VZCZCXYZ0006
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0548 1272334
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 072334Z MAY 09
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1529
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9159
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0594

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000548 
 
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 Thursday, 
May 7 news coverage on the soaring Taiwan stock market index 
Wednesday and on Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Chairman P. K. 
Chiang, who tendered his resignation Monday.  In terms of editorials 
and commentaries, an op-ed in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily" 
pointed out three challenges that confront DPP Chairwoman Tsai 
Ing-wen, who is now visiting Washington, D.C.  End summary. 
 
"Challenges Posed to Tsai Ing-wen's U.S. Visit" 
 
Liu Shih-chung, a visiting fellow at the Washington-based Center for 
Northeast Asian Policy Studies of the Brookings Institution, opined 
in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 520,000] (5/6): 
 
"DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen is conducting her second trip to 
Washington, D. C. since she took the chairmanship. ... How Tsai can 
[present a different perspective to] convince the Obama 
Administration, which strongly approves of [Taiwan President] Ma 
Ying-jeou's cross-Strait policy, will be the greatest challenge for 
Tsai's visit this time.  Undoubtedly, restrained by the economic 
crisis at home and various new initiatives in foreign affairs 
abroad, the mainstream mindset of the Obama Administration at the 
current stage is established on three major perceptions, namely, no 
news is good news; continued dialogue defuses tension; and Ma is 
unlikely to act in a way which will betray Taiwan. ... 
 
"As a result, Tsai has several significant tasks during her trip to 
the United States.  First, [Tsai should] criticize and disparage Ma 
as well as convince [the United States] with reasons. ...Tsai should 
make arguments to prove that there are risks, and Ma's push to sign 
an Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) with China is 
based on wishful thinking.  [Tsai should also prove that there are] 
political calculations behind Beijing's 'consensus' to Taiwan's 
participation in the 'World Health Assembly' in May.  [Tsai] also 
needs to urge the United States to continue paying attention to 
Taiwan's equal rights to participate in the WHA and not allow 
Beijing to decide Taiwan's qualification to participate [in the WHA] 
on a year-by-year basis. 
 
"The second [task] is on the issue of checks and balances of 
democracy and the people's supervision.  Tsai should let the United 
States understand that the theme of the parade mobilized by the DPP 
scheduled on May 17 is not just to defend Taiwan's sovereignty. 
[The parade] is actually to reflect the general resentment of 
Taiwan's different social strata against the Ma Administration's 
poor performance one year after coming into the office. ... Tsai 
should also let the United States understand that, in addition to 
defending [Taiwan's] sovereignty, what the DPP firmly insists on 
more than anything else is that the Taiwan people should be allowed 
to make decisions on significant cross-Strait policies.  After all, 
the more than forty percent of the vote that belongs to the Green 
camp still deserve the United States' high consideration. 
 
"The third [task] is the transforming the DPP and warming up 
relations between Taiwan and the United States. ... It is necessary 
for Tsai to resume the establishment of a DPP office in Washington 
started in 1999 and appoint mid-generation's elites in foreign 
affairs (such as Hsiao Bi-khim) to be the DPP's representative to 
the United States, so as to reinforce [the DPP's] publicity in the 
United States and policy communication." 
 
YOUNG