VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #1268/01 3011000
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 281000Z OCT 09
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2553
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9453
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0868

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001268 
 
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 
 
¶1. Summary:  On October 28, the Taiwan government's decision to open 
its market to U.S. beef continued to receive extensive coverage in 
Taiwan's print media.  Major Chinese-language and English-language 
dailies reported that dozens of trade organizations and hundreds of 
stores and restaurants in Taipei and other cities have signed up for 
an alliance launched by Taipei City Mayor Hau Lung-bin to reject the 
sale of U.S. beef offal, ground beef and spinal cords.  All these 
major papers also reported on the remarks by AIT Director William 
Stanton Tuesday defending the safety of U.S. beef.  The KMT-leaning 
"China Times" ran a banner headline on page four regarding the 
results of its latest opinion survey, reading "Beef Offal Storm: 72 
Percent [of Those Polled] Criticize the United States as Tyrannical; 
Ma's Approval Rating Drops Suddenly by 14 Percent." 
 
¶2. All the major dailies carried editorials and op-ed pieces on U.S. 
beef imports.  Two separate columns in the mass-circulation "Apple 
Daily" severely criticized the Ma administration's "horrible" 
decision-making model and "absurd" argument in allowing the import 
of U.S. beef and offal.  A column in the pro-unification "United 
Daily News" said the United States will surely "lose a lot by just 
trying to gain a little" on the beef issue.  A "United Daily News" 
editorial discussed U.S. beef imports and criticized the Ma 
administration's handling of the issue.  An op-ed in the 
KMT-leaning, China-focused "Want Daily" expressed concern about the 
Taiwan government's "spineless" position in the face of U.S. 
pressure.  End summary. 
 
A) "Negotiations That Cost One to Lose One's Pants" 
 
Columnist Antonio Chiang wrote in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily" 
[circulation: 520,000] (10/28): 
 
"... The [Taiwan] Presidential Office, in an attempt to mislead the 
public and solicit sympathy, put out words to imply that [the 
decision on U.S.] beef imports is related to [Taiwan's joining] the 
visa-waiver program and the signing of a Taiwan-U.S. Trade and 
Investment [Framework] Agreement.  In reality, however, these are 
two separate issues.  There are objective criteria for getting the 
visa-waiver treatment, including the rates of [people] violating the 
relevant visa regulations and committing crimes in the United 
States.  Taiwan has yet to meet all these criteria, so there is no 
way [it can be included in the visa-waiver program] no matter how 
much beef it imports.  Talks over a Taiwan-U.S. Trade and Investment 
[Framework] Agreement have been going on for many years, which 
involves [many] complicated issues.  [The attempt to] link the 
agreement with [U.S.] beef is nothing but an excuse for 
self-rationalization. 
 
"Some people claim that Taiwan's economy must not rely too heavily 
on mainland China, and that by allowing the import of U.S. beef it 
can help to balance the triangular relationship between Taiwan, the 
United States and China and prevent [Taiwan] from tilting overly 
toward mainland China.  Such arguments are akin to putting the cart 
before the horse and are totally nonsensical. ...  The talks with 
the Americans over [U.S.] beef have caused Taiwan to lose its pants. 
 Taiwan may lose more than its pants if the same bunch of people 
talk with Beijing over the [signing of] the Economic Cooperation 
Framework Agreement." 
 
B) "A Horrible Decision-making Model" 
 
The "Spicy Apple" column in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily" 
[circulation: 520,000] (10/28): 
 
"... It is true that the Ma administration has suffered pressure 
from the United States to open [its market to U.S. beef].  It is 
also true that Taiwan cannot live without the United States as its 
friend.  But the question is: True, this is the [unfavorable] 
position that Taiwan is in; but did the Ma administration intend to 
tell its people that its decision-making model is to not appeal to 
public opinion?  Perhaps the Ma administration has forgotten that 
public opinion is the strongest buttress when facing a predicament. 
Taiwan's legislative body may not enjoy a very good image, but when 
it comes to [Taiwan's] policy towards U.S. beef, a legislative body 
that is well-known for its fist-fighting and causing trouble may be 
the best weapon that [Taiwan] can wield.  Even the mayor of 
[Taiwan's] capital city has taken the lead to express opposition [to 
the U.S. beef imports], with the restaurant owners following suit -- 
this is public opinion. 
 
"The United States is a democracy, and it has to take Taiwan's 
public opinion seriously when negotiating [with the island].  [We] 
can hardly imagine that the Ma administration, to everyone's 
surprise, has cast the handy and effective tool of public opinion 
aside and just quietly come to a decision to open [Taiwan's market] 
to U.S. beef. ..." 
 
C) "U.S. Beef vs. Taiwan People" 
 
The "Short Commentary" column in the pro-unification "United Daily 
News" [circulation: 40,000] (10/28): 
 
"... The United States is a typical Western cowboy.  The European 
Union and South Korea have all opened their markets to U.S. bone-in 
beef under U.S. pressure.  It goes without saying that Taiwan cannot 
be allowed to stand alone and act differently.  Our government, in 
consideration of Taiwan's overall national interests, actually has 
its difficulties and thus has no alternative but to open its market 
[to U.S. beef].  Export-oriented Taiwan may lose its advantage if 
the United States decides to play tough by imposing trade sanctions 
[against the island].  Nonetheless, the United States has the power 
to force the Taiwan government to yield, but it cannot force the 
Taiwan people to open their mouths.  As long as we refuse to eat 
[U.S. beef], there is nothing the Americans can do. ... 
 
"U.S. beef [imports] this time is akin to repeating the mistake of 
the [U.S.] turkey [years ago], and it has aroused the Taiwan 
people's aversion even before it has been imported.  What is even 
worse is the shadow of [contracting] mad cow disease.  How can such 
negative products enjoy high sales in the market? ...  Frankly 
speaking, for the U.S. beef issue, the United States will surely 
lose a lot by trying to gain a little.  U.S. beef steaks are usually 
expensive and delicious, and are very popular [in Taiwan].  But once 
it is contaminated by the beef offal, perhaps few would dare to eat 
U.S. steaks.  Are these smart trade talks?" 
 
D) "U.S. Beef Issue: Hau Lung-bin and McDonalds" 
 
The pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 40,000] 
editorialized (10/28): 
 
"Two developments in the U.S. beef issue are quite enlightening: 
one is the 'self-management alliance' launched by [Taipei Mayor] Hau 
Lung-bin, and the other is businesses like McDonalds starting to 
declare that they will not use U.S. beef.  Hau has grasped the 
essence of 'politics of the common people,' while McDonalds is 
astute about the secrets of 'economics for the common people.'  By 
contrast, the practices of the Ma administration were akin to 
turning itself into the public enemy of the 'common people politics' 
and 'common people economics.'  Who would have thought [such a 
development would happen]? ..." 
 
E) "Deep Concerns over the Import of U.S. Beef" 
 
Wu Rong-yuan, convener of the Preparatory Committee for the Forum on 
Cross-Strait Peaceful Development, opined in the KMT-leaning, 
China-focused "Want Daily" [circulation: 10,000] (10/28): 
 
"... Sources said that the U.S. side has used the Trade and 
Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) and the so-called arms sales 
for 'balanced defense' as its bargaining chips to coerce and lure 
Taiwan to yield [in the beef talks].  These are the means that the 
United States has habitually used, so they are not at all 
surprising.  The question lies after all in the [Taiwan] 
government's criteria in making its policy and its policy direction. 
 Taiwan's [decision to] fully open itself to U.S. beef simply 
reflected the island's long-standing reliance on the United States. 
Given the [Taiwan] government's spineless position where it forfeits 
its own principles in the face of the United States, one cannot help 
but wonder when it comes to the development of cross-Strait 
relations, whether the progress in peaceful development across the 
Strait, made with great difficulties via the '1992 consensus,' will 
be jeopardized by the United States' strategic interference of 
'using Taiwan to restrain China?' ..." 
 
STANTON