VZCZCXYZ0008
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0639/01 0800929
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 210929Z MAR 07
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4544
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6502
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 7744

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000639 
 
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 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news 
coverage March 21 on the 2008 presidential election, on the 
government's new language policy, and on local murder and kidnap 
cases.  Several papers carried the remarks by President Chen 
Shui-bian and AIT Taipei Director Stephen Young during an American 
Chamber of Commerce's annual post-Chinese New Year gathering Tuesday 
evening.  The pro-unification "United Daily News" ran a news story 
on page 12 with the headline: "Stephen Young: If Taiwan Wants to 
Prosper, Both Sides [of the Taiwan Strait] Need to Open up More." 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a column in the 
pro-independence "Liberty Times" commented on the appointment of 
incumbent Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Joseph Wu as the new 
TECRO chief.  The article said Wu can handle Taiwan-U.S. relations 
better because he has a more understanding of China.  A commentary 
in the pro-unification "United Daily News," on the other hand, said 
Washington approved of Wu's appointment because it does not want to 
see any more surprises from the Chen Shui-bian administration.  An 
editorial in the limited-circulation, pro-independence, 
English-language "Taipei Times" said "Chen's appointment of a 
seasoned veteran in cross-strait affairs to represent Taiwan in 
Washington clearly demonstrates his view that cross-strait relations 
are an extension of Taiwan-US relations."  End summary. 
 
A) "Thoughts on Joseph Wu's Appointment as New TECRO Chief" 
 
Columnist Paul Lin noted in the pro-independence "Liberty Times" 
[circulation: 500,000] (3/21): 
 
"Most importantly, Taiwan-U.S. relations are in reality about the 
relations among Taiwan, the U.S., and China, and this point 
determined that the chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) 
also shares the responsibility to go the United States to 
communicate with Washington.  Now that incumbent MAC Chairman Joseph 
Wu has been appointed to head the TECRO office in Washington, he can 
handle Taiwan-U.S. relations better than those officials from the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, because he has a more profound 
understanding of China.  In addition to being able adequately to 
estimate the Chinese factor in Taiwan-U.S. relations, Wu can also 
help Washington better understand China and how many common 
strategic interests both Taiwan and the United States share.  Given 
his profound understanding of China, Wu has better knowledge of how 
to handle the relations between Taiwan and China more appropriately. 
 
 
"In contrast, when one looks at U.S.-China relations, [one will find 
that] major changes have taken place since President George W. Bush 
assumed office in 2000.  There are genuine 'China hands' in the 
United States, such as John J. Tkacik, but mainstream 'China hands' 
do not really understand China...  They are obsessed with 
Confucianism, but they lack knowledge of Chinese political trickery 
and rogue culture.  [We] hope that Wu's appointment can compensate 
for the U.S. deficiency on this score.  Also, Wu's strategic goal 
should be to urge Washington gradually to get rid of the restraints 
[imposed by] 'one China.' ..." 
 
B) "The United States Hopes there are no more 'Surprises'" 
 
Journalist Sun Yang-ming said in the "United Notes" column in the 
pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (3/21): 
 
"The most straightforward reason why the United States agreed to 
have Joseph Wu replace David Lee as the TECRO chief was because it 
hopes there will no longer be any more surprises during the last 
year of the Chen Shui-bian administration, particularly in the 
crucial election year.  In other words, what Washington hopes is 
that during the following year, it can gain full control of the 
direction of the Chen administration, especially at a time when 
China's military is about to mobilize. 
 
"Any surprise that happens in or before 2008 can draw the United 
States into a bottomless abyss.  In other words, Joseph Wu is 
actually the man that the United States desires.  Wu said himself 
that he can fully grasp Chen's ideas, and this is exactly what the 
United States wants.  Washington may even expect that he can inform 
it of the intent of the Chen administration beforehand. 
 
"The biggest long-term problem for the Bian administration is that 
it has failed to gain full trust of the United States.  Deputy 
Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Thomas 
Christensen has not hidden such a view, even with the reporters' 
tape recorder in front of him.  Surely this will be the biggest 
problem that Wu will face.  Washington has been highly vigilant, 
particularly after Chen tossed off his 'Four Wants and One Without' 
remarks. 
 
"Long before the 'Four Wants and One Without' announcement was made, 
Washington had actually learned that Chen would come up with some 
new 'statements.'  Relevant people at AIT even kept full alert 
 
during the Lunar New Year holidays just in case Chen might launch 
'surprise attacks,' as he did last year with the 'cessation of the 
functions of the National Unification Council.'  But, obviously, 
TECRO failed to fully communicate this with the United States. 
 
"In the wake of Chen's 'Four Wants and One Without' remarks, the 
initial reaction of the United States is moderate, but this did not 
represent Washington's real opinion.  As a matter of fact, the State 
Department differed in views about how to inform the Bian 
administration of the U.S. displeasure, mainly because Deputy 
Secretary of State John Negroponte and Christensen were both in 
 
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Beijing and no one could make a final decision.  Such a development 
indicated that, in addition to the previous relatively moderate 
statement, the State Department will likely have a second round of 
movement.  Washington's approval of Wu's appointment should be 
viewed as one of the steps it will take. 
 
"Among the people on the U.S. side who know the inside stories, 
probably no one would believe that the 'Four Wants and One Without' 
announcement was not serious.  Even though TECRO has a smooth 
channel for working with the United States, it has failed to 
function in this incident, and that makes Washington's approval to 
replace David Lee a reasonable consequence." 
 
C) "Mr. Wu Goes to Washington" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 
30,000] editorialized (3/21): 
 
"With just a year left until he leaves office, President Chen 
Shui-bian has finally decided to appoint a Democratic Progressive 
Party (DPP) member to be the nation's top representative to the US. 
By selecting Mainland Affairs Chairman Joseph Wu, Chen has fit the 
last piece into the DPP's diplomatic puzzle.  US-Taiwan relations 
are crucial to the nation's diplomatic, security and cross-strait 
interests, so the appointment of Wu was a very good decision. ... 
Although Taiwan-US relations are fundamentally diplomatic affairs, 
Washington ahs always been a main battleground during exchanges 
between China and Taiwan.  Since Beijing began enlisting the US' 
help in restraining Taiwan from changing the 'status quo,' 
Washington has become the most direct and effective shortcut for 
each to exert pressure on the other. 
 
"This has been especially true since former US deputy secretary of 
state Robert Zoellick began encouraging China to become a 
'responsible stakeholder.'  For example, during a visit to the US in 
2005, Chinese President Hu Jintao said the US and China should 
'jointly manage the Taiwan Strait.'  Last week Chen said that 
Taiwan, the US and China should work together to manage cross-strait 
peace, security and stability.  Clearly all three countries have 
accepted that the US holds an important position in cross-strait 
relations.  Chen's appointment of a seasoned veteran in cross-strait 
affairs to represent Taiwan in Washington clearly demonstrates his 
view that cross-strait relations are an extension of Taiwan-US 
relations.  In doing so, he has established a strategic triangle 
between the three countries. ..." 
 
YOUNG