VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0204/01 0540940
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 230940Z FEB 09
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0964
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 8944
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0394

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000204 
 
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: SECRETARY OF STATE CLINTON'S ASIA TRIP 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news 
coverage February 21-23 on the "national policy conference" 
organized by the opposition parties; on the local economic downturn 
plus various government policies; and United States Secretary of 
State Hillary Clinton's visit to China. 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, an op-ed in the 
pro-unification "United Daily News" said Secretary of State Clinton 
choosing Asia to be her first trip overseas demonstrated that the 
new Obama Administration highly values its relations with Asia and 
China.  The op-ed commented on the three issues that Clinton dealt 
when she was in Beijing: the rejection of protectionism, the 
Strategic Dialogue between China and the United States, and the 
relations among the United States, China and Taiwan.  The op-ed 
urged Washington, Beijing and Taipei to find a way to seize this 
historical opportunity and create a win-win-win scenario for the 
three parties while tensions are easing across the Taiwan Strait.  A 
column in the centrist, KMT-leaning "China Times" urged Taiwan to 
discover and develop its own soft power while the world and the 
United States' Asia-Pacific policy are changing and the importance 
of Taiwan to the United States is declining.  Another op-ed in the 
pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" recounted what 
United States Pacific Commander Admiral Timothy Keating said in Hong 
Kong last week.  The op-ed said Pentagon and Pacific Command were 
surprised that it was United States Secretary of State Hillary 
Clinton who announced that China and the United States are to resume 
military exchanges.  End summary. 
 
A) "[Secretary] Hillary [Clinton] Shows Her Hand; A Good Opportunity 
for the Win-Win-Win for the United States, China and Taiwan" 
 
Professor Edward Chen of Tamkang University's Graduate institute of 
American Studies opined in the pro-unification "United Daily News" 
[circulation: 400,000] (2/23): 
 
"... The problem is that it is by no means easy for the United 
States and China jointly to reject protectionism.  For example, 
United States President Barack Obama did not veto "Buy America," a 
clause contained in the 800 billion U.S. dollar economic recovery 
package that the United States Congress passed.  This showed that 
the United States' protectionism is gaining ground.  Beijing is 
especially sensitive about the development, because it could 
initiate the rise of protectionism in the world.  It would be a big 
strike at China's economy which is export-oriented.  Therefore, 
[China] hopes that during the visit of [United States Secretary of 
State] Hillary [Clinton] and before the upcoming financial summit 
staged in London on April 2, [China and the United States] can set 
the tone for 'jointly rejecting protectionism.' 
 
"With respect to comprehensively upgrading the mutual high-level 
strategic dialogue, Clinton suggested revising the framework of the 
Sino-U.S. high-level strategic dialogue by changing the original 
'Strategic Economic Dialogue,' led by the two countries' Minister of 
Finance and the Secretary of the Treasury, as well as the 'Strategic 
Dialogue,' which was at the deputy foreign ministers' level, into a 
'comprehensive strategic dialogue,' which will be led by the foreign 
ministries of both sides.  [Such a comprehensive strategic dialogue] 
will include issues, such as regional security, cooperation in 
energy, climate change and human rights.  To Clinton personally, as 
the head of many government officials [of the United States], when 
dealing with the global financial crisis, she almost let the 
Secretary of Treasury Timothy Geithner take the lead.  In terms of 
holding the Strategic Economic Dialogue and the Strategic Dialogue, 
the lead almost fell into [United States] Vice President Joe Biden's 
hands.  Being able to make two continuous draws in this overseas 
trip [to China], Clinton can be regarded as showing her high spirit 
and energy. 
 
"Finally, concerning the relationship among the United States, China 
and Taiwan, Clinton showed her hand constantly upon her arrival at 
Beijing.  Clinton reiterated the Taiwan Relations Act, saying that 
[the United States] will continue to sell arms to Taiwan.  Then 
Clinton said [the United States] wants to restore mutual trust 
between the United States and Taiwan.  Clinton was certain that 
cross-Strait relations are warming, and it is not easy for Beijing 
to voice its opposition. ..." 
 
B) "Taiwan's Soft National Power" 
 
The column "Concept Platform" in the centrist, KMT-leaning "China 
Times" [circulation: 150,000] wrote (2/23): 
 
"United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reached an 
agreement with Japan, the first stop of her Asia trip, to redeploy 
8,000 United States Marines on Okinawa to Guam before 2014. 
Although 8,000 soldiers is only a small portion of the United 
States' military deployed in Japan, the [troop] movement shows that 
the United States is gradually building Guam as a key military 
position in the Western Pacific.  Another implication [of the troop 
 
movement] is that the United States is backing off from the island 
chain that blocks China. ... 
 
"... The United States' Asia-Pacific policy is changing.  Even 
though the United States reiterates that it lives up to the Taiwan 
Relations Act and, realistically, Taiwan's security still relies on 
the protection of the United States.  However, with respect to the 
major trend, Taiwan is being displaced on the strategic map of 
Asia-Pacific.  When the military importance of Okinawa to the United 
States is declining gradually, the importance of Taiwan [to the 
United States] is declining even more.  In the past, sitting in 
between the two hegemonies of the United States and China, Taiwan 
used to lean close to the United States.  Nowadays, Taiwan somehow 
gradually shifted itself to the middle of the United States and 
China.  Some people are even worried that [Taiwan] is leaning too 
much toward China, and such apprehension also exists in the 
controversy of [Taiwan signing a] Comprehensive Economic Cooperation 
Agreement (CECA) [with China]. ... 
 
C) "US's Keating Argues for Exchanges with China" 
 
Richard Halloran, a freelance wrier in Honolulu, opined in the 
pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 
30,000] (2/22): 
 
"... The impasse appeared to have been broken when US Secretary of 
State Hillary Clinton said on the eve of her trip to Asia that the 
US and China 'will resume mid-level military-to-military discussions 
later this month.' 
 
"Clinton's disclosure caused mild surprise in the Pentagon and at 
the Pacific Command in Hawaii, where defense officials wondered why 
such an announcement had not come from Secretary of Defense Robert 
Gates or Keating, who is responsible for military exchanges with the 
Chinese.  One official shrugged it off as a 'rookie mistake' from an 
administration still getting its feet on the ground. ..." 
 
WANG