VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0968/01 1210850
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 010850Z MAY 07
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5082
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6701
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 7949

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000968 
 
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: THE OLYMPIC TORCH RELAY ISSUE; ABE'S 
APOLOGY OVER THE WARTIME SEX SLAVERY 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news 
coverage May 1 on an interchange of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay 
Bridge that melted and collapsed onto another highway ramp Sunday 
after a gasoline tanker truck overturned and caught fire. The other 
focus today is Vice Premier Tsai Ing-wen's opposition to President 
Chen Shui-bian's plan to increase the monthly allowance for farmers 
over 65 years of age by NT$1000 to NT$6000 [US$184]. 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, the pro-independence, 
mass-circulation daily "Liberty Times" warned in its editorial that 
China might use the 2008 Olympic Games to create a "China 
consciousness" and manipulate Taiwan's presidential election in 
collaboration with pro-unification factions on the island.  The 
pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" editorialized that 
if China really cared about the feelings of the Taiwan people, the 
country could have arranged better the route for the 2008 Olympic 
torch. The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" said in 
its editorial that KMT Honorary Chairman Lien Chan's cooperation 
with China will help China absorb Taiwan's economy.  In contrast, 
the pro-status quo "China Times" questioned in its editorial whether 
the government has an overall strategy to respond to China's soft 
offensive.  A commentary in the pro-independence "Taipei Times" 
urged the Taiwan authorities to come up with more effective measures 
and strategies in order to counteract Beijing's so-called 'Olympic 
diplomacy.'  The conservative, pro-unification, English-language 
"China Post" said that the fact that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo 
Abe only apologized to the United States over wartime sex slavery 
will not win support from Asia for the proposed change to Japan's 
constitution.  End summary. 
 
¶3. Olympic Torch Relay Issue 
 
A) "Be Vigilant: the 2008 Olympic Games Might Help Create a Strong 
Magnetic Force of the China Conscious" 
 
The pro-independence, mass-circulation daily, "Liberty Times" 
[circulation: 500,000] said in its editorial (05/01): 
 
"China's attempt to use the route of the Olympic torch relay to 
belittle Taiwan's sovereignty was exposed and later sternly rejected 
by our government.  The big move of our government regarding the 
denial of entry of the Olympic torch caused the international 
community to pay attention to the fact that Taiwan is a sovereign, 
independent country.  Therefore, the denial of the Olympic torch is 
absolutely not a reckless decision but a necessary means to 
safeguard Taiwan's sovereignty.  The nonsensical criticism from the 
Blue camp and its echoing of Beijing across the Taiwan Strait only 
highlights the fact that they do not belong to the land and the 
people. ..." 
 
"However, while Taiwan's 'Greater China Consciousness' is fading, we 
cannot neglect that China and the pro-unification factions in Taiwan 
might promote a sense of Chinese glory by holding the 2008 Olympic 
Games.  That is to say, in the year to come, China and 
Olympic-related information and topics including China's economic 
establishment and the achievements of Chinese athletes in the games 
will become topics under the manipulation of China and the 
pro-unification factions in Taiwan.  The attempt is to create a 
spiritually powerful magnetic effect of the China consciousness in 
the Taiwan society in order to revive the consciousness on the 
island.  Hence, from now until the 2008 Olympic Games, 
confrontations between the Taiwan consciousness and the China 
consciousness, between Taiwan's nationalism and China's nationalism 
will reach their climax; China and the Blue camp will also attempt 
to create a gigantic influence in the 2008 presidential election in 
Taiwan.  Therefore, how Taiwan will deal with the revival of the 
China consciousness is the most pressing topic for the nativist 
regime.  The route of the torch relay is simply the first battle in 
this holy war." 
 
B) "Use Olympic Flap to Highlight Taiwan's Rights" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" [circulation: 
20,000] said in its editorial (05/01): 
 
"It is no secret that the People's Republic of China is using 
Beijing's right to host the 2008 Summer Olympic Games next August to 
drive an international diplomatic campaign touting its 'peaceful 
development' and its supposed goal of 'building a harmonious global 
society.' 
 
"The Chinese Communist Party-ruled PRC regime sees the Olympics both 
as a moment to mark the PRC's entry into the rank of 'great powers' 
and as an opportunity to reinforce in the world community the image 
of 'a unified China,' including Taiwan. 
 
"The PRC regime's determination to use the Olympics as a means to 
gain global recognition for its claim over Taiwan was finally openly 
 
displayed last Thursday when Beijing announced its plan for the 
Olympic torch to arrive in Taiwan from Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City 
and then conveyed to the 'Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.' 
 
 
"... Despite the demand by our "Chinese Taipei" delegation to the 
International Olympic Committee that the torch come to Taiwan from a 
"third" country and leave for a "fourth country," the route 
announced by Beijing clearly put Taiwan as the first stop of China's 
"domestic route," followed by Hong Kong and Macau, both of which are 
PRC "special administrative regions." 
 
"A transparent clue to Beijing's deliberate intent to negate 
Taiwan's sovereignty lies in the fact that the torch actually passes 
over or near Taiwan twice before its scheduled arrival. 
 
"After coming through Jakarta, Indonesia, the torch is slated to go 
to Canberra, Australia, and pass by Taiwan on its route to Nagano, 
Japan and then to Seoul in South Korea, and Pyongyang in North Korea 
before flying past Taiwan again on its way to Ho Chi Minh City. 
 
"If Beijing had truly wanted to show consideration towards 'the 
feelings of the Taiwan people,' a stopover for the torch could have 
been easily arranged with far less convolution either on the flight 
from Canberra to Nagano or from Pyongyang to Ho Chi Minh. 
 
"... Although the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party and some 
athletic associations have echoed Beijing's arrangement and called 
on the Democratic Progressive Party government to "separate Olympics 
from politics," we fully support the government's demand that the 
Beijing Organizing Committee of the Games redesign the torch relay 
route in line with our request that it enter and leave Taiwan 
through independent countries and to refrain from further attempts 
to denigrate Taiwan's sovereignty." 
 
C) "What to Do with a Bunch of Sell-Outs?" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 
30,000] said in its editorial (05/01): 
 
"... [KMT Honorary Chairman] Lien and his friends cold return to 
Taiwan with a few more meaningless economic concessions from their 
'friends' across the Strait, but the few crumbs that Beijing has 
thrown at them are just the latest chapter in China's 'united front' 
strategy that aims to suck the life out of Taiwan's economic 
autonomy until the nation - and its independence- is swallowed up by 
its neighbor. 
 
"All the measures are designed to do is prevent Taiwan's dynamic 
business sector from reaching out further around the globe, help 
China secure even more of Taiwan's investment capital and seal 
Taiwan's know-how and intellectual property." 
 
D) "In the Face of China's Soft Offensive, Where is Taiwan's Overall 
Strategy?" 
 
The, pro-status quo "China Times" [circulation: 400,000] 
editorialized (05/01): 
 
"Originally, Taiwan opposed China's plan for the 2008 Olympic torch 
relay; then China revealed the latest items open to Taiwan at the 
KMT-CPC forum; lastly, the [Taiwan] authorities made related 
responses.  Needless to say, our worries have deepened.  On the one 
hand, we have witnessed the Beijing authorities' continuous soft 
offensive against Taiwan, and it has become stronger; on the other 
hand, the Taiwan authorities can only respond passively after making 
typically negative reactions. 
 
"... We can say that these are two very different strategies. 
China's focus is on the effects of public relations in the world, 
demonstrating to global public opinion that it is willing and has 
made efforts to improve cross-Strait relations through openness in 
its Taiwan policy.  Judging from the tenor of global media coverage, 
China has reached its goal.  What about Taiwan?  Regrettably, Taiwan 
still cares mostly about the effects on domestic elections.  Hence, 
in the face of China's open offensive, the most common response, 
other than to 'speak negatively,' is to lash out at Beijing and the 
pan-Blue alliance -- the only concern of this manipulation being 
electoral mobilization.  Even during the periods when there are no 
elections, the government might consider doing nothing out of the 
concern of the possible discontent from the pan-independence 
factions.  While one side is proactively managing its global 
reputation, the other side is considering only short-term interests. 
 Who is in a more beneficial position? 
 
"... Taiwan has carried out for several years the policies of 'No 
Haste, Be Patient,' 'Proactive Management, Effective Openness.' 
These policies have only blocked critical industries from investing 
 
in China, and these critical industries have therefore lost the 
opportunity to occupy a good position there.  In the near future, 
Taiwan's talented people will also move to China.  Frankly speaking, 
we have become familiar with any possible criticism the authorities 
might make.  Our concern is Taiwan's overall strategy to respond to 
numerous challenges." 
 
E) "Fighting Beijing's Olympic Propaganda" 
 
Liu Kuan-teh, a Taipei-based political commentator opined in the 
pro-independence, English-language, "Taipei Times" [circulation: 
30,000] that (05/01): 
 
"Beijing's announcement on Friday that the Olympic torch would 
arrive in Taipei from Vietnam before traveling on to Hong Kong was 
nothing more than a politically motivated scheme to sabotage 
Taiwan's sovereignty. 
 
"... The Taiwanese government's immediate rejection of the route as 
politically motivated was understandable. 
 
"However, the administration of President Chen Shui-bian must come 
up with more effective measures and strategies in order to 
counteract Beijing's so-called 'Olympic diplomacy.' 
 
"... As for Taiwan, China will use the Olympics as an opportunity to 
attempt to propagate its fantasy of 'a unified China.' 
 
"Taiwan must work diligently and continuously to counteract China's 
misleading Olympic propaganda. 
 
"... While millions of eyes are focused on the Summer Olympics' 
sporting events, Beijing will seize the opportunity to convince the 
world that it has evolved in a democratic and civilized manner. 
 
"Taiwan needs to mobilize all available resources to debunk this 
fallacy.  It needs to show the international community that behind 
the glossy facade of the Olympics, China's many faults remain." 
 
¶4.  Abe's apology over the wartime sex slavery 
 
"Abe Says Sorry to U.S., Not Asia" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" 
[circulation: 30,000] pointed out in its editorial (05/01): 
 
"... [U.S. President] Bush called Japan's wartime sex slavery a 
'regrettable chapter in the history of the world,' adding, 'I accept 
the prime minister's apology and appreciate his candor.' 
 
"But in what capacity was Bush accepting [Japanese Prime Minister 
Shinzo] Abe's apology? Bush is the U.S. chief of state but not a 
representative of the victimized Chinese, Korean, Philippine, 
Indonesian and Taiwanese women. 
 
"... U.S. officials have publicly rebuked Abe for denying that the 
Japanese military had coerced women into sex slavery during the war. 
 While the U.S. still wants Japan to become more assertive in Asia, 
conservative voices have urged caution over being too closely tied 
to Japan's nationalist leaders. 
 
"Japan should move cautiously in revising its pacifist Constitution 
- a goal that Abe has defined as his most important, one that 
Washington has supported." 
 
YOUNG