VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #1276/01 3030757
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 300757Z OCT 09
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2572
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9459
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0874

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001276 
 
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 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news 
coverage October 30 on prosecutors' investigation into game-fixing 
scandal in Taiwan's professional baseball league; on the 
government's warning regarding the hike in prices in the local 
housing market; and on the upcoming local elections. 
 
¶2. Editorials and commentaries continued to focus on the controversy 
over Taiwan's decision to open its market to U.S. bone-in-beef and 
other beef products.  An op-ed in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily" 
criticized the Ma Ying-jeou administration's poor decision-making 
process in the negotiations with the United States, which caused AIT 
Director William Stanton to make an analogy between the death rates 
of eating U.S. beef and riding scooters in Taiwan.  Another column 
in the "Apple Daily" questioned the logic behind Stanton's analogy 
and warned that if the United States pushes the envelope too much, a 
political storm might be created in Taiwan.  An editorial in the 
KMT-leaning, China focused "Want Daily" said the controversy has 
given the people of Taiwan new experiences and feelings about the 
United States.  The editorial said that whether the people of 
Taiwan, one of the pro-U.S. fortresses in the world, would change 
their views about the United States, depends on the attitude of the 
United States.  An editorial in the conservative, pro-unification, 
English-language "China Post" criticized Stanton's analogy, and 
urged the United States to regard Taiwan as "an important piece of 
the puzzle in U.S. foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific."  On the 
other hand, an editorial in the pro-independence, English-language 
"Taipei Times" said it is "time for some facts about U.S. beef." 
The editorial used statistics to suggest that eating U.S. beef poses 
no substantial health risk.  End summary. 
 
¶3. U.S. Beef 
 
A) "Ma Ying-jeou and Su Chi's Perfunctory [Approach]" 
 
Liu Shih-chung, now a Visiting Fellow at the U.S.-based Brookings 
Institution, opined in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily" 
[circulation 520,000] (10/30): 
 
"... Facing the United States, the superpower, Taiwan does not have 
many bargaining chips during negotiations.  Under the current 
diplomatic policy principle of 'engaging with China on a full 
basis,' the United States does not give Taiwan incentives 
immediately just because cross-Strait relations have improved. 
Beijing does not loosen its hands on sensitive U.S.-Taiwan issues. 
If it is said that during the [former] Chen Shui-bian 
administration, there were clashes in relations between the United 
States and Taiwan, which were a strain, the Ma [Ying-jeou] 
administration's attitude of taking care of everything personally 
and being obedient when it deals with the United States should have 
provided it with more bargaining chips during negotiations.  How 
come [the Ma administration] backed off from the bottom line which 
the DPP administration had upheld by allowing bone-in-beef, offal 
and ground beef coming into Taiwan; moreover, [the Ma 
administration] let AIT Director William Stanton get a significant 
achievement [on one of his tasks] not long after Stanton assumed 
office, which made Stanton contentedly make a ridiculous analogy 
[about] the high rate of accidents by riding scooters in Taiwan to 
lessen the [public's] worries about the possibility of falling ill 
by eating U.S. beef? ..." 
 
B) "William Stanton and U.S. Beef" 
 
Jaw Shao-kong, a radio program host, wrote in his column in the 
mass-circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 520,000] (10/30): 
 
"... If [AIT Director] William Stanton's logic is correct, then we 
would like to ask, how many people in the United States die from car 
accidents per year?  Does it mean that anything which causes a lower 
death rate than that of car accidents could be allowed to be 
imported into the United States?  [Would the] United States 
Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration agree? 
...  Taiwan is not that anti-American and always treats the United 
States as a friend.  But if the United States pushes the envelope 
too much, a political storm will be stirred up. ..." 
 
C) "Taiwan People's Perspectives on China and the United States" 
 
An editorial in the KMT-leaning, China-focused "Want Daily" 
[circulation: 10,000] (10/30) wrote: 
 
"The arrogance and rudeness of AIT Director William Stanton as well 
as the United States' attitude of being [the imperial] Court and a 
superior country are not unfamiliar to Taiwan.  It is just that for 
many people of Taiwan, this kind of unfriendly attitude and unequal 
relationship should have been shown by the mainland [China] 
government and officials.  Now, by the incident of U.S. beef, the 
Taiwan people have a total different experience. ... 
 
"The key to how much this new experience brought about by the 
controversy over U.S. beef will affect Taiwan people's perspectives 
on the United States, whether it will be engraved in people's memory 
forever, or just like a boat leaves behind no trail in its path, 
will still depend on the attitude of the United States.  On the 
other hand, Taiwan people's perspectives on China and on the United 
States are usually connected with one another.  The stronger the 
likelihood that Mainland [China] realizes 'a harmonious society' and 
'a harmonious world' in its internal and foreign policies, the more 
likely [it will be] that [Mainland China] will show enlightenment 
and tolerance.  This would certainly be more attractive to Taiwan, 
which would be more able to balance Taiwan's one-sided leaning 
toward the United States. ..." 
 
D) "The Bull Is Pushing Taiwan Away from the U.S." 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" 
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (10/30): 
 
"In Taiwan, the expression one would apply when strongly protesting 
something outrageous is pronounced the same as 'cow."  On the other 
hand, the mainland Chinese term 'niu (meaning cow),' the new buzz 
word in cross-Strait media, describes something/someone 
extraordinary as well as extraordinarily adamant. 
 
"With his bizarre comparison between the number of scooter riders 
killed in Taiwan to mad cow disease statistics, the new U.S. envoy 
to Taiwan, William Stanton, earned himself the right to be called 
'cow' in both Taiwanese and Chinese connotations. ... 
 
"Under such circumstances, the director of the American Institute in 
Taiwan's (AIT) comment, as well as the AIT's decision not to re-open 
negotiations, certainly did not help Ma's administration other than 
cementing the U.S.' image as the unthinking bully across the 
negotiation table.  Despite the fact that beef represents only one 
percent of the bilateral trade between the U.S. and Taiwan, the 
American negotiators have made it a precondition for any trade 
negotiations.  It is seen as a litmus test to whether a country is 
'friendly' to the U.S. ... 
 
"Taiwan is not only a developed nation with 23 million people and 
the biggest contract chip-maker in the world, it is one of the most 
important pieces of the puzzle in U.S. foreign policy in the 
Asia-Pacific.  The United States is obviously not seeing this side 
of the argument.  By citing the number of 1,034 deaths in motorcycle 
accidents in Taiwan last year, Stanton did not simply make an 
analogy.  He also implied that mad cow disease does not concern 
Taiwan - not because U.S. beef products are safe, but because the 
island is not statistically significant enough to raise a mad cow 
worry. 
 
"But the Taiwanese people are worrying.  A local university student 
consumed cow dung Thursday in protest of the re-opening of U.S. beef 
imports.  Washington should do something to reassure the Taiwanese 
people and show its concern to the island as a strategic partner 
before it is too late.  For now, public anger is directed mainly at 
the Ma administration.  Before long it will turn to the other party 
in the beef talks." 
 
E) "Time for Some Facts about U.S. Beef" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 
30,000] editorialized (10/30): 
 
"... One thing that politicians don't seem to be taking notice of, 
however, is the scientific evidence that suggests eating US beef 
poses no substantial health risk. ... 
 
"In the US, to date there have been just three cases of BSE (one 
imported) and three deaths from vCJD, but two of these three deaths 
were likely cases of exposure in the UK, while the other was a 
recent immigrant.  These figures are the kind of factual information 
the public should have been presented with before the ban was 
lifted.  This would have given them the chance to make an informed 
choice on the matter, rather than be fed with misinformation, rumor 
and the mischief of politicians with ulterior motives. 
 
"American Institute in Taiwan Director William Stanton's indelicate 
comparison that eating US beef is safer than riding a scooter only 
served to embolden opponents and allowed them to continue their 
campaign of baseless accusations. ..." 
 
STANTON