VZCZCXYZ0006
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0128 0370557
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 060557Z FEB 09
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0844
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 8906
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0358

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000128 
 
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 February 6 
continued to focus news coverage on the island's sagging economy and 
the Taiwan government's efforts to fight the soaring unemployment 
rate, and on the ongoing probe into former President Chen 
Shui-bian's legal cases.  In terms of editorials and commentaries, 
an op-ed piece in the pro-independence, English-language "Taipei 
Times," written by a Taiwan-born but U.S.-based freelance 
commentator, discussed U.S.-China-Taiwan relations and concluded 
that "if the U.S., Japan and the EU continue to engage China without 
taking substantive measures to steer the country in the right 
direction..., then the rise of China would most likely bring great 
conflict and misfortune for mankind." 
 
"What Does the Future Hold for China?" 
 
Li Thian-hok, freelance commentator based in Pennsylvania, opined in 
the pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 
30,000] (2/6): 
 
"... China's increasingly interdependent relations with the US and 
Washington's deferential stance toward Beijing serve to boost the 
legitimacy of the People's Republic of China. US business in 
general tends to support China's authoritarian status quo. A good 
example is the assistance US companies such as Yahoo, Cisco, Google 
and Microsoft has rendered the CCP in clamping down on Internet 
access. ...  Whether China will democratize and follow the path of 
peaceful development or resort to military adventure and 
expansionism is unknowable. However, if the US, Japan and the EU 
continue to engage China without taking substantive measures to 
steer the country in the right direction, but instead keep on 
feeding its nationalist pride and help build up its wealth and 
military power because of commercial interests, then the rise of 
China would most likely bring great conflict and misfortune for 
mankind.  For Taiwan, the best course of action is to resist China's 
pressure to surrender its sovereignty and democracy, boost Taiwan's 
national security both in terms of hard power and psychological 
defenses and avoid entanglement with China's coming bloody internal 
strife or external military adventure." 
 
YOUNG