VZCZCXYZ0004
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0943/01 1820912
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 300912Z JUN 08
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9363
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 8404
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 9633

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000943 
 
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; ANTI-HUMAN 
TRAFFICKING EFFORTS 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news 
coverage June 28-30 on the government's effort and incentives to 
boost the economy and revitalize the stock market; on the kickoff of 
limited conversion between the New Taiwan dollar and the Chinese 
Yuan (Renminbi); and on the preparation of the local tourist 
industry and airports before the arrival of mainland Chinese 
tourists.  The pro-independence "Liberty Times" continued 
criticizing the Ma Ying-jeou Administration's policy of leaning 
toward China, featuring a banner headline on page four of its June 
28 report saying that "U.S. Scholar Sutter Warned the Ma 
Administration Publicly that the U.S. Might Sacrifice Taiwan if 
Taiwan Leans Toward China." 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, an editorial in the 
"Liberty Times," echoing Professor Robert Sutter's recent remarks 
and noting a Chinese military exercise held at a civilian airport, 
blamed the Ma Administration's cross-Strait policy for compromising 
Taiwan's national security.  An editorial in the pro-unification 
"United Daily News" noted Chinese President Hu Jintao's skill in 
managing cross-Strait relations.  Former AIT Chairman Nat Bellocchi 
opined in the pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" that 
the Ma Administration has not been to state clearly what it wants 
for Taiwan, while the people of Taiwan have the right to know.  An 
editorial in the conservative, pro-unification, English-language 
"China Post" said that expanding Taiwan's international space relies 
on mutual trust across the Strait.  Another editorial in the "China 
Post" expressed its support in a new law to combat the problem of 
human trafficking in Taiwan.  End summary. 
 
¶3. Cross-Strait Relations 
 
A) "The Purpose of China's Military Exercise Involving the Civilian 
Aircraft is All Too Clear" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 720,000] 
editorialized (6/30): 
 
"On the eve of launching the direct charter flights across the 
Strait on July 4, the Chinese media reported that the Chinese 
military and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) 
jointly conducted a first-ever 'parachute exercise for urgent need' 
at Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport in Hubei Province on 
June 18.  The exercise, which involved eight civilian aircraft, 
practiced transporting special forces and the operations of the 
special forces to gain control of an airport.  China's netizens even 
commented that 'the return of Taiwan is coming.' 
 
"At the same time, Professor Robert Sutter at Georgetown University, 
who once worked at the Central Intelligence Agency, made a public 
warning recently that Taiwan is in a weak position in between the 
two strong powers of China and the United States.  Taiwan has to be 
clear about the fundamental interests of the United States.  If 
[Taiwan's] Ma Ying-jeou Administration turns its back to the United 
States and walks with China, the United States does not rule out the 
possibility of sacrificing Taiwan and reaching a deal with Beijing 
directly on the Taiwan issue. ... 
 
"In a word, the Ma Administration's general roadmap of governance is 
to tilt in favor of China and follow China's orders.  Ma has never 
changed his claim of 'ultimate unification.'  The Ma Administration 
could not wait to propose the [policy of launching] direct charter 
flights, opening Taiwan to Chinese tourists and lifting regulations 
on financial exchanges across the Strait after assuming office. 
However, the stock market still nosedived by 1,800 points, which 
demonstrates that Ma's policy of leaning toward China is not working 
at all.  In addition, in terms of foreign affairs, Ma imposes 
self-restrictions by 'putting a heavier emphasis on cross-Strait 
policy than on diplomacy.'  In terms of arms procurement, [Ma] 
suspended the deal in order to fawn on China.  Professor Sutter's 
outspokenness has expressed the concerns of our important friends 
such as the United States and Japan.  In general, if the Ma 
Administration continues walking on the current path, Taiwan will 
not only see its economy collapse and military strength shrink, but 
it will also be more isolated in the international community and 
probably have to wait for China's takeover." 
 
B) "Interpreting Hu Jintao's Skill in Managing Cross-Strait 
Relations" 
 
The pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] 
editorialized (6/28): 
 
"[Chinese President] Hu Jintao's thinking and skill seem to have 
jumped out of Chinese Communist leaders' tradition and patterns in 
the past.  For Taiwan, this is mixed with advantages and 
disadvantages.  The advantage is that there is progress and 
immediate results in cross-Strait interaction; the disadvantage is 
that the initiative tilts toward China. ... 
TRAFFICKING EFFORTS 
 
 
"Hu's skill in managing cross-Strait relations is revealed in two 
aspects.  First, Hu cares about the main body instead of the trivia. 
 For example, [Taiwan's President] Ma Ying-jeou accused [Chinese 
Premier] Wen Jiabao of [being]'arrogant and foolish' [during the 
Tibetan uprising in March 2008], and Ma's appointment of Lai 
Shin-yuan as Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chairperson 
made the Chinese Communists upset and hesitatant [about Ma].  It is 
reported that the reason [KMT Chairman] Wu Poh-hsiung suddenly 
accepted the invitation and visited China was because of Lai's 
appointment.  Hu definitely has seen these disturbances in Taiwan's 
political circles after the Ma Administration assumed office.  Hu 
actually could have thrown stones at Ma, who has fallen into a well 
[suggesting hitting Ma when Ma was down].  However, Hu avoided these 
trivia and endorsed Ma's policy of 'launching direct flights on July 
4.'  Hu not only became a player in Taiwan's political circles, but 
he also had dialogue with the Taiwan people directly, which did not 
necessarily give face to Ma. 
 
"Second is the revision to 'unilateralism,' which is an important 
signal showing Hu's differences from his predecessors.  In the 
meeting between Hu and [Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation 
Chairman] Chiang [Pin-kun] on June 13, Hu proposed a sixteen-word 
principle for cross-Strait negotiations, which is 'conducting 
negotiation based on equality, communicating based on goodwill, 
accumulating consensus, and making progress with pragmatism.'  Hu 
also clarified that conducting negotiation based on equality means 
'not to impose its own wishful thinking on the other side.'  The 
word might suggest that Taiwan 'not impose its own wishful thinking' 
on the Mainland.  However, it also sounds as if the mainland 'will 
not impose its own wishful thinking' on Taiwan.  Hu also said that 
[one side] 'must understand the other side out of the goodwill;' and 
'has to seek a resolution pragmatically that both sides accept.' 
All these reveal revisions to 'unilateralism.'  If there is any 
falsehood in Hu's thinking and skill, then Hu is Machiavellian.  If 
there is genuineness [in Hu's thinking and skill] then, indeed, Hu 
is a statesman. ..." 
 
C) "Keeping the Taiwanese Informed" 
 
Former AIT Chairman Nat Bellocchi opined in the pro-independence, 
English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 30,000] (6/29): 
 
"... Neither side wants to raise sensitive issues in discussions, 
and ambiguity will continue to prevail.  So how will the people of 
Taiwan - a full democracy whose people have the right to know what 
its government is doing - be assured that their fundamental rights 
are being protected?  This is a delicate and difficult task, and it 
falls to the president and his administration to meet both sides' 
expectations. ... 
 
"The problem is that signing a 'comprehensive economic cooperation 
pact' with China without agreeing on fundamental issues such as 
political matters could be dangerous.  The Ma Ying-jeou 
administration has yet to state clearly what it wants for Taiwan. 
This is becoming clearer to China and the US, as it is to the 
Taiwanese public. ... 
 
"There is an interest in maintaining the status quo - protecting the 
country's democracy is part of this - and in bolstering economic 
growth.  Yet the names 'Taiwan' and 'Taiwanese,' the issue of 
sovereignty, and for many eventual de jure independence, remain in 
the wings. 
 
"Establishing a broad pact with China on a number of issues could 
easily generate problems with many smaller issues in which meaning 
is clouded by ambiguity. 
 
"Taiwan should continue pursuing a constructive relationship with 
China, of course, but the results should be acceptable to 
Taiwanese." 
 
D) "Taiwan's International Space Is a Long Shot" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" 
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (6/28): 
 
"... If [Chinese President] Hu Jintao means what he says, Taiwan's 
international space will be expanded at no expense to Beijing.  It 
will be a win-win situation, which Hu says he is seeking. 
 
"But here is the catch.  There is no mutual trust.  It has been 
destroyed completely by two decades of confrontational politics 
under Lee Teng-hui and Chen Shui-bian.  Ma Ying-jeou's presidency is 
barely six weeks old.  He will have to do more to win Beijing's 
trust and 'goodwill.' 
 
"In the long run, the prospects for Taiwan's greater international 
TRAFFICKING EFFORTS 
 
space are good if mutual trust can be rebuilt.  The optimism is 
based on the fact that both sides are determined to seek a win-win 
situation after experiencing a painful period of hostility that was 
in the interests of neither side." 
 
¶4. Human Trafficking 
 
"... Trafficking Legislation Should Punish Smugglers" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" 
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (6/29): 
 
"We fully support the proposal for having a special Anti-Human 
Trafficking Law, and hope to see our legislators come up with a 
comprehensive bill that can finally address this growing problem. 
... 
 
"For such a law to be effective, provisions must be drafted that 
impose stiff punishments for people convicted of smuggling or 
exploiting illegal immigrants. ... 
 
"The new anti-trafficking law should impose stiff punishments for 
passport and ID card fraud and increase the budget for police and 
judicial cooperation with other countries, especially the United 
States, Canada, Australia and European Union members. ... 
 
"In addition, budget money should be allocated to promote increased 
cooperation between law enforcement authorities in Taiwan and 
counterparts in mainland China, such as sharing intelligence on 
human smuggling operations by means of our Straits Exchange 
Foundation and mainland China's Association for Relations Across the 
Taiwan Strait. ..." 
 
YOUNG