VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #1339 2532357
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 092357Z SEP 08
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9921
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 8590
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0036

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001339 
 
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 
 
Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news 
coverage September 9 on the various measures currently being 
pondered by the Ma Ying-jeou Administration to stimulate Taiwan's 
stock market and economy; on the surge in global stock prices Monday 
after Washington announced the bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie 
Mac; and on continued investigation into former President Chen 
Shui-bian's money laundering and state affairs fund cases.  In terms 
of editorials and commentaries, a column in the centrist, 
KMT-leaning "China Times" alleged that the United States must have a 
role in the recent interaction across the Taiwan Strait.  The column 
also reminded Ma that strengthening the island's national defense 
will not necessarily compromise Taiwan's wish to have more space in 
the international community.  End summary. 
 
"Cross-Strait Interactions under the New International Reality" 
 
Deputy Editor-in-Chief Kuo Chen-lung wrote in the International 
Column of the centrist, KMT-leaning "China Times" [circulation: 
300,000] (9/9): 
 
"The remarks by [China's] Taiwan Affairs Office Director Wang Yi 
Sunday revealed Beijing's latest attitude towards its talks [with 
Taiwan].  [China's] Association for Relations across the Taiwan 
Strait Chairman Chen Yunlin will be coming to negotiate with Taipei 
in late October, and the issues both sides will discuss will be 
all-inclusive; almost everything can be talked about.  This is 
[Beijing's] response to the earnest expectations of the Ma Ying-jeou 
Administration.  The Presidential Office's making public [the 
contents of] an interview [by Ma] with the Mexican daily, "El Sol de 
Mexico", in return, has initiated a new round of goodwill gesture 
[between Taipei and Beijing]. ... 
 
"Prior to the publication of the press release about [Ma's] 
interview, National Security Council Chairman Su Chi had arrived in 
Washington D.C. September 1 for a secret visit.  A reasonable guess 
[about Su's visit] was that both sides of the Taiwan Strait had 
already had some rehearsals and communications beforehand on things 
they each wanted to say.  Thus, it was not until after Su had got a 
green light from Washington, which also expressed its support, 
following his meetings with relevant U.S. officials, including a 
deputy national security advisor and those in charge of Asia-Pacific 
issues, in which they had discussed and went over the process 
related to the second round of cross-Strait interactions, that the 
Presidential Office released the content of Ma's interview with "El 
Sol de Mexico" via the Central News Agency.  Getting the 
international community involved [in cross-Strait interactions] is 
clear proof that the Ma Administration has becoming increasingly 
nimble in its diplomatic methods.  [Such a move] not only can avoid 
doubts from the United States but will also help to earn Taiwan some 
assistance when it comes to the issue of Taiwan's international 
space. 
 
"Ma's '1992 Consensus' has reassured Beijing, but his 'no 
unification and no independence' has made Beijing agonize as well; 
in particular, some people are concerned that [offering Taiwan more] 
international space will only make Ma more reluctant to unify with 
China.  As a result, Ma's statement that 'both sides of the Taiwan 
Strait are [in] a special non-state-to-state relationship" was a 
re-definition of cross-Strait relations, which are not the 'special 
state-to-state relationship' as described by Lee Teng-hui and are 
certainly different from the 'one state on either side [of the 
Strait]' doctrine advocated by Chen Shui-bian. ... 
 
"In fact, in the interview Ma merely touched on, but did not 
elucidate or deny, what Taiwan really is.  However, Presidential 
Office Spokesman [Wang Yu-chi], in a failed and inferior attempt to 
elaborate on Ma's idea, claimed that such a [special 
non-state-to-state] relationship is one of 'region to region' under 
[Taiwan's] Statute Governing the Relations between the Peoples of 
the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area.  [Wang's elaboration] has 
instead stripped [Ma's statement] of room for ambiguity. ... 
 
"In reality, strengthening [the island's] national defense versus 
improving cross-Strait relations can be free of contradiction. 
[Taiwan's moves to] purchase arms from the United States and conduct 
the Han Kuang military exercises are ways to accumulate bargaining 
chips for its future negotiations [with China] and to prevent itself 
from being forced into signing a peace treaty under [China's] threat 
of force.  Similarly, a diplomatic truce does not mean that foreign 
service staff is 'having holidays in the office.'  [Ed. Note: taking 
a vacation on the job.] There are so many types of tasks that can be 
performed to expand [Taiwan's] international space.  Those diplomats 
who complain of having nothing to do only show their incompetence. 
..." 
 
YOUNG