VZCZCXYZ0011
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #1921/01 2340917
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 220917Z AUG 07
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6485
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 7152
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 8407

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001921 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - NIDA EMMONS 
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-CHINA-TAIWAN RELATIONS 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies gave extensive 
coverage August 21 to a China Airlines Boeing 737-800 airliner, 
which burst into flames shortly after landing at Okinawa's Naha 
international airport Monday.  Coverage also focused on the surge of 
Taiwan's stock price index Monday; on the strong backlash from local 
pig farmers over the Taiwan government's controversial decision on 
the use of ractopamine in pork; and on the 2008 presidential 
election. 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, an editorial in the 
centrist, KMT-leaning "China Times" criticized the Taiwan 
government's policy-making process with regard to the use of 
ractopamine in pork.  An editorial in the pro-independence "Liberty 
Times" urged the United States to establish formal and comprehensive 
diplomatic relations with Taiwan, citing former U.S. ambassador to 
the UN John Bolton's strong support for Taiwan and its UN bid.  An 
op-ed in the pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" 
discussed Taiwan's UN bid and said "the United States wants Taiwan 
to take a step back to maintain the 'status quo.'"  End summary. 
 
A) "Why Don't [Taiwan's] Officials Set an Example by Eating U.S. 
Pork?" 
 
The centrist, KMT-leaning "China Times" [circulation: 400,000] 
editorialized (8/20): 
 
"... The latest thought [on the use of ractopamine in pork] was: 
The use of ractopamine will be banned among local pig farmers but 
allowed for imported pork; namely, U.S. pork containing the feed 
additive is allowed to be imported to Taiwan, while the use of such 
substance remains banned on the island.  This decision is very 
thought-provoking.  First, it is a policy tailor-made exactly for 
the U.S. pork.  Didn't someone say previously that there was no 
pressure from the United States?  How come then a decision that is 
favorable for the U.S. pork containing ractopamine has been 
deliberately adopted while such a feed additive is 'banned locally'? 
 Besides, [such a decision] has yet opened a new market for 
ractopamine. ... 
 
"It is originally a very simple policy decision as to whether 
ractopamine should be banned -- it should be banned as long as it is 
harmful [to the people's health] and allowed to be used as long as 
it is harmless.  But even such a simple policy decision could be 
manipulated by the government policy decision makers, who found it 
difficult to resist the U.S. pressure on the one hand and reluctant 
to lose the votes of the local pig farmers on the other, into such 
an outrageous and ridiculous conclusion whereby the ban on 
ractopamine is lifted for U.S. pork but not Taiwan's.  Here is a 
suggestion:  If those officials who believe that U.S. pork is 
harmless, why don't they set an example for the Taiwan people by 
eating U.S. pork for three months!" 
 
B) "The United States Should Establish Comprehensive Formal 
Diplomatic Relations with Taiwan" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 720,000] 
editorialized (8/18): 
 
"... Despite all that, given Taiwan's democratic reforms and 
transfer of political powers, the island's mainstream public opinion 
has already taken shape.  All that the Taiwan people desire now is 
to maintain the status quo of Taiwan being an independent sovereign 
state.  The situation stated in the 'Shanghai Communique' that 'All 
Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Strait maintain there is but 
one China' was in reality one in which one side [of the Taiwan 
Strait] was ruled by Chiang Kai-shek while the other side by Mao 
Tse-tung -- neither had anything to do with Taiwan.  As a result, 
 
SIPDIS 
the United States should naturally build upon such reality and 
acknowledge that Taiwan is an independent sovereign state. 
 
"Given the increasingly complicated interactions in the 
international community over the recent years, the United States has 
been constantly restrained by China when it comes to the 
cross-Strait issue.  The crux [of this problem] lies in the fact 
that the United States has been adopting an ambiguous position with 
regard to Taiwan's status as a sovereign state, and that it has 
failed to puncture China's fictitious story and has thus made China 
increasingly insatiable.  Let's just imagine if, just as [former 
U.S. ambassador to the UN] John Bolton advocated, the United States 
establishes comprehensive and formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan and 
Taiwan becomes a formal member of the UN, what position will Beijing 
be in to allege that Taiwan is part of China?  How daring will China 
be to do all the saber-rattling against Taiwan?  Will it not be 
possible that the tension across the Taiwan Strait will be totally 
removed? ..." 
 
C) "Proposal, True or Not, Puts US in a Tough Spot" 
 
Emerson Chang, director of the Department of International Studies 
 
at Nanhua University, opined in the pro-independence, 
English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 30,000] (8/20): 
 
"According to US media reports, China may try to solve the Taiwan 
issue by asking the UN General Assembly to decide on the question of 
Taiwan's sovereignty, an issue not dealt with in UN Resolution 2758. 
 President Chen Shui-bian has suddenly decided not to request 
permission to transit through the US, clearly in hopes that 
Washington will attempt to stop China's proposal.  This may be an 
overestimate of US influence in the UN.  It is also difficult to 
decide whether the reports are true, and we cannot rule out a US 
attempt to control Taiwan through the UN in order to make up for 
China's failed attempt to control it through Washington. ... 
 
"The fact that US media suddenly reported that the US government is 
worried China will submit a proposal to the General Assembly stating 
that Taiwan is part of the PRC, while a hesitant US is unwilling to 
accept Ban's decision and to clarify where it stands, raises three 
questions:  Who leaked the news?  To what purpose?  Will it actually 
happen?  Taiwan tends to believe that the US has found out about 
China's plan, but by not trying to find the underlying reason, the 
US will risk hurting cross-strait relations, risk forcing Taiwan 
independence, risk provoking hostility toward the US and risk 
admitting that Taiwan's sovereignty remains unresolved.  Other 
issues may also arise due to attempts to change the 'status quo.' 
...  Regardless of whether the reports are true or made up by the 
US, the US wants Taiwan to take a step back to maintain the 'status 
quo.'  If Taipei won't compromise and China decides to move ahead, 
the US -- although willing to help Taiwan -- may not be able to 
guarantee that the decision will be beneficial to Taiwan." 
 
YOUNG