VZCZCXYZ0010
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0895/01 1130913
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 230913Z APR 07
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4976
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6661
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 7911

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000895 
 
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: VIRGINIA TECH SHOOTING INCIDENT, 
U.S.-TAIWAN RELATIONS 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies continued to 
focus news coverage from April 21-23 on the year-end legislators' 
elections and the 2008 presidential election; on the Virginia Tech 
shooting incident and its aftermath; and on other local political 
and social issues.  On April 22, the pro-independence "Liberty 
Times" ran an exclusive news story on page six with the headline 
"Taiwan Continues to Communicate with the United States over Its 
Strategy to join the World Health Organization." 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a column in the 
pro-unification "United Daily News" discussed the Virginia Tech 
shooting incident.  The article said it will be a total loss for 
everyone "if people fail to subdue their hatred toward the shooter 
with rationality and instead, turn it into collective feud against 
skin colors."  An editorial in the limited-circulation, 
conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" urged 
the United States to tighten its gun control laws.  With regard to 
U.S.-Taiwan relations, the "Liberty Times" carried the Chinese 
translation of an article by John J. Tkacik, a senior research 
fellow at the Heritage Foundation, which urged Washington to give a 
formal and detailed definition of the status quo in the Taiwan 
Strait.  An editorial in the limited-circulation, pro-independence, 
English-language "Taiwan News" suggested that a new balance be 
struck in Washington-Taipei relations.  End summary. 
 
¶3. Virginia Tech Shooting Incident 
 
A) "The Original Sin of Skin [Colors]" 
 
Journalist Wang Li-mei wrote in the "United Notes" column in the 
pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (4/21): 
 
"The aftermath of the Virginia Tech shooting incident can still be 
felt.  Some South Korean students, in fear of revenge, have chosen 
to leave the United States and return to their country earlier than 
scheduled.  In other U.S. states, there were reports saying that 
students from Taiwan were insulted and told to 'go back to Asia.' 
The spread of hostility seemed to move even faster than the speed of 
nuclear weapons. ... 
 
"How a terrorist act by an individual student can turn out to be a 
national or racial issue is a problem brewing beneath the surface 
that can hardly be explained using common sense.  In fact, the 
American people will probably focus more attention on their gun 
control laws [than on ethnic tensions] when they look at this 
shooting incident.  But immigrants from minority ethnic groups such 
as those from South Korea, China, Taiwan, and other Asian countries, 
cannot but feel worried about the hostility and revenge against them 
from other ethnic groups.  This is the reason why Beijing was 
extremely nervous when rumor had it earlier that the gunman came 
from mainland China.  If Cho Seung-Hui were Chinese, the follow-on 
effects, as a result of the competitive relationship between the 
United States and China, would definitely be much stronger than what 
they are now. ... 
 
"The unfriendliness shown by the United States toward Arabs in the 
wake of the September 11 attacks is the reason why ethnic groups in 
Asia feel uneasy right now.  It is fortunate that Americans in 
general have demonstrated a certain degree of control and 
rationality, and this is a learning process that a melting pot 
society needs to undergo.  It will be a total loss for all if 
[people] fail to subdue their hatred toward Cho with rationality and 
instead, turn it into a collective feud against skin colors." 
 
B) "Time for U.S. to Act on Guns" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" 
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (4/21): 
 
"The carnage at Virginia Tech this week, the worst gun rampage in 
U.S. history and one that claimed 33 lives, is a grim reminder that 
the United States should do something about its lax gun control 
laws, which have made lethal weapons too readily available to its 
citizens. ...  If U.S. President George W. Bush is so determined to 
eliminate the threat of weapons of mass destruction, or at least 
stop the proliferation of WMDs, he should have the same zeal in 
eliminating the real threat of at home-WMKs, or weapons of mass 
killing.  The old notion that deems sacred the right to bear 
firearms is no longer true in the 21st century, when gun use and 
violence in the United States is getting out of control.  The easy 
availability of WMKs wreaks havoc on the country.  The death toll 
from handguns is four times that of 9-11.  Hopefully, the bloodbath 
at Virginia Tech is tragic enough for Americans to do something 
about their lax guan control laws.  If they do, then the deaths of 
33 people will acquire some meaning." 
 
¶4. U.S.-Taiwan Relations 
 
A) "Determine Taiwan's 'Status quo'" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 500,000] carried 
the Chinese translation of an article by John J. Tkacik, a senior 
research fellow at the Heritage Foundation (4/23 - English original 
unavailable): 
 
"... There is no need for Washington to react sensitively to the 
change of status quo in the Taiwan Strait; instead, it needs a set 
of premeditated policies that can pre-empt against such 'change,' or 
dole out a penalty when the change becomes extreme.  How to deal 
with China's invasion [against Taiwan] may be termed the 'real 
status quo,' which is more important than dealing with Taiwan's 
efforts to articulate proactively its real existence as a nation. 
Thus, it will be a positive move for the Bush administration's 
National Security Council to define practically 'the status quo as 
we determine it' -- or if necessary, it can be done in classified 
documents -- before it attempts to react to any change to the status 
quo. ... 
 
"Washington's failure to give a formal and detailed definition of 
'the status quo as we determine' is akin to ceding its leading role 
in [defining the status quo] to Beijing and Taipei, and when tension 
rises [across the Taiwan Strait], American diplomats can only 
respond reactively, in a panic..." 
 
B) "Taiwan-U.S. Ties Need New Balance" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" [circulation: 
20,000] editorialized (4/23): 
 
"There can be no doubt that relations between Taiwan and the United 
States have experienced ups and downs during the seven years 
coinciding with the Democratic Progressive Party administration of 
President Chen Shui-bian and the Republican Party administration in 
Washington of President George W. Bush. ...  While pushing forward 
the deepening of democratization through political reforms including 
the holding of Taiwan's first national citizen referendums and 
pushing constitutional reform, one of the biggest problems that 
President Chen and the DPP government has faced internationally is 
how to cope with the unfair but damaging image that Taiwan is a 
trouble maker in cross-strait relations. ... 
 
"In line with such preconceptions, the Bush administration has 
repeated its warnings to President Chen to stick to his so-called 
'four noes' pledge of May 2000 and to display more responsibility 
and consistency.  Although we believe most reform policies adopted 
by the Chen administration have been in line with Taiwan's urgent 
course of deepening democracy, it cannot be denied that a serious 
gap over timing and judgment has occurred between Taipei and 
Washington and that a balance needs to be struck, a state of affairs 
which regretfully has not been recognized sufficiently by the two 
sides so far. ... 
 
"On Taiwan's side, President Chen may believe he has been careful in 
not actually doing anything to give Beijing cause to literally go 
'ballistic.'  However, decision-makers in Washington (and other 
capitals) are more concerned about the risks of miscalculation and 
remain frustrated over the fact that the Taiwan government 
apparently lacks the determination to bolster its own defensive 
capability by passing the long-delayed budgets for three advanced 
defensive systems and may even tend to take U.S. military assistance 
in the case of a cross-strait conflict for granted.  Regardless of 
who is right or wrong, we believe the most important task is to 
reinforce Taiwan's public diplomacy into U.S. constituencies as well 
as strengthening communication between the two governments. 
 
"Taiwan urgently needs to fundamentally readjust its public 
diplomatic strategy and readjust manpower and other resources. 
Effecting such as readjustment is partly the task of the new Taiwan 
representative to the United States, former Mainland Affairs council 
chairman Joseph Wu. ...In the face of the PRC's global propaganda 
over its supposed peaceful development and aim to build a harmonious 
international society, Taiwan needs to mobilize both official and 
civic resources to launch a worldwide educational campaign that can 
debunk Beijing's propaganda and allow the international community to 
understand why Taiwan's continued democratic progress is vital to 
the world community. ..." 
 
YOUNG