VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0886/01 1751017
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231017Z JUN 08
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9250
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 8390
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 9619

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000886 
 
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 June 
21-23 news coverage on the peaceful resolution to a recent dispute 
between Taiwan and Japan, triggered by the collision between a 
Taiwan fishing boat and a Japanese frigate in early June; on 
President Ma Ying-jeou's nomination of Control Yuan members Friday; 
and on the oil and electricity price hikes in Taiwan.  Several 
papers also reported on U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's 
recent interview with the "Wall Street Journal."  The 
pro-independence "Liberty Times" ran a banner headline on page two 
in its June 23 edition, reading "Rice: the United States Hopes to 
See Taiwan Have Real Space in the International Community." 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a "Liberty Times" 
analysis discussed Secretary Rice's remarks on U.S.-Taiwan relations 
and said President Ma has personally destroyed the balance of power 
among Washington, Beijing and Taipei by tilting quickly toward 
China.  A separate "Liberty Times" commentary also questioned 
whether the Ma administration is changing Taiwan's strategic 
direction by leaning towards China and distancing itself from the 
United States and Japan.  An editorial in the pro-unification 
"United Daily News," however, said that with thawing cross-Strait 
relations, relations among the United States, Taiwan, China and 
Japan will become more vibrant.  End summary. 
 
A) "Lurching toward China, Ma Has Personally Destroyed the Balance 
of Power among the United States, China and Taiwan" 
 
Deputy Editor-in-Chief Tsou Jiing-wen wrote in an analysis in the 
pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 720,000] (6/23): 
 
"... Having kept silence for a while, U.S. Secretary of State 
Condoleezza Rice finally gave remarks that were both profound and 
mysterious!  'The United States has a relationship with Taiwan as 
well' -- this was a statement meant for everyone; in particular, 
Rice was reminding those who have almost forgotten that the United 
Stats has a relationship with Taiwan.  Was Taiwan's new 
administration included [in those whom Rice was addressing]?  'Mr. 
Ma' should know the answer better than anyone else.  In contrast to 
[Taiwan's] praise and kow-tows for China lately, some unusual 
signals can be seen in the Ma administration's conduct of foreign 
relations. 
 
"The first one has to do with the resumed talks between Taiwan's 
Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) and China's Association for 
Relations across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS).  Diplomatic circles in 
both Washington and Tokyo have privately complained that Taipei 
failed to follow precedent and notify them [of the content of the 
SEF-ARATS talks] beforehand.  The consistency in their complaints 
was pretty unusual.  The other signal came from a Washington Post 
report, which, as some have alleged, helped Washington release the 
information that it is Taiwan that has hoped to shelve the arms 
procurements [from the United States].  The background of such a 
report is thought-provoking, and [Taiwan's] opposition party has 
directly been targeting [its criticism at] National Security Council 
Secretary-General Su Chi.  Even though the Presidential Office has 
denied such a report, it may not be totally groundless. 
 
"[Ma] was greatly supported by the Americans during the process of 
his campaigning, but since he assumed office, he has continuously 
received comments from Washington wrapped in diplomatic rhetoric. 
Any discerning person cannot overlook the lack of mutual trust 
between [Ma and Washington.]  Who is the big boss in this triangle 
of power?  [When it has something to say,] the United States never 
keeps quiet.  It never did, nor will it now.  The United States' 
aggressive manner was even better demonstrated in Rice's statement 
that [they] 'want to see Taiwan have real space in the international 
community!'  This statement is akin to 'sending a diplomatic note' 
to warn Beijing.  If one compares it with 'Mr. Ma's' recent calls 
for modus vivendi, diplomatic truce, 1992 consensus; his willingness 
to [condescend to] 'equalize [himself]' with the chairman of ARATS; 
and his move of sending [SEF Chairman] Chiang Pin-kun to meet with 
Chinese President] Hu Jintao personally to ask for [Taiwan's] 
international space, [one can tell that] it did not happen by 
accident that China has been playing little disruptive tricks in 
various international organizations. 
 
"Evidently, the United States is trying to adjust the already 
twisted fulcrum in this triangular relationship to reinstate the 
balance so that it can manage it.  Judging from the perspective of 
the Taiwan people's interests, we welcome the emergence of such an 
international power.  But if we look at it from the angle of 
Taiwan's sovereignty, why cannot our government bring our ability 
and wisdom into play and take the initiative in handling such a 
fulcrum?  The fact that we let ourselves become the cause of such 
imbalance should receive severe criticism.  Ma's national security 
and diplomatic teams should work harder, or there will definitely be 
a limit to the [Taiwan] people's patience." 
 
B) "[With] the Ma Administration Changing Its Strategic Direction, 
 
the Taiwan-Japan-U.S. Alliance Is Drifting as Well" 
 
Lo Chih-cheng, an associate professor of the Department of Political 
Science at [Taiwan's] Soochow University, wrote in the "Weekly 
Column" of the pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 
720,000] (6/22): 
 
"... Switching from the practice of the Bian administration, which 
used 'democracy-ism' as the core of its foreign policy, [President] 
Ma Ying-jeou seems to have regarded 'nationalism' as the pillar of 
his national strategic structure.  Previously, the DPP pushed for 
establishing democratic alliances with the United States and Japan 
and emphasized that such alliances were not only based on practical 
interests but also on their persistence and maintenance of the 
common values of democracy. ... 
 
"...In Taiwan's relations with the three major countries -- China, 
Japan and the United States -- will the Ma administration adopt the 
same thinking and intentions [as those of South Korea]?  In other 
words, will [the Ma administration] regard cross-Strait [relations] 
as 'compatriot relations' while viewing Taiwan's relations with 
Japan and with the United States as 'alliances,' ... which are less 
important?  The re-definition of Taiwan's essential relations with 
major countries, as well as the changes to [Taiwan's] strategic 
thinking that ensued from such re-definition, are probably the most 
worrisome aspects of the Ma administration. ... 
 
"Whether the allegation that Taiwan demanded that the United States 
suspend arms sales to Taiwan in order not to sabotage the atmosphere 
for the resumption of cross-Strait negotiations is true or not, this 
kind of appeal is definitely a corollary to the strategic switch of 
the Ma administration.  Regardless of whether Taiwan intends to 
continue procuring arms from the United States or not, China's 
position has been very clear, namely, the United States has to end 
all arms sales to Taiwan.  In fact, China's Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs Spokesman also made the request publicly one day before 
Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation and China's Association for 
Relations across the Strait signed agreements. 
 
"As a result, if Beijing demands that Taiwan reduce or even cease 
arms procurement from the United States, or else it will be 
unwilling to proceed improving cross-Strait relations, the Ma 
administration might face great difficulty under the pressure of not 
being able to afford to have cross-Strait relations move backwards. 
Perhaps quite a lot of people will reach the same conclusion as to 
the question of whether [the Ma administration] will eventually make 
a zero-sum choice under the thinking that 'mainland policy should 
supersede foreign policy;' or as to what kind of strategic choice it 
will make, especially considering that 'compatriots are insiders and 
allies are outsiders?' ..." 
 
C) "Taiwan, the United States, Japan and China:  Two [Separate] 
Chess Games or One Single Chess Game?" 
 
The pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] 
editorialized (6/23): 
 
"... Under such 'new circumstances,' even though Beijing has yet to 
positively accept Ma Ying-jeou's proposal of 'no unification, no 
independence, and no use of force' as well as 'one China with 
respective interpretations,' it did not come forth to deny it either 
([Chinese President] Hu Jintao has told his U.S. counterpart George 
¶W. Bush that he accepted 'one China with respective 
interpretations.')  Henceforth, not only have transportation 
relations across the Taiwan Strait been changed because of [the 
launch of] direct transportation, but more importantly, the thinking 
and mentality of both sides of the Taiwan Strait have also changed. 
Once there is a change to cross-Strait relations, the chess game 
played among 'Taiwan, the United States, Japan and China' will also 
change accordingly.  The most significant change is that previously, 
any mediation across the Taiwan Strait must go through Washington. 
But the bridge across the Strait has now been constructed, so there 
is no need to go through the United States any more. ... 
 
"Now, with thawing cross-Strait relations, the two 'separate chess 
games' [of cross-Strait relations and Taiwan-U.S.-Japan relations] 
can be merged into one single chess game.  Relations between Taipei, 
Washington and Tokyo ... will become more vibrant.  Not only that, 
if a 'diplomatic truce' takes effect in the future, neither  side of 
the Taiwan Strait will suffer coercion or distortion from their 
neighboring countries any longer. ..." 
 
YOUNG