VZCZCXYZ0006
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0098/01 0181010
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 181010Z JAN 08
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7953
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 7760
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 9020

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000098 
 
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 focused news 
coverage January 18 on DPP presidential candidate Frank Hsieh's 
intensive campaigning in the wake of his party's severe defeat in 
last Saturday's legislative elections; on the March presidential 
poll; on President Chen Shui-bian returning from his visit to Latin 
America; and on the prosecutors' decision Thursday to indict eight 
current and former lawmakers on charges of bribery.  The 
mass-circulation "Apple Daily" published the results of a latest 
opinion survey, which showed that 40 percent of those polled said 
they will vote for KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou, while 16 
percent said they will support Frank Hsieh.  The paper ran a banner 
headline on page eight that said "Forty-three Percent of Voters Say 
They Have Yet to Decide Who Should Be President." 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, an editorial in the 
pro-independence "Liberty Times" discussed U.S. Pacific 
Commander-in-Chief Admiral Timothy Keating's recent comment on the 
Taiwan Strait as being the international waters.  The article said 
only if Taiwan retains its independent sovereignty can the Taiwan 
Strait remain international waters.  It therefore urged Washington 
to stop beating down on Taiwan's "democratic and peaceful" UN 
referendum.  End summary. 
 
"Only If Taiwan Retains Its Independent Sovereignty Can the Taiwan 
Strait Remain International Waters" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 700,000] 
editorialized (1/18): 
 
"... Over the past few years, China has been working proactively on 
its military build-up in an attempt to take possession of the Taiwan 
Strait just for its own use.  The fact that Chinese submarines have 
appeared in the Taiwan Strait many times and [sometimes] trespassed 
into the territorial waters of Taiwan and Japan is a clear 
manifestation of such evil ambitions.  Beijing announced 
unilaterally at the end of 2007 its plan to draw a new air route 
west of the central line of the Taiwan Strait.  The move also 
indicated China's scheme to use commercial needs as a cover-up for 
its intent to take over the Taiwan Strait.  Judging from U.S. 
Admiral Timothy Keating's recent statement [in Beijing], [it is 
evident that] relevant countries, including the United States, will 
never [simply] sit back and watch China's attempt to take over the 
Taiwan Strait as its territorial waters. 
 
"As a matter of fact, it is closely related to Taiwan whether the 
Taiwan Strait can retain its status of international waters.  It is 
a widely known fact that China has been publicizing recklessly in 
the international community that Taiwan is part of China, implying 
that it has the right to unify (or annex) Taiwan.  In this vein, 
China naturally sees the Taiwan Strait as its own territorial 
waters.  As a result, the key to assure that the Taiwan Strait 
remains international waters lies in maintaining Taiwan's status as 
an independent sovereign [state].  Once Taiwan is annexed by China, 
relevant countries like the United States and Japan will have to 
seek approval from Beijing if their ships or airplanes want to fly 
or sail through the Taiwan Strait. 
 
"Yet at the moment when Keating was emphasizing that the Taiwan 
Strait is international waters, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John 
Negroponte, who is currently visiting Beijing, reiterated that the 
United States believes Taiwan's UN referendum is provocative and 
that it is a mistake to conduct such a referendum.  Why does Taiwan 
need to hold a referendum on its UN membership?  The answer is 
because China attempts to annex Taiwan and change Taiwan's status 
quo as an independent sovereign [state]!  U.S. State Department 
officials did not criticize China's deployment of 1,328 missiles 
targeting Taiwan as provocative, nor did it slam the 'Anti-Secession 
Law' as provocative.  Instead, it labeled Taiwan's democratic, 
peaceful UN referendum as provocative.  This is evidently a double 
standard, clear and simple. 
 
"U.S. State Department officials criticized Taiwan's move to 
maintain its status as an independent sovereign [state] as 
provocative, while U.S. Pacific commander-in-chief reiterated in 
China that the Taiwan Strait is international waters.  Apparently 
the [U.S.] cross-Strait policy is inconsistent with its strategy for 
the Western Pacific.  If one acts in accordance with the State 
Department policies and echoes wholeheartedly China's policy to 
annex Taiwan, sooner or later, Taiwan will become China's exclusive 
domain, and the Taiwan Strait will end up becoming China's 
territorial waters.  Should it be the case, how will the U.S. 
military be able to declare that the Taiwan Strait is international 
waters?  How is the United States going to ensure its interests and 
those of other countries in the western Pacific? 
 
"Over the years, as required by the 'Taiwan Relations Act,' the 
United States has been providing Taiwan with defensive weapons, and 
its objective is simply to defend Taiwan against China's force and 
annexation.  Oddly, Washington is selling defensive weapons to 
 
Taiwan on the one hand, in the fear that China will use force to 
annex Taiwan, but on the other hand it does not want to recognize 
Taiwan as an independent sovereign state, and it even tries to 
suppress in every respect Taiwan's attempts to maintain its 
independent sovereignty.  What Washington has been doing is akin to 
slapping itself in the face.  The [U.S.] actions also provided an 
instance for China to protest loudly against the U.S. arms sales to 
Taiwan.  It may as well be asked:  How long can such an inconsistent 
policy be sustained? 
 
"... Judged from such a perspective, Taiwan and the Taiwan Strait 
are closely related and inseparable.  Only if Taiwan can retain its 
independent sovereignty can the Taiwan Strait remains international 
waters.  When Taiwan loses its independent sovereignty, the Taiwan 
Strait will by no means remain international waters.  It is about 
time that the United States stops its attempts to beat down on 
Taiwan's UN referendum." 
 
YOUNG