VZCZCXYZ0006
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #2456/01 3110936
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 070936Z NOV 07
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7319
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 7421
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 8706

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 002456 
 
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: US CROSS-STRAIT POLICY 
 
Summary:  News coverage of Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies 
November 7 focused on the meeting in Beijing between US Secretary of 
Defense Robert Gates and China's President Hu Jintao and the 
reassurance by Gates that the US's Taiwan policy remains unchanged. 
Another focus was the Legislative Yuan's adoption of the revised 
Election and Recall Law for Civil Servants, which will not bar 
people convicted of serious crimes from participating in elections. 
In terms of editorials and commentaries, an op-ed article in the 
pro-unification "United Daily News" said it is not too far from the 
truth to say the US opposes Taiwan independence.  An editorial of 
the pro-independence "Liberty Times" urged the US to readjust its 
cross-Strait policy.  Meanwhile, an editorial in the 
mass-circulation "Apple Daily" said that doubt remains after the 
Department of Defense clarified a recent news report on US 
cross-Strait policy released by the Armed Forces Press Service.  End 
summary. 
 
 
A) "The US Opposes Taiwan Independence?  A Mistake Not Too Far from 
the Truth" 
 
Professor Edward I-hsin Chen of the Graduate Institute of American 
Studies, Tamkang University, wrote in an op-ed article in the 
pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (11/07): 
 
"... I have asked several AIT and State Department officials about 
the reason why the US would not say it 'opposes Taiwan 
independence.'  Their answers can be summarized as the following 
three points.  First, the US position is to keep away as far as 
possible from the politics of the Republic of China in order not to 
give the impression of 'interfering in internal affairs.'  Second, 
Taiwan is a democratic nation and has the right to decide its own 
destiny.  Third, although Beijing opposes Taiwan independence now, 
it is hard to tell what will happen in the future.  Washington would 
like to leave space for the future by not clearly stating it opposes 
Taiwan independence. 
 
"... Furthermore, during the various meetings between President 
George W. Bush and President Hu Jintao, the Chinese side always said 
[afterwards] that the US side 'opposes Taiwan independence' and 
Washington has never formally denied this statement. 
 
"This time the official who writes press releases for the Pentagon 
official Web site might not have gotten hold of the precise US 
official wording.  Yet his mistake might not be too far from the 
truth, as he understands very well the minutes of the statements 
made by US officials at the Bush-Hu meetings." 
 
B) "The US Should Revise Its Impractical Cross-Strait Policy" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 720,000] 
editorialed (11/07): 
 
"... In fact, experts of think tanks in Washington recently have had 
many discussions over whether the US government should present six 
new assurances to Taiwan.  We believe, since Taiwan lacks 
international status, to remind the world of this issue by 
organizing activities related to the referendum on joining the UN 
under the name of Taiwan is positive in nature.  We also believe 
that, in view of the common interests of the US and Taiwan, the US 
needs to re-examine its long-time cross-Strait policy using Taiwan's 
current situation as the starting point. 
 
"... Just think.  If the US really pushes a democratic Taiwan toward 
an autocratic China, then how would all democratic nations in the 
world, especially those in the process of democratization, view a US 
foreign policy which seeks globally to promote democratic values? 
Also would many Asian countries choose to take a route closer to 
China and farther from the US? ..." 
 
C) "The Key [Issue] Has Not Been Clarified" 
 
The mass-circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 530,000] 
editorialed (11/07): 
 
"... There were three main points in the US Armed Forces Press 
Service report released two days ago: [President] Bush is against 
Taiwan independence; Bush sincerely would like to see peaceful 
unification across the Strait; and the US equates the UN bid 
referendum to an independence referendum.  Now that the US has 
clarified the first two points, it only left out the one on the 
referendum.  However, this is the most serious part.  Is there any 
special implication or did [they] just forget? 
 
"... But what we must pay attention to is that the US always changes 
its Taiwan policy slowly and obscurely.  Although one can hardly 
notice it in the short run, one can feel it strongly in the long 
run.  Looking back at US-Taiwan relations over the past 50 years, 
one can see clearly signs of changing directions.  This feeling goes 
 
deep to the marrow. 
 
"Therefore, when President Bush's attitude toward Taiwan transformed 
from a friendly one when he first took office to an agitated and 
alienated one later, this can be the beginning of another change of 
direction.  In particular, the fact that the referendum part of the 
report was not clarified is more strange and gloomy.  It is either 
to intimidate Taiwan into stopping the UN bid referendum or to pave 
the way for not implementing the Taiwan Relations Act in the future. 
 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs needs urgently to request that the 
US side clarify this most significant part." 
 
YOUNG