VZCZCXYZ0014
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #1259/01 2960955
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 230955Z OCT 09
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2535
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9446
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0860

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001259 
 
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. AND ASIA, U.S. ARMS SALES TO TAIWAN 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news 
coverage October 23 on Taiwan re-opening its market to U.S. bone-in 
beef; on the turmoil inside the ruling KMT over the alleged bribery 
in the party's recent Central Standing Committee elections; and on 
the Taiwan military's plan to mothball the Mirage fighter jets in 
light of their poor performance and high maintenance costs.  All 
major Chinese-language and English-language papers reported on AIT 
Director William Stanton's first press conference on Thursday, in 
which he addressed major issues concerning the United States and 
Taiwan and U.S.-China-Taiwan relations. 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a column in the 
mass-circulation "Apple Daily" discussed the declining U.S. 
influence in Asia and urged Taiwan to make necessary assessments and 
adjustments accordingly.  A column in the KMT-leaning "China Times" 
discussed the United States' relations with Seoul and Pyongyang and 
said the possibility for bilateral talks between Washington and 
Pyongyang has "[increased.]"  A "China Times" op-ed discussed the 
long-stalled U.S. submarine sale to Taiwan.  The article said 
whether the United States will sell Taiwan its long-awaited F16 C/D 
fighter jets following U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to China 
in November will be an important indicator for the submarine deal. 
End summary. 
 
¶3. U.S. and Asia 
 
A) "The United States Is Not a Tourist in Asia?" 
 
Columnist Antonio Chiang wrote in his column in the mass-circulation 
"Apple Daily" [circulation: 520,000] (10/23): 
 
"The U.S. Secretary of Defense visited Asia a few days ago, talking 
to Seoul about the transfer of wartime force command, and to Tokyo 
about moving the Okinawa Futenma base.  New difficulties have arisen 
in these two old issues, and the United States' Asia strategy has 
also shown evident changes. ...  A U.S. scholar emphasized in a 
seminar held last week [Ed. Note: The seminar refers to an AIT 
roundtable with the Center for a New American Security scholars in 
Taipei on October 9.] that the United States will not leave Asia, 
because 'the United States has tens of bases in Asia.  We are 
residents, not tourists.  We will not just leave here on a whim.' 
But it is an undeniable fact that the U.S. influence in Asia is 
gradually declining.  Taiwan thus needs to make necessary 
assessments [to this development] and adjust itself accordingly." 
 
B) "U.S. and South Korean Officials [Exchange Words Indirectly]" 
 
The "International Lookout" column in the KMT-leaning "China Times" 
[circulation: 120,000] wrote (10/22): 
 
"... Judging from a series of new U.S. policies toward North Korea, 
it is obvious that Washington intends to adopt a softer approach 
[toward Pyongyang].  Despite the fact that Washington continues to 
claim firmly that the Six-Party talks ought to be maintained, just 
to save Tokyo's and Seoul's faces, [the possibility for] bilateral 
talks between Washington and Pyongyang has [increased].  Seoul's 
policy has zero influence on the United States' position, and once 
the U.S. position alters, [South Korean President] Lee Myung-bak 
will be put in an embarrassing situation.  The South Korean 
government is of course aware that such a situation may happen, so 
it has quietly modified its policy. ... 
 
"The 'Chosun IIbo' quoted official 'sources' as saying that 'in 
consideration of the alleviated tension between Seoul and Pyongyang, 
it is very likely that both sides will conduct talks in the long 
run, so that a summit will be held in the future."  Such a gesture 
is like what high-ranking U.S. officials usually do in putting out 
words, which always carries a sense of warning:  'If you ignore my 
position, I will do likewise.'  What Washington fears most is 
another summit between Seoul and Pyongyang.  It is thus quite 
interesting to see how Washington and Seoul exchange words with each 
other [indirectly.]" 
 
¶4. U.S. Arms Sales to Taiwan 
 
"Terminate the Budget for the U.S. Navy's Program Executive Office, 
Submarines." 
 
Wang Jyh-perng, a reserve navy caption, opined in the KMT-leaning 
"China Times" [circulation 120,000] (10/22): 
 
"... The interdependent relations formed between the economies of 
the United States and China and the United States' expectations for 
China's [cooperation on] anti-terrorism and global environmental 
issues have constituted the external structural factors for Taiwan's 
purchase of submarines [from the United States].  The ruling KMT 
party's unwillingness to spend a huge amount of money in just buying 
submarines at the time when cross-Strait ties are stable has become 
an internal critical factor [for the submarine deal].  In addition, 
 
there is this long-standing position on the U.S. Navy's side, which 
does not want to set up a manufacturing line in the United States 
just to be able to sell the diesel fueled submarines to Taiwan, and 
the Navy is concerned that the U.S. submarine-building technology 
will be leaked to China. ...  All these factors showed that the 
chances are very slim for Taiwan's navy to obtain the submarines via 
the channel of U.S. arms sales. ... 
 
"When U.S. Under Secretary of Defense Michele Flournoy visited China 
in June, China again requested that the United States cease its arms 
sales to Taiwan, and it saw the sales as one of the major hurdles in 
its bilateral ties with the United States.  Whether [Washington] 
will sell [Taiwan] the F16 C/D fighter jets, which has been stalled 
for three years, following U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to 
China in November will be an important indicator showing [us] 
whether the United States will keep on pushing for the submarine 
deal that has been shelved for eight years." 
 
STANTON