VZCZCXYZ0012
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #1091/01 1350840
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 150840Z MAY 07
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5257
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6771
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 8013

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001091 
 
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: TAIWAN'S WHO BID 
 
 
Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news 
coverage May 15 on Taiwan's setback in its bid to join the World 
Health Organization (WHO); on the new cabinet to be headed by 
Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Chang Chun-hsiung; and on the 
island's Han Kuang No. 23 military exercise.  In terms of editorials 
and commentaries, an analysis in the pro-status quo "China Times" 
said U.S. Secretary of Health and Services Mike Leavitt dealt a 
heavy blow to Taiwan by saying publicly that he does not support 
Taiwan's application for full membership in the WHO, and that he 
will not meet with Taiwan's WHO delegation this year.  An editorial 
in the limited-circulation, conservative, pro-unification, 
English-language "China Post" raised the question as to how long the 
WHO will continue to hold out against membership for Taiwan.  An 
editorial in the limited-circulation, pro-independence, 
English-language "Taiwan News," on the other hand, said Taiwan's new 
gambit this year "has succeeded in pulling the authoritarian 
People's Republic of China into open and direct competition with 
'democratic Taiwan' in the arena of public diplomacy."  End 
summary. 
 
A) "U.S. Secretary of Health and Services Slaps Taiwan Twice in the 
Face" 
 
Washington correspondent Liu Ping noted in an analysis in the 
pro-status quo "China Times" [circulation: 400,000] (5/15): 
 
"As a result of the big gap between Taiwan's plan to participate in 
or enter the World Health Organization and the United States' 
position toward the issue, the island has little expectation that 
Washington will speak in favor of Taiwan, but neither does it hope 
that Washington would speak up against its bid.  To everyone's 
surprise, U.S. Secretary of Health and Services Mike Leavitt, the 
U.S. top representative [to the WHO], dealt a heavy blow to Taiwan 
during the press conference on the first-day session of the World 
Health Assembly.  Leavitt's 'heavy blow' actually consisted of two 
aspects:  First, he announced publicly that '[Washington] does not 
support Taiwan's application for formal membership in the WHO. 
Second, Leavitt is scheduled to leave Geneva Tuesday, and he said 
clearly that there will not be any routine meeting between him and 
the ROC delegation this year.  These various moves by Leavitt were 
akin to foretelling [before the world] that the United States will 
cast a vote against [Taiwan's membership] during the assembly.  In 
particular, Leavitt said prior to the assembly session that he has 
'conveyed the U.S. position to his Chinese counterpart Gao Qiang.' 
Leavitt could have chosen not to tell Gao about it.  His insistence 
in saying so was naturally a move to make the U.S. position clear to 
Beijing; it also indicated Washington's displeasure with Taiwan's 
'surprises.' ..." 
 
B) "Taking East Germany's Path to WHA" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" 
[circulation: 30,000] (5/15): 
 
"How long can the U.N. World Health Organization (WHO) continue to 
hold out against membership for Taiwan -- or Chinese Taipei, or the 
Republic of China, for that matter -- home to 23 million people. 
This question is posed to not just the WHO but also leaders of the 
People's Republic of China, who claim Taiwan as their own. ...  The 
U.S. has made it clear that it does not support Taiwan's bid for 
full membership, but will continue to push for Taiwan becoming an 
observer in the WHA, and to have 'meaningful participation' in 
WHO-related technical discussion. ...  Taiwan has cited the case of 
the former East Germany, whose status as a 'country' was challenged 
when it applied for membership in 1968, but the request was 
nonetheless included on the WHA agenda.  East Germany was invited to 
participate in the 1972 WHA gathering as an observer, and a year 
later it was admitted as a full member. ..." 
 
C) "WHO Bid Begins Public Diplomacy Contest with PRC" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" [circulation: 
20,000] editorialized (5/15): 
 
"The new drive launched by President Chen Shui-bian and the 
Democratic Progressive party government to apply directly for 
membership in the World Health Organization in Geneva under the name 
of 'Taiwan' has succeeded in pulling the authoritarian People's 
Republic of China into open and direct competition with 'democratic 
Taiwan' in the arena of public diplomacy. ...  The new gambit has 
sparked concern that a direct application could alienate the U.S., 
Japan and members of the EU who supported moves for 'significant 
participation' given the specter of alleged 'agenda' of the Taiwan 
president of promoting 'legal independence.' ... 
 
"The strategic point behind an application for membership is to 
force the WHO Secretariat and the World Health Assembly, under the 
WHO Constitution and the WHA by-laws, to respond directly to the 
issue and turn the matter to discussion by all member states and to 
expose the secret diplomacy of the WHO Secretariat and the 
authoritarian government to sell out not only the health rights of 
our people but also endanger the health rights of the rest of global 
society for the sake of Beijing's revanchism.  Naturally, the 
prospects for Taiwan's affiliation to the WHA or WHO will not 
immediately improve due to this gambit, but they can hardly be 
worsened since the main obstacle is the PRC itself. ..." 
 
YOUNG