VZCZCXYZ0009
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #1560 1930839
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 120839Z JUL 07
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5956
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 7015
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 8261

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001560 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - BROOKE SPELLMAN 
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: NORTH KOREA 
 
 
Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies continued to focus 
news coverage July 12 on the legislators' elections and the 
presidential election slated for early 2008.  In terms of editorials 
and commentaries, a column in the centrist, KMT-leaning "China 
Times" discussed the possibility of the "four-party talks" proposed 
by the United States, which are aimed at promoting peace on the 
Korean peninsula.  An editorial in the conservative, 
pro-unification, English-language "China Post" also said 
negotiations should continue to persuade North Korea to "discontinue 
developing nuclear weaponry."  End summary. 
 
A) "South Korea Proactively Promotes Peace on the Peninsular" 
 
The "International Outlook" column in the centrist, KMT-leaning 
"China Times" [circulation: 400,000] wrote (7/12): 
 
"... The 'four-party talks,' however, seem plausible, because none 
of four parties - the United States, China, South and North Korea - 
is against such an idea.  The objective of the four-party talks is 
to turn the truce agreement of the Korean War into a treaty 
declaring a formal conclusion of the war, but they are also related 
to the normalization of ties between Washington and Pyongyang. 
Pyongyang believes that its relations with Washington will naturally 
be normalized once the peace treaty is signed or, more likely, the 
treaty should be signed after the bilateral ties are normalized. 
For the United States, however, it is hard to tell whether it is 
ready to do so, even though there have been suggestions about it. 
 
"With regard to the signing of a peace treaty between Seoul and 
Pyongyang, it seems like an easy move, but still there is a problem 
- namely, it must not be done before Pyongyang completes the 
freezing of its nuclear program.  The public opinion and political 
ambiance in South Korea both believe that the development of 
Seoul-Pyongyang relations must be linked with Pyongyang freezing its 
nuclear program, or peace can hardly be achieved [on the Korean 
peninsula]." 
 
B) "Time to Promote Peace in Northeast Asia" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" 
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (7/12): 
 
"... Negotiations should continue so as to persuade North Korea to 
discontinue developing nuclear weaponry.  Progress toward this goal 
can be achieved if the United States and other countries involved 
make sincere efforts to help the isolated, impoverished Communist 
country improve the life of its citizens." 
 
YOUNG