. 
The article said Wu will soon realize that having to deal with the 
State Department every day around the clock is completely different 
from his previous tasks of making emergency visits to the United 
States to make clarifications of President Chen Shui-bian's surprise 
remarks or moves.  End summary. 
 
"Joseph Wu, Being Taiwan's Representative in the U.S. is Not Like 
Putting Out Fires" 
 
Loh I-cheng, a retired diplomat, opined in the pro-unification 
"United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (3/20): 
 
"... The Green camp viewed Washington's approval of Joseph Wu's new 
appointment as hard evidence showing that the U.S. government 
supports the DPP to draw a clear line between itself and mainland 
China.  But such a view deserves further deliberation.  One cannot 
deviate from reality when handling foreign relations.  Chen 
Shui-bian is the only one who has supreme power in Taiwan.  Judging 
from the United States' national interests, even though it has 
enjoyed a smooth channel for dealing with Taiwan over the past seven 
years via [former TECRO chief] Chen Chien-jen and David Lee, the 
situation was something akin to scratching an itchy foot with one's 
boot on - namely, still failing to get to the root of the matter. 
Since the DPP regards Wu as 'one of the insiders,' surely there is 
no reason for Washington to say No to Taiwan.  But neither the White 
House nor the State Department can possibly change their policy 
toward A-Bian's calculated attempt to write a new constitution and 
use the approach of 'slicing the salami' to push the envelope of 
complete independence, which will certainly affect U.S. global 
relations. ...  Representative Wu will assume his new duties early 
next month.  He will soon realize that having to deal with the State 
Department every day around the clock is completely different from 
his several previous assignments in which he was told to fly to the 
United States, clarify A-Bian's surprise moves and put out fires in 
Washington." 
 
YOUNG