VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #2067/01 2502342
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 072342Z SEP 07
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6715
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 7225
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 8482

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 002067 
 
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: TAIWAN AND BUSH-HU MEETING 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies gave extensive 
coverage September 7 to the meeting between U.S. President George W. 
Bush and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao at APEC Thursday, and to 
President Chen Shui-bian's videoconference with the American 
Enterprise Institute Thursday on Taiwan's UN referendum.  Coverage 
also focused on the death of legendary opera tenor Luciano Pavarotti 
Thursday; on a strong earthquake that rocked the island early Friday 
morning; and on the controversial Olympic torch relay route.  The 
pro-independence "Liberty Times" front-paged a banner headline that 
read "UN Referendum Is Not Mentioned in the Bush-Hu Press 
Conference."  The pro-unification "United Daily News," however, 
front-paged a news story with the headline "Bush-Hu Meeting Opposes 
the UN Referendum."  The same paper also ran a banner headline on 
page two that said "Bian: Taiwan Will Join the UN as a New Member." 
 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a "Liberty Times" 
analysis said the fact that Bush did not further criticize Taiwan 
during his meeting with Hu Jintao showed that Washington does not 
want to create another predicament for itself or put itself in a 
dilemma.  An editorial in the pro-independence, English-language 
"Taiwan News" chimed in by calling Washington's attention to the 
results of a new opinion survey by Taiwan Thinktanks, which showed 
that the majority of Taiwan people remained resolved to support 
Taiwan's UN bid regardless of the U.S. opposition.  A news analysis 
in the centrist, KMT-leaning "China Times," however, said the way 
that Washington and Beijing handled Taiwan's UN referendum reflected 
that Taiwan is being marginalized.  A "United Daily News" analysis 
said Washington has defined Taipei as a "provoker" in the 
cross-Strait relations and has extended the battle line against 
Taiwan's UN referendum to the UN Assembly ten days from now.  End 
summary. 
 
A) "Slowing down Its Speed on the Taiwan Matter, the United States 
Avoids Creating a Predicament for Itself" 
 
Deputy Editor-in-Chief Tsou Jiing-wen noted in an analysis in the 
pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 720,000] (9/7): 
 
"Following the impertinent remarks that U.S. deputy secretary of 
state and senior director at the National Security Council made to 
Taiwan, [U.S. President George W.] Bush did not choose to have 
himself, obviously of a higher ranking, further criticize Taiwan 
openly during his meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao.  Such a 
development indicated that Washington does not want to create 
another predicament for itself or put itself in a dilemma. ... 
During the closed-door meeting, Bush told Hu in the face that he 'is 
gravely concerned about' Taiwan's UN referendum.  This remark can be 
interpreted as a move to backpedal at an appropriate speed. ... 
Ever since the two major political parties in Taiwan started 
planning to hold a referendum in tandem with next year's 
presidential election, the U.S. criticism against Taiwan has been 
overwhelming, with numerous unpleasant remarks made to the leaders 
of both the Blue and Green camps, but the result Washington has been 
hoping to achieve was nearly zero.  The problem lies in the fact 
that the United States only imposed pressure on the political elites 
but failed to lobby or communicate with the Taiwan people. 
Washington overlooked the nature of democracy, thus its efforts were 
used in a wrong direction.  This is why in the wake of the United 
States' roar, a high percentage of public opinion remained unafraid 
and urged [the government] to continue pushing for the UN 
referendum. 
 
"The public opinion in Taiwan, slowly but surely, no longer takes 
unreasonable U.S. requests as granted.  In addition to the 
constantly evolving political environment in Taiwan, the crux of 
such elevated consciousness on the Taiwan's part of making one's own 
decision lies in the United States' compromise and concession in 
handling issues concerning totalitarian China over the past few 
years.  Washington might not be at its wit's end, but its 
appeasement and laisser-faire approach have left a deep impression 
on the Taiwan people, who are thus eager to pick its own path. ... 
 
"Bush has stopped and is looking around for the time being; he may 
be waiting for Taiwan's reaction, and he is also watching China's 
next move.  But under the big banner of opposition to any change in 
the status quo, Taiwan is flying a peace flag -- there is no way 
that Taiwan will allow the UN referendum to dance to the tune of 
China; this is something that Washington will have to take very 
seriously." 
 
B) "Hu, Bush Scare Turns into Fluff" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" [circulation: 
20,000] editorialized (9/7): 
 
"... During a news conference after the conclusion of the 
ninety-minute summit meeting in Sydney's Intercontinental last 
night, Bush did not even mention Taiwan and Hu confined himself to 
 
relating that 'President Bush also explicitly stated the U.S. 
position consistent with a position of opposing any changes in the 
status quo.' ...  Clearly the two heads of state discussed the 
situation in Taiwan at the initiative of the PRC President, but 
obviously did not have a true meeting of minds on the subject, 
despite the evident and openly manifested annoyance in Washington 
with the refusal of democratic Taiwan to 'behave' and cease efforts 
to enter the United Nations and conduct referendums on the subject, 
sponsored separately by the governing DPP and the opposition 
Kuomintang. 
 
"In addition, Washington was apparently quite annoyed with moves 
engaged by the PRC on the Taiwan issue, notably the statement, 
evidently at Beijing's suggestion, by U.N. Secretary-General Ban 
Ki-moon in late March that 'Taiwan is part of the PRC' and a rumored 
plan by the PRC to submit a U.N. General Assembly resolution that 
would have specifically named Taiwan as part of the PRC. ...  In any 
case, the expected storm in Sydney over Taiwan's U.N. referendums 
failed to congeal as the momentum of the APEC meeting to focus on 
its own agenda has surfaced. 
 
"Another important development took place in Taipei with the 
announcement of the results of a new opinion poll that should be 
considered by Washington closely as it points to the reason for the 
resolve by President Chen and the DPP to press the question for 
Taiwan's U.N. entry.  The results of an opinion poll of 1,068 Taiwan 
adults conducted from August 30 to September 2 and released 
yesterday by Taiwan Thinktank indicates that while open opposition 
from the U.S. together with the PRC has some impact, the majority of 
Taiwan citizens remain resolved to support Taiwan's application to 
join the U.N.. ...  Moreover, almost the exact same proportion of 56 
percent to 34 percent of Taiwan adults expressed support for 
persisting in holding the DPP's U.N. referendum even though the 
United States has openly opposed the initiative.  We hope Bush and 
other officials in Washington and Beijing take note." 
 
C) "Washington and Beijing Handle [Taiwan's UN Referendum] Coldly; 
Taiwan Is Being Marginalized" 
 
Journalist Chinag Hui-chen noted in an analysis in the centrist, 
KMT-leaning "China Times" [circulation: 400,000] (9/7): 
 
"... The ambiance as a whole revealed by the few-minute press 
conference following the meeting between U.S. President George W. 
Bush and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao was the contrast between 
a seemingly peaceful rising China and the United States, which is 
trapped in the quagmire of North Korea and Iran.  The rational and 
mild attitude that Hu has tried deliberately to put on is exactly 
the 'peaceful' fireworks China is trying to show to the 
international community before the Olympic Game in 2008.  At the 
Bush-Hu meeting, the 'UN referendum,' a highly controversial issue 
in Taiwan, has turned into China's internal affair.  Bush gave Hu 
promises that he will continue imposing pressure [on Taiwan], while 
Hu, in return, has gained the international support before the 
Olympic Game. 
 
"The United States has been playing a double-handed strategy against 
Taiwan.  It started by having its national security system on the 
table (i.e. National Security Council senior director for Asian 
affairs Dennis Wilder) and the hearsay under the table (i.e. The 
Nelson Report) make harsh remarks about him being ready to teach 
Taiwan a lesson during the APEC meeting, in an attempt to suppress 
the 'UN referendum.'  But on the APEC stage, Bush let Hu step 
forward to talk about the Taiwan issue instead.  The 'UN 
referendum,' with which Taiwan expects to break the international 
barriers has nothing left but the only value for the Green camp to 
boost its campaigning. ...  Have Beijing and Washington made 
concession to Taiwan?  Has Taiwan's pushing the envelope succeeded 
in helping it move a step forward?  In the wake of the 'Bush-Hu 
meeting,' Taiwan's crisis has not been resolved, but perhaps its 
anxiety has grown heavier." 
 
D) "Taiwan Has Become a Provoker; Battle Will Extend to the UN 
Assembly" 
 
Washington correspondent Vincent Chang noted in an analysis in the 
pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (9/7): 
 
"... One might have misevaluated the situation if he took the 
low-profile manner of both Bush and Hu as a concession to Taiwan's 
push for the UN referendum, or even, as a major victory for Taiwan's 
public opinion.  This is because the United States has just extended 
the battle line of its fight against the UN referendum to the 'real' 
UN Assembly ten days from now.  The White House has made it very 
clear that it will continue monitoring the development of Taiwan's 
UN referendum; it even said it 'does not want to see anyone being 
provoked by Taiwan's activities.'  Such remarks were akin to 
defining Taiwan's position, in terms of its push for the UN 
referendum, as a 'provoker' in the cross-Strait relations. ... 
 
 
 
"The U.S. government's remarks are clear enough, but politicians of 
both the DPP and the KMT, who are eager to push for the UN 
referendum, seemed to have never thought of any 'exit mechanism' for 
the referendum under the big framework of U.S.-Taiwan relations and 
regional security.  Perhaps each side is waiting to jeer at the 
other for being a chicken that jumps out of the car first.  But it 
has never occurred to them whether they will bring the car of Taiwan 
down the cliff." 
 
WANG