VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0285 0750958
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 160958Z MAR 09
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1121
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9011
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0463

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000285 
 
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. FOREIGN POLICY 
 
Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused March 
14-16 news coverage on Taiwan's first-ever Quadrennial Defense 
Review, which was published by the National Defense Ministry Monday; 
on the KMT's defeat in the legislative by-election in Miaoli County 
Saturday; and on cross-Strait relations.  The pro-unification 
"United Daily News" front-paged a banner headline on Saturday 
reading "Taiwan is Expected to Join the World Health Assembly [as an 
Observer] on a 'Year by Year' Basis."  In terms of editorials and 
commentaries, a column in the centrist, KMT-leaning "China Times" 
discussed the foreign policy of the Obama Administration and said it 
is unlikely that the hawks will try to stop U.S. President Barack 
Obama from pushing for his "relatively moderate" foreign policy, as 
Obama will not allow ideology to sabotage the real national 
interests of the United States.  End summary. 
 
"U.S. Hawks Warning [U.S. President Barack] Obama" 
 
The "International Lookout" column in the centrist, KMT-leaning 
"China Times" [circulation: 150,000] wrote (3/15): 
 
"[The United States'] diplomatic operations undertaken since the 
Obama Administration took office have apparently been more moderate 
than those during the Bush Administration.  [Secretary of State 
Hillary] Clinton's foreign policy of 'smart power' is a mixture of 
hard and soft [power] and its scope seems to touch politics, 
economics and even military security.  If this is also a direction 
that [U.S. President Barack] Obama wants to take, then it will 
inevitably trigger opposition from those hawks.  One must know that, 
even though the head of the Republican neo-conservatives is no 
longer in office, those who hold such a tough position in Congress 
and the military still remain in power.  For a certain period of 
time the power of the Pentagon surpassed that of the State 
Department, and it goes without saying that it is not happy now to 
see the State Department take the lead in all foreign affairs. ... 
 
"Given the poor economic situation in the United States, Obama is 
surely aware of the importance of China and the Korean Peninsula. 
Will the intimidation of the so-called hawks be able to deter him 
from pushing his moderate foreign policy?  Normally the answer will 
be unlikely, because the President has enormous administrative 
authority, and for any policy he decides to promote, particularly 
foreign policy, there will be hardly anyone who has the power to 
obstruct it.  Obama will not allow any ideology to sabotage the 
[U.S.'s] actual national interests, and this principle applies to 
[the U.S.'s] China policy, North Korean policy, Middle East policy 
and Russian policy." 
 
YOUNG