VZCZCXYZ0017
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0662 1560942
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 050942Z JUN 09
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1687
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9226
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0655

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000662 
 
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: PRESIDENT OBAMA'S CAIRO SPEECH, NORTH 
KOREA 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused June 5 
news coverage on the change in the board of directors of Formosa 
Petrochemical Corp. founded by the late business tycoon Wang 
Yung-ching; on the results of senior high school entrance exams; and 
on the commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the Tiananmen 
Square Protest.  President Barack Obama's speech at Cairo University 
was reported in all four major Chinese-language and the three 
English-language newspapers.  All the Chinese-language newspapers 
presented the straight news story prominently in their international 
sections with banner headlines and eye-catching photos, mostly 
half-page and above the fold.  The speech received one commentary, 
an op-ed in the pro-unification "United Daily News," after it was 
delivered.  The op-ed said the speech was still based on 
conventional American and Western values and failed to shed light on 
how to resolve issues in the Middle East.  The speech at the most 
was "a hodgepodge of leftovers," the op-ed criticized.  Regarding 
speculation on a successor for North Korea leader Kim Jong-il, a 
column in the centrist, KMT-leaning "China Times" cast doubts on 
recent information that Kim Jong-il has chose his third son, Kim 
Jong-un, as his successor.  The column said that if Kim Jong-il 
really has made this decision, he is probably muddleheaded, because 
his method of choosing his heir is in stark contrast the method by 
which his father, Kim Il-sung, selected and groomed him. End 
summary. 
 
¶2. "Obama's Middle East Speech; A Hodgepodge of Leftovers" 
 
Hsu Cheng-hsiang, a retired associate professor of the Department of 
Arabic Language and Literature at National Chengchi University, 
opined in the pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 
400,000] (6/5): 
 
"... Judging from issues raised in the speech [delivered in Egypt by 
United States President Barack] Obama, it is not difficult for us to 
notice that the mainstream values of the Western Civilization still 
prevail in [the mindset of] the authors of the speech.  It means 
that Obama's Middle East policy is still the continuation of the 
pursuit of conventional American and Western values and interests. 
In other words, in terms of how truly to resolve the Middle East's 
problems, [the speech] still failed to address much or dared not 
address it at all. 
 
"President Obama's taking a respectful or low-profile manner (such 
as his bowing to Saudi Arabian king Abdullah) when he encounters 
Arab countries or leaders of Islamic countries would make people 
feel that he may well have [adopted] new conduct.  However, judging 
from the content, the speech is really a hodgepodge of leftovers." 
 
¶3. "Can Kim Jong-il Let a Child Succeed?" 
 
The "International Lookout" column in the centrist, KMT-leaning 
"China Times" [circulation: 130,000] (6/5): 
 
"... According to the method by which Kim Il-sung passed power on to 
his son, Kim Jong-il, it is impossible for Kim Jong-un to be the 
heir [to Kim Jong-il].  Such a manner is not in accordance with the 
usual mode of how a dictator transfers power. 
 
"In fact, the decision of Kim Il-sung let Kim Jong-il be his heir 
primarily followed the example of how China's Chiang Kai-shek gave 
power to Chiang Ching-kuo.  The gesture that Chiang Kai-shek posed 
in the beginning was to designate Chen Cheng [Taiwan's former Vice 
President from 1954 to 1965] as his successor.  But in reality, 
Chiang Kai-shek was grooming Chiang Ching-kuo in a step-by-step 
manner.  ...During the process of grooming Kim Jong-il, Kim Il-sung 
always took Kim Jong-il with him to inspect military forces and 
attend in important political activities.  That was the same manner 
in which hat Chiang Kai-shek was accompanied by Chiang Ching-kuo at 
that time. 
 
"Whether Chiang Ching-kuo or Kim Jong-il, their status after taking 
over the reins was completely stable.  There were absolutely no 
challengers [to them] and their regimes were highly stable.  Chiang 
Ching-kuo knew that he could not let [his second son] Chiang 
Hsiao-wu or [his third son] Chiang Hsiao-yun succeed him.  How is it 
possible that Kim Jong-il believes Kim Jong-un to be able to succeed 
his rule?  Chiang Ching-kuo and Kim Jong-il are both great figures. 
Even if both of them have the idea of letting their next generation 
succeed them, they must know that 'time is not waiting for me.'  It 
is too late, and arrangements cannot be made like this anymore. 
 
"Maybe Kim Jong-il is muddleheaded. Instead of following his dad's 
conduct, he surprisingly insisted on letting a child be his heir. 
Then it will be the North Korean people who end up with such a bad 
luck." 
 
YOUNG