VZCZCXYZ0024
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0744/01 1510950
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 300950Z MAY 08
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9041
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 8316
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 9557

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000744 
 
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: CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS 
 
¶1. Summary:  On May 30, Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies gave 
extensive coverage to the resumption of talks between Taiwan's 
Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) and China's Association for 
Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS), which are scheduled to 
kick off on June 11.  News coverage also focused on the various 
incentives provided by the Cabinet to improve child and elderly care 
and to reduce financial strain on the young and on poor people; and 
also on the impact of the fuel price hike on the general public. 
 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, an analysis in the 
pro-independence "Liberty Times" criticized the Ma Ying-jeou 
administration for voluntarily surrendering control over the 
cross-Strait talks.  The article urged the Ma administration to 
first establish a Taiwan-centric awareness before it resumes talks 
with Beijing.  An editorial in the pro-independence, 
English-language "Taipei Times" said the meeting between KMT 
Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung and Chinese President Hu Jintao demonstrated 
that China actually has the upper hand in cross-Strait negotiation. 
An editorial in the pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" 
said by using the term "Chinese nation" in the Wu-Hu meeting, 
Taiwan's sovereignty has actually been compromised.  An editorial in 
the centrist, KMT-leaning "China Times," however, focused on Hu's 
remarks about proactively finding a viable way for Taiwan to join 
the World Health Organization.  The article said one can predict the 
future course of cross-Strait relations by watching how both sides 
work together "wisely" to resolve the question of Taiwan's 
participation in the international community.  End summary. 
 
A) "Taiwan-Centric Values Must Be Firmly Established before Both 
Sides of the Taiwan Strait Resume Talks" 
 
Journalist Su Yong-yao noted in an analysis in the pro-independence 
"Liberty Times" [circulation: 700,000] (5/30): 
 
"... In addition to limiting the Taiwan government's role in 
[cross-Strait] talks, Beijing also set out to define the topics it 
wants to discuss.  The content of the talks between the Straits 
Exchange Foundation (SEF) and the Association for Relations across 
the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) is primarily general issues such as direct 
charter flights and Chinese tourists coming to Taiwan.  But more 
political issues, including Taiwan's participation in the 
international community, were brought up during the meeting between 
KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung and his Chinese Communist Party 
counterpart Hu Jintao.  China was not only in charge of dealing the 
cards but was also able to decide whom it wants to deal with. 
 
"It is mainly due to economic reasons that Taiwan is anxious to talk 
[with Beijing].  But via the resumption of talks between SEF and 
ARATS, China has worked out political strategies to either steer the 
government [policies] via political parties or to use party and 
government interchangeably.  In July, the Ma administration may get 
its long-awaited direct transportation links and Chinese tourists, 
but it is also likely to lose its dominance in dictating the terms 
of the talks.  For the Ma administration, it is impractical and 
nothing more than wishful thinking to focus simply on returning to 
the model of talks between SEF and ARATS from the 1990s.  In the 
face of Beijing's [strategy to use] both the first and second tracks 
[for cross-Strait talks], the top priority for the [Ma] 
administration is to establish a new internal consensus among the 
ruling and opposition parties as well as various industries in 
Taiwan.  Only when the Taiwan-centric awareness is firmly 
established can Taiwan stand firm in future [cross-Strait] talks." 
 
 
B) "Ma's Great Cross-Strait Giveaway" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 
30,000] editorialized (5/30): 
 
"... As the SEF delegation is due in China in just under two weeks 
to talk about and possibly sign a deal on charter flights and 
Chinese tourists, one may be forgiven for wondering what the point 
of Wu's trip really was.  The simple answer is there was no point, 
other than to give Beijing a fresh propaganda coup and soft-soap 
Taiwanese and anyone else willing to pay attention into believing 
that China has only good intentions.  Why else would Hu dangle the 
carrot of WHO participation as he did on Wednesday, and say things 
like China 'cares about and respects' Taiwanese?  Wu's hastily 
arranged visit was China's way of showing Ma who's boss. 
 
"Hu's shrewdness is not to be underestimated, as his cross-strait 
machinations are far more sophisticated than the no-nonsense threats 
of his predecessors.  He is fully aware that Ma promised many things 
- direct flights, Chinese tourists, enhanced international space and 
a peace treaty - in his election campaign, all of which were 
predicated on the goodwill of Beijing. ...  Ma made it clear during 
his inauguration speech that he is willing to compromise the 
sovereignty of his beloved 'Republic of China' in the search for 
 
 
short-term and questionable economic gain.  For all of Beijing's 
recent friendliness, it will be interesting to see how much Ma and 
Taiwan really get in return." 
 
C) "Wu Gives Taiwan Away to CCP's Hu" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" [circulation: 
20,000] editorialized (5/30): 
 
"... The KMT-CCP consensus to enshrine the 'Chinese nation' as the 
'final solution' has already surrendered Taiwan's sovereignty in 
principle to the CCP; the role now earmarked for Taiwan's 
democratically elected government and its 'authorized SEF is to 
negotiate the concrete terms of surrender, including the provision 
of face-saving 'carrots,' with the ARATS.  The protest by Mainland 
Affairs Council Chairwoman Lai Shin-yuan yesterday that the 'track 
two' KMT-CCP platform 'cannot override' the government authorized 
SEF-ARARTS channel is doomed to futility because the PRC, which is 
obviously the dominant partner in this asymmetrical political dance, 
has placed primacy on 'party-to-party' negotiations and uses ARATS 
only as its tool. ..." 
 
D) "Both Sides of the Taiwan Strait Should Go All out to Use Their 
Wisdom to Resolve Substantive Problems" 
 
The centrist, KMT-leaning "China Times" [circulation: 400,000] 
editorialized (5/30): 
 
"... In addition to ensuring that both sides of the Taiwan Strait 
will resume talks and implement direct charter flights and open 
Taiwan to Chinese tourists as early as possible, the recent Wu-Hu 
meeting has also directly addressed Taiwan's elbow room in the 
international community, in particular, Taiwan's participation in 
the World Health Organization (WHO).  Previously when it came to 
Taiwan's participation in the international community, it was always 
Taiwan which cried out unilaterally, while Beijing either ignored it 
or dealt with it in an ambiguous manner.  But this time, Beijing 
took the initiative in stating clearly that 'Taiwan's participation 
in the WHO can take precedence and be discussed first' when 
cross-Strait talks are formally launched.  Beijing also indicated 
that [both sides] 'should have the wisdom to identify viable ways' 
to resolve the issue.  Since these statements were made personally 
by the leader of the Chinese Communist Party, its ground-breaking 
significance naturally deserves close attention. 
 
"As it stands, in terms of sensitive issues such as direct 
transportation or opening Taiwan to Chinese tourists, as long as 
neither side tries to find fault with them, what really remains to 
talk about is nothing but technical matters.  But Taiwan's 
participation in the international community is a totally different 
issue, which will certainly touch on the core subject of the 
controversy over [Taiwan's] sovereignty. Previously, the Beijing 
authorities had constantly adopted a tough zero-sum strategy [toward 
Taiwan's sovereignty issue], and that was where most of the barriers 
to cross-Strait reconciliation lie.  Now that the Beijing 
authorities are willing to negotiate [with Taiwan] about this issue 
proactively, it is almost certain that by looking at how both sides 
of the Taiwan Strait 'find a viable way' for Taiwan to 'wisely' join 
the WHO, one will be able to observe future development in 
cross-Strait relations.  All the more, it will likely become a key 
indicator to tell whether both sides will move further toward 
positive and benign interaction. ..." 
 
WANG