VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #1151/01 2190730
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 060730Z AUG 08
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9676
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 8504
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 9720

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001151 
 
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: BEIJING OLYMPICS 
 
Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused August 6 
news coverage on Taitung County Magistrate Kuang Li-chen, who was 
quizzed by prosecutors Tuesday for being away on a trip to Europe 
while her county was being pounded by a major typhoon last week; on 
Taiwan's surging consumer price index in July; and on the Olympic 
Games in Beijing.  In terms of editorials and commentaries, a column 
in the centrist, KMT-leaning "China Times" discussed the reasons 
behind U.S. President George W. Bush's desire to go to Beijing 
Olympics.  The article concluded by saying that "Bush has finally 
discovered that the most appropriate thing to do is to build mutual 
trust with the Chinese leaders."  An editorial in the conservative, 
pro-unification, English-language "China Post" commented on the 
Beijing Olympics and said "it looks as though China is again missing 
a great opportunity to move closer to the commonwealth of democratic 
nations."  End summary. 
 
A) "The Real Reasons behind [U.S. President] Bush's Enthusiasm about 
the Beijing Olympics" 
 
The "International Lookout" column in the centrist, KMT-leaning 
"China Times" [circulation: 200,000] (8/6): 
 
"Regarding U.S. President George W. Bush's trip to the Far East this 
time, his visits to South Korea and Thailand are just something he 
do on the way, while his [real] goal is to participate in the 
Beijing Olympics. ...  John McCain is gravely concerned that if any 
dispute occurs between Bush and China, it will generate a negative 
impact on future Sino-U.S. relations if McCain is elected president. 
 Judging from this perspective, it is obvious that no matter whether 
it is a Republican or a Democrat that takes the helm of the United 
States in the near future, he will keep walking the path laid by 
Bush. 
 
"When assuming his position in the very beginning, President Bush 
had absolutely no idea that his China policy would turn out to be 
like this.  But reality has forced him to pick the road of 
compromise.  When the Republican neoconservatism led by Vice 
President Dick Cheney gradually subsided, the Bush's new team, 
acting on his own discretion, [started to] alleviate the United 
States' relations with China.  Not only did Bush personally resolve 
and mitigate the tension caused by the Taiwan issue, but former 
Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick also invited Beijing to 
play a more active role in the international community by defining 
China as a [responsible] stakeholder.  In addition, Treasury 
Secretary Henry Paulson stopped Congress from making moves that 
would exacerbate trade disputes [with China]; and Secretary of State 
Condoleezza Rice's reliance on China in terms of [preventing] 
nuclear proliferation on the Korean Peninsula and U.S.-China 
cooperation in fighting terrorism have both helped to create a new 
common ground of interests for the two countries. 
 
"Bush has paved the way for the next U.S. president to engage with 
Beijing, and this will probably be his diplomatic legacy left behind 
after his eight year term in office.  It is just like what former 
National Security Council Senior Director for Asian affairs Kenneth 
Lieberthal of the Clinton administration said:  'Bush has left 
behind him a generally sound U.S.-China relationship.'  Bush has 
finally discovered that the most appropriate thing to do was to 
build mutual trust with the Chinese leaders -- perhaps a result of 
his father's influence. ..." 
 
B) "Missed Olympic Opportunities?" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" 
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (8/6): 
 
"... China's goal is to showcase itself as a proud, strong, modern 
 
nation, ready to become a global leader, but by overdoing the 
security factor, Beijing may be shooting itself in the foot.  Heavy 
security would, of course, be the norm anywhere an Olympics is 
hosted, but Beijing has perhaps gone overboard. ...  The Beijing 
Olympics will undoubtedly leave some positive legacies including 
cleaner air and greater international awareness, but it seems a 
shame that authorities in Beijing are not making more of their 
Olympic opportunity.  After the May 12th earthquake in Sichuan, the 
world seemed to give China a pass on its crackdown of dissent in 
Tibet and Xinjiang.  But hopes that such goodwill would move China 
to re-examine its totalitarian practices seem to have been 
misplaced. 
 
"When China was awarded the Summer Olympics after an exhaustive 
ballot in 2001, some commentators held out hope that the games could 
be a catalyst for change, much like the way the 1988 Summer Games in 
Seoul helped move South Korea away from a military-led dictatorship. 
 While it's much too early to see if the Olympics will spur China 
towards greater reform, unfortunately, it looks as though China is 
again missing a great opportunity to move closer to the commonwealth 
of democratic nations." 
 
 
YOUNG