VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #1023/01 2360921
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 240921Z AUG 09
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2172
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9345
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0777

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001023 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/P, EAP/PD - THOMAS HAMM 
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 continued to focus 
news coverage from August 22-24 on the on-going relief efforts and 
plans for reconstruction in typhoon-stricken southern Taiwan; on the 
spread of H1N1 virus on the island; and on the plummeting approval 
ratings of the Ma Ying-jeou administration.  In terms of editorials 
and commentaries, an op-ed in the pro-independence "Liberty Times" 
said the United States was eager to provide humanitarian assistance 
to typhoon-devastated Taiwan partly because Washington felt that the 
Ma administration's immediate acceptance of Chinese assistance and 
tilting toward China would have a negative impact on its strategic 
interests in the Western Pacific.  A news analysis in the 
KMT-leaning "China Times" said the natural disaster caused by 
Typhoon Morakot has triggered a political competition between the 
United States and China in Taiwan.  An editorial in the KMT-leaning, 
China-focused "Want Daily" on the other hand, discussed U.S. 
President Barack Obama's planned visit to China in November.  The 
article said the status quo across the Taiwan Strait meets the 
common interests of China and the United States and those of both 
sides of the Taiwan Strait.   End summary. 
 
A) "What Are the Intentions Harbored behind [the Ma Ying-jeou 
Administration's Initial Decision to] Turn down the U.S. 
Assistance?" 
 
Joseph Wu, Policy Consultant for the Taiwan Thinktank and Research 
Fellow at National Chengchi University's Institute of International 
Relations, opined in the pro-independence "Liberty Times" 
[circulation: 700,000] (8/22): 
 
"... The Taiwan people are filled with gratitude and admiration for 
the United States' coming to [conduct] rescue and relief operations 
[in Taiwan].  But, in addition to the United States' earlier private 
notice that it could provide us with assistance, U.S. Assistant 
Secretary of State Philip Crowley also made a rare announcement on 
August 11 openly expressing the [United States'] hope to assist 
Taiwan and said that [Washington] had yet to receive any such 
request from Taiwan.  It seems obvious that in addition to the 
serious damage [in the typhoon-stricken Taiwan] and the [Taiwan 
government's] slow and chaotic rescue operations, the United States 
had also seen the Taiwan government's immediate response about 
accepting China's assistance.  [Taiwan's] move has confirmed the 
suspicion among U.S. policy [makers] about the Ma Administration's 
[position of] 'tilting toward China and distancing itself from the 
United States and Japan.'  [It also proved that the concerns by 
[some] important figures in Washington's policy circles that 
'China's influence on Taiwan has grown enormous' are no longer 
groundless fears.  Likewise, the Ma administration's earnest 
acceptance of Beijing's assistance but declining that from 
Washington and Tokyo gave the United States a feeling that it would 
have a negative impact on its strategic interests in the Western 
Pacific, and that is why Washington acted so eagerly [in providing 
assistance to Taiwan.]  There are signs of disaster in the Ma 
administration's foreign policy and now is the time for the 
administration to conduct an overall review and overhaul of its 
national strategy and foreign policy." 
 
B) "A Flooding Has Triggered Political Competition between the 
United States and China in Taiwan" 
 
Journalist Lin Ke-lun wrote in an analysis in the KMT-leaning "China 
Times" [circulation: 120,000] (8/23): 
 
"The damage brought about by Typhoon Morakot has not only caused 
heavy losses for the victims in the typhoon-stricken areas but also 
created many 'precedents' for the triangular relationship among the 
United States, China and Taiwan:  The United States has 'for the 
first time' since it severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan sent the 
U.S. military to [conduct] rescue operations in Taiwan; 'for the 
first time' over the past six decades there have been 'quasi-rescue' 
[assistance] provided by mainland China coming to Taiwan.  The 
island is suffering heavy losses in its typhoon-devastated zones, 
while behind it, 'political competition' between the United States 
and China is going on. ... 
 
"August 17 was a critical day, when a U.S. marine transport aircraft 
carrying rescue supplies landed on the Tainan Airport in the name of 
'humanitarian assistance' thirty years after Taiwan and the United 
States cut diplomatic ties.  On August 17, the U.S. amphibious naval 
vessel, USS Denver, carrying four helicopters [arrived] in the 
coastal areas off Taiwan... [its] 'Sea Dragon' heavy lift 
helicopters started their one-week rescue mission in 
typhoon-stricken southern Taiwan until their mission ended Saturday. 
 Also on August 17, China's Association for Relations across the 
Taiwan Strait proposed [to Taiwan to send] ten of its technicians 
and pre-fabricated houses. ... 
 
"The coincidence lies in the fact that the United States has again 
'shown its flags' on Taiwan on 'August 17,' while the core of the 
Sino-U.S. 'August 17 Communiqu' was to oppose U.S. arms sales to 
 
Taiwan. ...  The flooding caused by a natural disaster has 
accidentally triggered a political competition between the United 
States and China in Taiwan, and both sides have 'landed on, and been 
received' by Taiwan. ..." 
 
C) "How Taiwan Should Deal with [President] Obama's Visit to China" 
 
The KMT-leaning, China-focused "Want Daily" [circulation: 10,000] 
editorialized (8/24): 
 
"U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman announced that U.S. President 
Barack Obama will visit mainland China in November.  This historical 
state visit has attracted the attention of the world and of Taiwan. 
Judging from the several previously-held major meetings and exchange 
of visits by officials from the two countries, the major subject of 
discussions for both sides is cooperation and not confrontation. 
... 
 
"Obama will be the first U.S. president who will visit mainland 
China within the first year of his term of office, and such a 
political move has highlighted China's increasingly important 
position in the United States foreign relations.  Unlike the Cold 
War era, the international situation has moved from a bilateral to 
multi-lateral direction, and seeking intimate cooperation from China 
will inevitably become a major element for the future administration 
of the U.S. president. ...  Given the global financial and 
environmental crises, China and the United States will share [more] 
common interests in their bilateral relations; for the Taiwan issue, 
which has for a long time been 'the most sensitive and core issue in 
Sino-U.S. relations,' now we are having better prospects. 
Washington has said several times that it is happy to see easing 
relations across the Taiwan Strait, and Beijing has also proactively 
promoted its relations with Taiwan.  It is evident that while 
Beijing and Washington are moving toward closer cooperation because 
of their common interests, the status quo of cross-Strait relations 
not only meets the common interests of China and the United States 
but also those across the Taiwan Strait. ..." 
 
WANG