VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0631/01 1470859
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 270859Z MAY 09
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1653
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9212
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0642

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000631 
 
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: NORTH KOREA, U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused their 
May 27 news coverage on the meeting between KMT Chairman Wu 
Poh-hsiung and Chinese Communist Party Secretary-General Hu Jintao 
in Beijing Tuesday and the developments in cross-Strait relations; 
on President Ma Ying-jeou's trip to Central America; on H1N1 
influenza in Taiwan; and on North Korea's nuclear test.  In terms of 
editorials and commentaries, a column in the mass-circulation "Apple 
Daily" said Pyongyang's nuclear test was an announcement to the 
world that it has formally joined the nuclear club.  A news analysis 
in the pro-unification "United Daily News" said North Korean leader 
Kim Jong Il is a master at playing poker with the aim of forcing the 
United States and China to make concessions.  A separate "United 
Daily News" op-ed said Pyongyang is aimed at showing its force, but 
it will not go so far as to declare war.  A column in the 
conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" 
discussed U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit 
and human rights in China.  The article suggested that Pelosi 
quietly put pressure on China to release some of its political 
prisoners.  End summary. 
 
¶2. North Korea 
 
A) "Beijing Has Something to Say to Pyongyang But Dares Not" 
 
Columnist Antonio Chiang wrote in his column in the mass-circulation 
"Apple Daily" [circulation: 520,000] (5/27): 
 
"North Korea used the mighty underground nuclear test to announce to 
the world that it has formally joined the nuclear club.  The United 
States, Japan and the UN, as usual, all severely condemned the move 
and declared that they will adopt punitive actions.  This was merely 
empty intimidation, with the same tune playing over and over again. 
Pyongyang did not care about it at all, but for China, it has 
something to say [to North Korea] but dares not say it. ... 
 
"[North Korean Leader] Kim Jong Il is an outstanding strategist who 
knows clearly the hypocrisy and pretense in international politics. 
India and Pakistan were engaged in nuclear tests in 1998, one after 
the other, and both received strong reprimands from the 
international community.  But in the wake of the September 11 
incident, Pakistan has become a major ally of the United States in 
terms of the war on terrorism, and India has all the more become a 
strategic ally of the United States.  Washington was unable to stop 
Iran from developing nuclear weapons, and the nuclear weapons 
possessed by Israel have been deemed as a justified move.  For any 
[country] joining the [nuclear] club, its international status will 
be greatly advanced; better yet, the membership carries a lifetime 
guarantee.  This proves to be an effective way for a poor country to 
transform itself, so who can blame North Korea?" 
 
B) "Kim Jong Il Playing Showhand, Forcing China and the United 
States to Make Concessions" 
 
Editorial writer Meng Hsuen noted in the pro-unification "United 
Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (5/27): 
 
"North Korea launched a nuclear test, and Kim Jong Il has again 
sabotaged the security landscape in Northeast Asia by showing its 
force to China, the United States, Japan and South Korea. ...  Kim 
Jong Il is not a [stupid] man who intends to risk his life; instead, 
he is a master at playing 'showhand.'  He knows that neither the 
United States, Japan nor South Korea can doing anything about him, 
but he still fears that he might truly irritate China. ...  The 
United States will intensify its nuclear protection commitment to 
Japan and South Korea and will provide    them with advanced 
anti-ballistic missile weapon systems.  It will take a few more 
years for Pyongyang to study how to minimize the nuclear missiles so 
as to deploy them, so there is still room for bluffing and 
bargaining." 
 
C) "North Korea Aims to Show its Force; It Will Not Declare War" 
 
Professor Lee Ming of National Chengchi University's Department of 
Diplomacy opined in the pro-unification "United Daily News" 
[circulation: 400,000] (5/27): 
 
"... What Pyongyang is adopting is brinkmanship -- namely, it tells 
its enemies that 'it is not afraid to die,' and should any country 
decide to launch a war against North Korea, it will have to pay. 
The series of actions adopted by Pyongyang were aimed at gaining the 
attention of the United States, South Korea, China and further, the 
world. ...  North Korea had said when [U.S. President Barack] Obama 
first came into office that it hopes to establish diplomatic ties 
with the United States as early as possible in an attempt to gain 
economic aid.  But as of now nothing was heard regarding bilateral 
talks [between the two countries], so North Korea believes the 
United States is hostile [to it].  But Pyongyang is clearly aware of 
its own situation; it knows that starting a war would be unfavorable 
to itself.  As a result, despite protests, chances are slim for a 
 
war to break out." 
 
¶3. U.S.-China Relations 
 
"How Pelosi Can Aid China's Human Rights" 
 
Columnist Frank Ching wrote in the conservative, pro-unification, 
English-language "China Post" [circulation: 30,000] (5/27): 
 
"... The Obama administration needs to decide on its China human 
rights policy. ...  In the long run, there is little doubt that 
China will adopt political reforms and greater respect for human 
rights.  But that does not mean that there is nothing for the rest 
of the world to do in the meantime.  In fact, there is something 
that Ms. Pelosi in particular can do on this trip.  She can quietly 
put pressure on China to release some of its political prisoners. 
... It would be entirely appropriate for Ms. Pelosi, the Speaker of 
the Congress [sic], to respond to such an appeal.  If she can, 
through private diplomacy, obtain the release of this man [i.e., Gao 
Zhisheng, a rights lawyer], it will go a long way towards justifying 
the Obama administration's low-key attitude towards human rights in 
China." 
 
YOUNG