VZCZCXYZ0014
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0081/01 0170602
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 170602Z JAN 08
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7920
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 7743
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 9003

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000081 
 
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'S FOREIGN RELATIONS, UN REFERENDUM 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news 
coverage January 16 on the soaring of Taiwan's stock index and 
currency markets Tuesday in the wake of the KMT's victory in last 
Saturday's legislative elections; on KMT presidential candidate Ma 
Ying-jeou, who unveiled his cross-Strait policy agenda Tuesday; on 
the March presidential poll; and on Taiwan's difficult foreign 
relations.  The mass-circulation "Apple Daily" front-paged a banner 
headline that said "Ma Ying-jeou's New Three Noes Policy: No 
Unification, No Independence, and No Use of Force."  The centrist, 
KMT-leaning "China Times," on the other hand, ran a banner headline 
on page four that read "Frank Hsieh: Will Inactively Exercise 
Presidential Power if Elected." 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, an editorial in the 
pro-independence "Liberty Times" discussed China's relentless 
diplomatic battles against Taiwan.  The article urged both the 
ruling and opposition parties jointly to safeguard Taiwan's status 
as an independent sovereign entity.  A "China Times" editorial, 
however, criticized President Chen Shui-bian's manipulation of 
Taiwan's foreign relations in a short-term trading style, which has 
unfortunately enlarged Taiwan's distance from international 
organizations.  A separate "Liberty Times" analysis discussed 
Taiwan's UN referendum in the wake of the Blue camp's victory in 
last Saturday's elections.  The article said the challenge for the 
KMT presented by the referenda to join or re-join the UN is not over 
yet.  End summary. 
 
¶3. Taiwan's Foreign Relations 
 
A) "Both Ruling and Opposition Parties Must Have a Cross-Party 
Consensus Regarding the Safeguarding of Taiwan's Sovereignty" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 700,000] 
editorialized (1/16): 
 
"... The fact that China remains relentless in terms of its 
diplomatic battles against Taiwan [even] in the wake of the KMT's 
victory in the legislative elections is akin to conveying a clear 
message, namely, even if the KMT becomes the sole majority in the 
legislative body, and even if Ma Ying-jeou wins the presidency, 
China will continue its predetermined strategy to lure away all of 
Taiwan's diplomatic allies. ... 
 
"Both the ruling and opposition parties, which have just concluded 
their campaigning [for the legislative elections], will have to take 
these diplomatic challenges seriously.  It is Taiwan's mainstream 
public opinion to maintain the island's status as an independent 
sovereign entity.  As Taiwan's ruling party, the DPP must not ignore 
the importance of its foreign policies just because it has recently 
been defeated in the elections.  Particularly, it must not 
misinterpret the reasons for its defeat and back down from the 
diplomatic frontline.  The KMT, on the other hand, has obtained a 
three-fourths majority influence in the new legislature, and it 
surely is obliged to make efforts to safeguard Taiwan's sovereignty 
in the near future.  Even just for the sake of safeguarding the 
Republic of China, the KMT must vigorously resist China's 
[continuous] attempts to press Taiwan. ..." 
 
B) "Shouldn't [the Taiwan Government] Review the Short-term Trading 
Operations of Its Foreign Policy?" 
 
The centrist, KMT-leaning "China Times" [circulation: 400,000] 
editorialized (1/16): 
 
"... Using trade and economics as bargaining chips can only secure 
relations with small countries, but the sympathy and support of big 
countries constitute another important pillar for Taiwan's survival. 
 Yet Taiwan was more badly harmed in this respect.  In order to 
secure [the DPP's] victory in the elections, Chen Shui-bian turned 
the Taiwan people's simple wish of being accepted by the 
international community into a tool for his own political gain.  He 
unscrupulously manipulated the [political agenda of] unification and 
independence and referenda, totally disregarding their [possible] 
costs to Taipei-Washington [relations].  As a result, the United 
States no longer trusts the Taiwan government; it even made moves to 
restrain Taiwan's diplomatic efforts.  The international community, 
at the same time, has also seen through Chen's tricks and poured 
cold water on Taiwan.  Taiwan's national interests were thus harmed 
for no particular reason, and the island's distance from the UN and 
the WHO is getting even wider. ..." 
 
¶4. UN Referendum 
 
"The Referenda to Join or Re-join the UN -- the Unbearable Heaviness 
for the Blue Camp" 
 
Washington correspondent Nadia Tsao noted in the pro-independence 
"Liberty Times" [circulation: 700,000] (1/16): 
 
"Even though the U.S. government declined to say it clearly, most 
U.S. scholars who have been monitoring cross-Strait situation for a 
long time pointed out that in the wake of the KMT's landslide 
victory in [last Saturday's] legislative elections, the pressure 
caused by [the DPP-proposed] UN referendum has greatly eased both 
for Washington and Beijing.  This is because the DPP will hardly be 
able to retain its authority to dictate policies, even if the 
referendum passes [in March].  But for the KMT, which has just 
scored a victory, the tests presented by the referenda to join or 
re-join the UN are not over yet! ... 
 
"Taiwan's bid to join the UN is an ongoing, high-consensus foreign 
policy for the island.  Should the KMT decide to mobilize Taiwan 
voters not to pick up their ballots for the two referenda, one of 
the possible scenarios will be that the DPP-proposed UN referendum 
is passed while [the KMT-proposed] referendum [for Taiwan] to rejoin 
the UN fails to pass.  [Should this happen,] not only will it 
manifest the fact that the KMT lacks sincerity toward the referendum 
system, but also that the KMT will have to implement the DPP's 
policy if it wins the presidential elections.  On the other hand, if 
both referenda fail to pass, is [the Taiwan government] going to 
shelve its UN bid that has been pushed by the government since the 
Lee Teng-hui Administration?  Will the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' 
UN membership task force based in New York have to be dissolved? 
 
"Even though the chances are slim for Taiwan to become a UN member 
in the short term, [the government's] diplomatic efforts over the 
past decades have made the UN member states realize Taiwan's 
position as an independent sovereign entity; certain connections and 
talented foreign service personnel have also been cultivated. 
Malawi's recent decision to switch diplomatic recognition from 
Taipei to Beijing also proved that China is taking full advantage of 
the UN stage to lure away Taiwan's diplomatic allies.  What kind of 
a message will be sent to the international community and Taiwan's 
foreign service officers then if the two referenda on Taiwan's bid 
to join or re-join the UN, respectively, both fail to pass?  ..." 
 
YOUNG