VZCZCXYZ0009
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0298 0770950
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 180950Z MAR 09
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1147
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9020
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0472

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000298 
 
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 March 18 
news coverage on the ongoing investigation into former President 
Chen Shui-bian and his family's legal cases; on the largest-ever 
group of Chinese tourists to come to Taiwan; and on the island's 
economic prospects.  In terms of editorials and commentaries, a 
column in the conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China 
Post" discussed the recent confrontation between USNS Impeccable and 
several Chinese vessels on the South China Sea.  The article called 
the incident "another reflection of tension between a rising China 
and today's hegemon, the United States."  An editorial in the 
pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" criticized China 
for playing a two-faced strategy with Taiwan in the international 
community.  The article urged "both the Obama administration and the 
rest of the international community to rethink carefully whether 
they really want today's 'democratic Taiwan' to turn into a province 
of an authoritarian PRC."  End summary. 
 
A) "Sea Incident Shows Rising Tensions" 
 
Columnist Frank Ching wrote in the conservative, pro-unification, 
English-language "China Post" [circulation: 30,000] (3/18): 
 
"The recent incident at sea involving an American naval ship, the 
Impeccable, and five Chinese vessels eerily resembles the aerial 
incident eight years ago when an American intelligence-gathering 
EP-3 collided with a Chinese fighter jet, leading to an 
international crisis. ...  The incident is another reflection of 
tension between a rising China and today's hegemon, the United 
States.  It also reflects fundamental differences on international 
law. ... 
 
"China is unhappy that American planes and ships can travel halfway 
around the world to snoop off the Chinese coast.  However, one day, 
no doubt, China will have the ability to eavesdrop off the American 
coast.  When that day comes, what will China do?  Will it forgo that 
opportunity on principle because it considers such activities to be 
illegal? ...  But another confrontation at this time is not 
inevitable.  While China is strengthening its military, it knows 
that it is still no match for the United States.  Wisdom dictates 
that the Chinese should continue to exercise patience.  China can 
push the envelope but it doesn't want a showdown. 
 
B) "PRC Sets Snares for Taiwan and U.S." 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" [circulation: 
20,000] editorialized (3/18): 
 
"... [T]he PRC has resumed playing sharply divergent tunes on the 
'Taiwan question' when addressing audiences in Taiwan itself or the 
world community after the China-friendly KMT administration of 
President Ma Ying-jeou took office last May. ...  Actually, the 
smiling faces of Hu and Premier Wen Jiabao and [Foreign Minister] 
Yang's angry demeanor are two sides of the same coin. Both Hu and 
Wen combined their anticipation for cross-strait 'peace' talks with 
a rigid insistence on Taipei's prior acceptance of Beijing's 'one 
China principle' before any political negotiations and excluded any 
possibility of arrangements for Taiwan's international participation 
that would hint of independent Taiwan or 'one Taiwan, one China' or 
'two Chinas.' ... 
 
"Although it has been Beijing's long time strategy to present 
separate faces toward Taiwan and international society, the 
underlying reality is that the current PRC regime has no intention 
of making any concessions such as acknowledging the existence of an 
independent Taiwan or 'Republic of China' or accepting the right of 
Taiwan's 23 million people to make their own free choice on their 
future.  What is surprising is how both Washington and the Ma 
administration seem to have been so befuddled by such an obvious 
'good cop, bad cop' routine and naively believe that Beijing has 
truly sent messages of 'goodwill' to Taiwan.  Indeed, Beijing's 
'moderate' rhetoric merely aims to push the Ma administration into a 
political trap on the WHA issue, in which the most likely 'solution' 
is for the PRC to 'allow' Taipei to temporarily enjoy observer 
status but require that Beijing and the WHA Secretariat annually 
review Taiwan's 'performance.' 
 
"Moreover, the more that the Obama administration turns a blind eye 
to such dynamics and to Beijing's unchanged intention to annex 
Taiwan, the more voices among the Washington foreign policy 
establishment will rise in favor of not only 'peaceful resolution' 
of the Taiwan Strait issue but also hint that 'unification that is 
peaceful is also acceptable.'  Such discussions should be a wake-up 
call to both the Obama administration and the rest of the 
international community to rethink carefully whether they really 
want today's 'democratic Taiwan' to turn into a province of an 
authoritarian PRC." 
 
YOUNG