VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #1780 3640855
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 290855Z DEC 08
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0626
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 8817
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0278

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001780 
 
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.-TAIWAN RELATIONS 
 
Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused December 
25-29 news coverage on KMT Legislator Diane Lee's United States 
citizenship controversy; on former President Chen Shui-bian's legal 
cases; the slowdown of the local economy and worsening conditions 
for local labor.  In terms of editorials and commentaries, a column 
in the centrist, KMT-leaning "China Times" commented on United 
States President-elect Barack Obama's nominations of James 
Steinberg, Kurt Campbell, and Jeffrey Bader to take charge of his 
Asia-Pacific affairs.  Judging from the nominees' good knowledge 
about the region and their professional careers during the Clinton 
Administration, the column concluded that the Obama Administration 
will not change much from the United States' long-term "One-China" 
policy.  On the other hand, the Obama administration surely will 
place a high value on Sino-U.S. relations, or even rely on China, 
given China's rise and its economic power in recent years.  End 
summary. 
 
"Obama's Line Up on Asia-Pacific Policy Is Formed" 
 
Washington correspondent Norman Fu wrote in his column in the 
centrist, KMT-leaning "China Times" [circulation: 220,000] (12/26): 
 
"... Judging from the lineup, it showed that James Steinberg [the 
nominee for Deputy Secretary of State], Kurt Campbell [the nominee 
for Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs] and 
Jeffrey Bader [the nominee for Senior Director for Asian Affairs at 
the National Security Council] will be the nucleus and the iron 
triangle which take charge of Asia-Pacific policy in the Obama 
Administration in the future.  These [three] people's professional 
careers in the past showed that the new United States government's 
Asia-Pacific policy which is based on [the slogan of] "change" will, 
with new appointees and new policies, still contain a great amount 
of continuity.  Therefore, Obama's cross-Strait policy will not 
deviate significantly from the 'One-China' policy which was 
established by Richard Nixon.  However, China's rise and its huge 
economic power in recent years will cause the Obama Administration 
to place more importance [on its relations with China], or even rely 
on its relations with China. 
 
"Campbell and Bader had both candidly attached importance to 
Sino-U.S. relations and [expressed] their hopes to reinforce 
relations between Washington and Beijing.  Taiwan's task of assuring 
its own interests and not suffering setbacks, under circumstances in 
which Taiwan and the United States already lean too heavily toward 
China, will be one on which Taiwan's U.S.-based foreign service 
staff and the Ma Ying-jeou administration will have to rack their 
brains." 
 
YOUNG