VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #1263/01 3000913
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 270913Z OCT 09
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2544
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9451
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0865

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001263 
 
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. BEEF IMPORTS TO TAIWAN 
 
Summary:  On October 27, as the controversy revolving around the 
Taiwan government's decision to open its market to U.S. beef 
continued to stay in the spotlight of the Taiwan media, news 
coverage also focused on the prosecutors' investigation into 
allegations of game fixing during the 2009 regular season of 
Taiwan's professional baseball league.  In terms of editorials and 
commentaries, an editorial in the pro-independence "Liberty Times" 
lambasted the Ma administration for its opaque and arbitrary 
decision-making process in allowing the import of U.S. ground beef 
and offal.  An editorial in the KMT-leaning "China Times" also 
criticized Taiwan's central government for its unclear 
decision-making process when opening Taiwan's market to U.S. beef. 
An editorial in the pro-unification, economic-oriented "Economic 
Daily News," however, said Taiwan has gained a lot by using U.S. 
beef imports in exchange for talks on a Trade and Investment 
Framework Agreement (TIFA) with the United States.  An editorial in 
the conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" 
also urged the public not to worry about the safety of U.S. beef. 
End summary. 
 
A) "[The Ma Ying-jeou Administration] Cannot Even Settle a Cow, What 
[Ability] Does It Have to Talk about an Economic Cooperation 
Framework Agreement?" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 680,000] 
editorialized (10/27): 
 
"... In fact, the storm caused by the invasion of [U.S.] ground beef 
and offal was not a single case.  First, it concretely and precisely 
reflected the Ma administration's consistent black-box 
[decision-making] procedures and its blind spots since Ma assumed 
office. ...  Second, in terms of negotiating strategies, when a 
small country engages with a big country in negotiations and 
maneuvers, the number of its bargaining chips is relative and not 
absolute; the government [of the small country] should take 
advantage of all its mechanisms and conditions as a strong buttress 
when it deals with other countries. ...  When it comes to the 
[import of] U.S. beef this time, which 'forfeits [Taiwan's] 
sovereignty and humiliates our nation,' the Legislative Yuan had 
reached a resolution in 2006, which said it required congressional 
consent to open [Taiwan's market to U.S. beef].  The Ma 
administration is particularly unforgivable in the way that it has 
not only openly cast away this ready-made weapon, but has also 
arbitrarily kept the KMT legislators in the dark. 
 
"Third, judging from the perspective of the art of negotiation, 
reaching an agreement is a process of give and take.  If both sides 
find [the terms] unsatisfactory but grudgingly acceptable, they can 
reach a consensus, shake hands and sign the deal.  The Ma 
administration, amid the calls of surprise by the Taiwan people, 
suddenly decided to open Taiwan's market fully to U.S. beef by 
giving up its weapons and fleeing in a rout; what kind of equivalent 
commitments or promises has it got from the United States in return 
after all?  [All we see] as of now is nothing but a blank check. 
Some foreign affairs officers revealed that the U.S. side mentioned 
at the negotiating table that '[the U.S. beef imports] would affect 
the progress of Taiwan-U.S. Trade and Investment Framework Agreement 
(TIFA) talks.'  Should such remarks prove to be true, it already 
constitutes some kind of intimidation and threat and is not a 
quid-pro-quo at all. ... The Taiwan-U.S. beef talks this time have 
resulted in making the prion protein, which endangers people's 
physical and mental health, a ticking bomb that may go off any time. 
 What is the Ma administration planning to sell out next time when 
Taiwan and China hold the talks on the Economic Cooperation 
Framework Agreement?..." 
 
B) "U.S. Beef vs. Independent Management by the Common People" 
 
The KMT-leaning "China Times" [circulation: 120,000] editorialized 
(10/27): 
 
"... One does not need [Taiwan] officials to put on a show to bet 
their lives by eating T-bone steak and drinking beef offal soup to 
guarantee to the public whether U.S. beef is safe to eat.  What the 
government should do is [to find out] if we have actually gone to 
the United States to examine U.S. beef when the first batch of U.S. 
beef is about to be imported into Taiwan?  In terms of the many more 
imported [beef] products in the future, the government should demand 
that the United States establish a food production traceability 
system, providing us with as much information as possible in terms 
of every step starting from cattle raising, slaughter, packing and 
labeling, so that the hesitant residents standing in front of the 
beef vendors can make their choice. 
 
"But up until now, except for the empty remarks by the Department of 
Health regarding imposing strict examinations [of U.S. beef] and 
irregular inspections in the United States, we have yet to see any 
concrete moves [from the government].  The central government has 
lost its ability to function, but what is fortunate is that the 
 
local governments and private sectors have taken the initiative to 
fill in [for the central government].  Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin 
fired the first shot by saying that he will work with restaurant 
owners and beef importers to declare that they will never use U.S. 
beef offal and ground beef.  Also, [Hau] said he would see it as a 
top priority to check on and control the lunches for the primary 
students, a matter of high sensitivity to the parents all over the 
country.  His call has won immediate echoes from the leaders of 
Taichung City and Kaohsiung City and County.  In the face of the 
threats posed by the mad cow disease, the reaction and practices of 
the local governments are obviously closer to the public opinion 
when compared with the central government which stresses 'economy 
for the common people.' ..." 
 
C) "How Much Should Taiwan Sacrifice for Trade and Economic 
Liberation" 
 
The pro-unification "Economic Daily News" [circulation: 150,000] 
editorialized (10/27): 
 
"The public has grown indignant in the face of the [government's 
decision to] open the [Taiwan market to] imports of U.S. bone-in 
beef, offal and ground beef; they even lambasted [the government's 
decision] by saying that the decision has forfeited Taiwan's 
sovereignty, humiliated our nation in total disregard of the lives 
of the Taiwan people.  But after a few days of settling and sinking 
in, the inside story has gradually emerged: the decision was a 
sacrifice made in pain to request that the United States agree to 
sign a Trade and Investment Agreement [TIFA] with Taiwan. ... 
 
"[When it comes to the beef deal,] it was just some U.S. ground beef 
and offal and there are very few cases of mad cow disease as of now, 
not to mention we can make the [beef imports] more transparent and 
restrain its spread by using the power of the market.  In 
comparison, the beneficial effects [for Taiwan] of getting the TIFA 
from the United States and using it as a breakthrough for [Taiwan] 
to establish free trade and economic relations with other economic 
regions are far too great.  It cannot be viewed as a sacrifice at 
all. ..." 
 
D) "Don't Be Mad, Please" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" 
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (10/27): 
 
"... For one thing, the protocol isn't an unequal treaty.  It wasn't 
forced upon Taiwan by the American Institute in Taiwan.  The 
representative of the MoD negotiated with her American counterpart 
on an equal footing.  Of course, opponents may pick faults, accusing 
her of failing to protect Taiwan's public health against an 
onslaught of mad cow disease. But the fact is that there won't be 
any BSE invasion.  Specified risk materials are placed under special 
control. ...  We wish to call on our public health-conscious 
legislators not to worry.  Their taking the administration to task 
is already more than enough warning to even 'beef-eaters' -- not the 
yeomen of the Tower of London -- not to risk a one-in-a-million 
chance of getting mad cow disease by going to chic steak houses to 
order a fat T-bone steak for dinner ... 
 
"On the other hand, we are certain that the opposition is just 
opposing for opposition's sake.  Democratic Progressive Party 
leaders, from its chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen on down, are more than 
happy to seize what they believe is a golden opportunity to 
embarrass President Ma Ying-jeou.  Had the protocol been signed 
while President Chen Shui-bian was in office, no one in the current 
opposition would have raised any objections.  Remember Chen recently 
described himself as an agent of the U.S. military government on 
Taiwan who had to take orders from the AIT in Taiwan?  Please also 
remember what the United States has done to help Taiwan become what 
it is now.  Without its help, there would be no Republic of China on 
Taiwan.  There would never have been any economic takeoff that 
created many steak lovers here in the first place.  The United 
States is the only country in the world that may come to our help if 
and when hostilities break out across the Taiwan Street.  Taiwan 
owes Uncle Sam so much that it should accept this benign protocol 
that opponents have wrongfully described as treaty that humiliates 
the country, willingly." 
 
STANTON