VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0837 1910646
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 100646Z JUL 09
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1932
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9285
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0718

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000837 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/P, EAP/PD - NIDA EMMONS 
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-RUSSIA RELATIONS 
 
Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news 
coverage July 10 on the Department of Health's test results of the 
frying oil of major fast food chains in Taipei County; on 
developments in cross-Strait relations; and on the legal cases 
involving former President Chen Shui-bian and his family.  The 
pro-independence "Liberty Times" devoted half of its page two to 
discussing the tenth anniversary of the "special state-to-state" 
doctrine proposed by former President Lee Teng-hui in 1999 regarding 
Taiwan's relations with China and the evolution of cross-Strait 
relations since then.  In terms of editorials and commentaries, a 
column in the centrist, KMT-leaning "China Times" discussed U.S. 
President Barack Obama's recent visit to Russia.  The article said 
the chances are slim that Russia will be treated as an equal of the 
United States.  End summary. 
 
"How Can Russia Expect to Be Treated as an Equal of the United 
States?" 
 
The "International Lookout" column in the centrist, KMT-leaning 
"China Times" [circulation: 120,000] wrote (7/10): 
 
"... On the surface, [U.S. President] Barack Obama appeared to be 
very polite and engage Russia on an equal and reciprocal footing 
during his visit to Moscow; he also said he wants to improve 
relations with Russia.  But Obama did not make any concession at all 
during his talks [with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev]. ...  The 
United States and Russia want to improve their bilateral relations, 
but how?  For two countries to have close relations, they must have 
close economic relations.  Yet for many years, the [annual] trade 
[volume] between the United States and Russia has merely maintained 
at a level of ten to twenty billion U.S. dollars, an amount which is 
not even up to one tenth of the [annual] trade volume between China 
and the United States.  [Also,] to improve bilateral relations [the 
two countries] must remove any imbalance in their geopolitical 
interests.  But given the distance between the two nations and their 
respective [international] status, the chances are slim for the 
United States and Russia to stand on an equal footing. 
 
"Washington's deepest and only concern about Moscow is the latter's 
missiles with nuclear warheads.  The United States is proposing that 
nuclear weapons be abolished around the globe.  Once such a goal is 
realized [and if Russia keeps its weapons,] Russia will be harshly 
criticized." 
 
WANG