VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #2593/01 3451114
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 111114Z DEC 07
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7564
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 7519
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 8803

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 002593 
 
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.-TAIWAN RELATIONS 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news 
coverage December 11 on the abrupt closing of the largest health 
club chain in Taiwan; on the protest against President Chen 
Shui-bian during a ceremony celebrating International Human Rights 
Day; on AIT Chairman Raymond Burghardt's meetings with President 
Chen, KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou, and DPP presidential 
candidate Frank Hsieh; and on President Chen's interview with the 
Associated Press Monday.  The pro-independence "Liberty Times" ran a 
banner headline on page two that read "Bian Slams China for [Using] 
'Nasty Means' to [Try to] Stop the UN Referendum."  The centrist, 
KMT-leaning "China Times," on the other hand, ran a banner headline 
on page six that said "Burghardt Meets with Ma; the United States Is 
Worried That the One-Step Voting Format Will Prompt Passage of the 
UN Referendum." The pro-unification "United Daily News" also ran a 
banner headline on page six that read "Burghardt Meets with Bian; 
'the United States Is Concerned about the Idea of Martial Law'." 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a commentary in the 
"Liberty Times" criticized the United States for complicating the 
originally simple issue of Taiwan's UN referendum.  The article said 
that Washington will harm its own interests if it over-maneuvers the 
UN referendum.  A "China Times" news analysis said the purpose of 
Burghardt's trip to Taiwan this time was to secure commitments from 
both KMT and DPP presidential candidates that no matter whether the 
UN referendum passes, the status quo across the Taiwan Strait will 
remain unchanged.  End summary. 
 
A) "The United States' Excessive Manipulation Will Harm Its Own 
Interests" 
 
 Deputy Editor-in-Chief Tsou Jiing-wen noted in the pro-independence 
"Liberty Times" [circulation: 720,000] (12/11): 
 
"The United States sent [AIT Chairman] Raymond Burghardt to Taiwan 
to communicate with Taiwan's president and its two major 
presidential candidates about the UN referendum.  A situation that 
could have been relatively simple has been made more and more 
complicated by the Americans.  What is the purpose of the United 
States to muddle up the originally unmuddled situation?  Of course 
it is aimed at controlling Taiwan and manipulating U.S. interests 
between China and Taiwan.  Such a means is obvious to everyone, but 
should it continue its excessive manipulation, the consequence will 
be just the opposite; it will be the U.S. interests that will be 
harmed. ... 
 
"When one looks back at [what] the United States [has been doing], 
only words like rude and barbarian can be used to describe [its 
actions].  The UN referendum could have been dealt with separately 
in a moderate manner.  It would be inappropriate to interfere with 
the referendum itself, but for [Taiwan's] UN bid, the United States, 
given its status in the UN, can say that it does not support it. 
Should Washington do so, Taiwan will have nothing to say.  But the 
Americans have chosen not to do so; instead, it mixed the two things 
together.  Even though Washington said openly that Taiwan is not a 
colony of the United States, what it has been doing was actually 
akin to telling Taiwan, in the capacity of [Taiwan's colonial] 
metropole, not to hold a referendum.  [The United States] has 
crossed the line and complicated the issue. 
 
"President George W. Bush sent his special envoy, James Moriarty, to 
Taiwan at the end of 2003, asking A-bian to call off the referendum. 
 The [U.S.] pressure was overwhelming then, but the sky did not fall 
and the earth remained rotating after [Taiwan] insisted on 
conducting such a referendum.  [Washington] was playing the same old 
trick for the second time now; the model of [Deputy Assistant 
Secretary of State] Thomas Christensen taking the initiative in 
 
SIPDIS 
talking to the Taiwan media will be repeated again in the future. 
Washington must carefully calculate the necessity of doing so and 
the sentiments of the Taiwan public toward the United States. 
 
"This is because it is a serious breach of etiquette to point 
fingers at the Taiwan people and tell them what they must and must 
not do, and the consequence of such behavior will certainly be 
unexpected for the United States.  Once the public gets infuriated, 
the United States may not only fail in its purpose of suppressing 
the voter turnout rate but will likely stir up the Taiwan people's 
will to vote, offering a final push to the referendum.  In addition, 
since Washington's intent is so obvious, the Taiwan people might 
mistake the two presidential candidates for child emperors 
[installed by the United States] and thus sabotage their campaigns 
if the two echo [Washington's view] excessively. ... It is up to the 
United States to decide how to act and measure its gains and loss." 
 
B) "The United States Acts with an Ulterior Motive; It Wants 
Commitment from Ma Ying-jeou and Frank Hsieh" 
 
Journalist Chiang Hui-chen said in an analysis in the centrist, 
KMT-leaning "China Times" [circulation: 400,000] (12/11): 
 
"... As for the United States, it has hardly any mutual trust with 
Bian, and the top priority for Washington is that it must secure a 
commitment from the two presidential candidates -- Ma Ying-jeou and 
Frank Hsieh -- regardless of whether the UN referendum is passed. 
Namely, [Washington wants to] make sure that no matter whether the 
referendum is passed, [the new president] will not act further to 
alter the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, nor will [the referendum 
results] have any impact on the balance between Washington, Beijing 
and Taipei.  The United States, of course, will not be happy to see 
passage of the 'UN referendum.'  But if the referendum is really 
passed in the end, how to do damage control should be the key point 
for [AIT Chairman] Raymond Burghardt's trip this time. 
 
"In particular, Washington is very worried that the next step Bian 
or the DPP will take is to launch a 'referendum on the writing of a 
new constitution.'  This is the major issue that Burghardt has come 
to express serious concern about; it is also the so-called 'dispute 
on the bilateral political agenda' that the [Taiwan] authorities 
have implied! ... 
 
"[AIT] Director Stephen Young has held press conferences twice and 
openly stated that 'the UN referendum is neither necessary nor 
helpful.'  But his remarks have hardly caused any ripples in Taiwan. 
 Will Burghardt's visit this time have any influence on Bian in any 
way?  It is unlikely that Bian, who has a little over one hundred 
days left in the remainder [of his term], will care about the 
treatment he receives when he transits the United States in January 
¶2008.  Burghardt's ulterior motive is actually aimed at Ma and 
Hsieh; he made it very clear when he emphasized yesterday that 
'[Washington wants to] make sure that Taiwan's new president has an 
opportunity to deal with cross-Strait relations.'" 
 
YOUNG