VZCZCXYZ0020
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #1623 2000855
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 190855Z JUL 07
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6066
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 7042
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 8288

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001623 
 
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: CHINA 
 
 
Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused July 19 
news coverage on the 2008 presidential poll, on KMT presidential 
candidate Ma Ying-jeou's special mayoral fund case, on the rising 
living costs in Taiwan along with the ever-soaring oil prices, and 
on the plane crash in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Tuesday.  All papers 
also carried in their inside pages reports on the Taiwan Department 
of Health, which confirmed Wednesday that imported U.S. pork found 
to contain a feed additive has been banned locally; and on AIT's 
response on this matter.  In terms of editorials and commentaries, 
an op-ed in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily" discussed the 
national security reports recently released by Australia and Japan, 
respectively.  The article said China has become a hypothetical 
enemy to the United States, Japan and Australia as the progress of 
China's military modernization has exceeded the capability Beijing 
requires to deal with the cross-Strait issues.  End summary. 
 
"China Has Become a Hypothetical Enemy to the United States, Japan 
and Australia" 
 
Emerson Chang, director of Nan Hua University's Department of 
International Studies, opined in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily" 
[circulation: 520,000] (7/19): 
 
"... China will certainly take actions to address the threats 
initiated by the security cooperation among the United States, Japan 
and Australia, and to respond to the unclear direction India and 
Indonesia will take in the future.  The chances are slim for China 
to slow down its military modernization process because China always 
regards the pressure imposed by all these great powers as a natural 
but undesirable consequence of it military modernization.  China 
will surely continue its double-faced strategy toward the United 
States and Japan -- namely, it will work with the two countries 
diplomatically but compete with them in terms of the national 
defense capabilities.  On the level of national defense, it is 
likely that China will continue strengthening its military buildup, 
expanding cooperation with members of the Shanghai Cooperation 
Organization, and deepening its strategic partnership with Russia. 
China and Russia are very compatible partners, because Russia also 
needs China's assistance in counterbalancing the security threats 
posed by NATO's eastward expansion and the United States' missile 
defense system deployed in East Europe.  On a strategic level, in 
order to tackle the new situation, China may reconsider adjusting 
its 'string of pearls' strategy, which is designated to safeguard 
its energy transportation, and its 'anti-intervention' strategy, 
which is aimed at remotely deterring the U.S. military from 
intervening in the Taiwan Strait. ..." 
 
YOUNG