VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #1442/01 3420756
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 080756Z DEC 09
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2886
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9567
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0957

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001442 
 
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: COPENHAGEN CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE, 
TAIWAN'S LOCAL ELECTIONS 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news 
coverage December 8 on the aftermath of the December 5 city mayors' 
and county magistrates' elections around the island, its impact on 
cross-Strait relations; and on the upcoming fourth round of talks 
between Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation and China's Association 
for Relations across the Taiwan Strait, which will be held in 
Taichung. 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a column in the 
KMT-leaning "China Times" discussed the upcoming climate change 
conference to be held in Copenhagen and said the success of 
greenhouse emissions cuts all depends on the United States' 
sincerity.  An editorial in the conservative, pro-unification, 
English-language "China Post" urged the state leaders assembled in 
Copenhagen to "set realistic goals that address the issues that can 
be tackled."  With regard to Taiwan's December 5 local elections, an 
editorial in the pro-independence "Liberty Times" continued to 
lambast what it believes to be President Ma Ying-jeou's 
China-tilting policy and said the election results showed that Ma's 
policy line and his administration's abilities have been totally 
rejected by the Taiwan people.  An editorial in the 
pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times," on the other 
hand, urged the DPP to "rebrand the party as one that is more 
middle-of-the-road" so as to be able to stage a comeback in the 2012 
presidential election.  End summary. 
 
¶3. Copenhagen Climate Change Conference 
 
A) "It All Depends on the United States' Sincerity Whether the [Goal 
of] Reduction in Emissions [of Greenhouse Gases] Will Succeed" 
 
The "International Lookout" column in the KMT-leaning "China Times" 
[circulation: 120,000] wrote (12/8): 
 
"U.S. President Barack Obama has altered his schedule for attending 
the Copenhagen [climate] summit; in addition to the opening 
ceremony, he will also be there at the end.  It is generally 
believed that [Obama's move] indicated that the United States is 
sincere and serious about the conference after all.  But if the 
United States is unwilling to make some sacrifices or contributions, 
the international accord to cut emissions of greenhouse gases will 
be [futile]. ... 
 
"According to the 'Kyoto Protocol,' developed countries and 
developing countries shoulder different responsibilities in terms of 
cutting greenhouse emissions.  As a result, developed countries are 
obliged to implement the reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases, 
while there is no such obligation on the part of the developing 
countries.  Initially, the United States did not even want to sign 
the 'Kyoto Protocol,' then it decided to bring down its emissions 
reduction target.  Yet, just prior to the Copenhagen summit, 
Washington emphasized that developing countries should join the 
bandwagon of [countries committing to] binding greenhouse gas 
emission cuts, and it threatened to impose carbon tariffs. 
[Washington's] harbored evil intentions are as clear as the day. 
..." 
 
B) "Warming or Not, We Must End Global Oil Economy" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" 
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (12/8): 
 
"Later this month, leaders from all across the globe are scheduled 
to converge on the Danish capital of Copenhagen for a conference on 
climate change that may end in a new treaty to replace the 1997 
Kyoto accord.  Of course, the effectiveness of this latest attempt 
at getting the world to set aside its differences in order to 
present a common front against climate change will be debated, 
especially considering that the Kyoto Treaty was never ratified by 
one of the planet's most active first-world carbon emitters:  the 
United States. ...  As the world's leaders begin a second round of 
climate talks, it would behoove those who question the science 
behind global warming to understand that the world's current energy 
policy is unsustainable.  This means that the proposed carbon 
reduction goals will help drive the world toward new sources of 
energy -- a good thing for all.  The assembled international 
presidents and prime ministers must attempt to set realistic goals 
that address the issues that can be talked, and new sources of 
energy should be at the top of the to-do list." 
 
¶4. Taiwan's Local Elections 
 
A) "Do [Taiwan] People Have to Endure the Disaster Caused by Ma's 
Grossly Erroneous China-Tilting Policy?" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 680,000] 
editorialized (12/8): 
 
 
"On December 5, the Taiwan voters taught a serious lesson to Ma 
Ying-jeou, who has taken over the helm for twenty months now.  A 
majority of the Taiwan people and the international media have all 
seen very clearly the message delivered by the voters -- namely, 
President Ma has suffered the severest setback since he stepped into 
politics, and his policy line and administration's abilities have 
been totally rejected by the Taiwan people ...  Anyone can tell that 
there are two main reasons behind the defeat of the Ma 
administration.  One is [Taiwan's] stagnant economic situation, as 
shown in the island's historically high unemployment rates and the 
fact that people [in Taiwan] can hardly survive and complaints can 
be heard everywhere.  The second is [the Ma administration's] 
tilting toward China, to an extent that it is unilaterally pushing 
Taiwan's businesses, capital, talents and technology to China and 
thereby allowing China to control Taiwan's economy without having to 
shed any blood.  These two reasons appear to be the cause and effect 
to each other, and the vicious circle just goes on and on.  But the 
key still lies in [Ma's] erroneous China policy.  In other words, 
Ma's line of ultimate unification is the fault zone that will 
possibly trigger a major earthquake, which will eventually destroy 
Taiwan's one-hundred-year foundation. ... " 
 
B) "Tsai Soars, But Image Needs a Tweak" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 
30,000] editorialized (12/8): 
 
"... Though some interpreted Saturday's elections as a 'mid-term' 
exam for Ma and a gauge of the DPP's chances in the legislative and 
presidential elections in 2012, the results are not, on their own, 
sufficiently positive to represent a shift in the fortunes of the 
green camp. ... In a way, if we look at Saturday's elections as a 
referendum on the KMT in general and Ma in particular, we could 
argue that the party passed, while Ma came close to flunking.  This 
shows us that voters are capable of distinguishing one from the 
other and that Ma's misfortunes will not inevitably drag the KMT 
down.  As more than two years separate us from the critical 
elections, the KMT will have sufficient time to rebuild its image 
and perhaps rid itself of members who risk undermining its chances 
of remaining in power.  This could even mean nixing a Ma candidacy. 
 
"Still, the DPP has been handed an opportunity to regain momentum 
and to rebuild itself after years of decline.  A main component to 
that effort will be rebranding the party as one that is more 
middle-of-the-road than that which, in the public eye, had grown 
increasingly nationalistic and exclusionary during former president 
Chen Shui-bian's second term.  This, above all, will require efforts 
to convince the public, investors, the business sector and the 
international community that it is not anti-business or, as some 
media continue to characterize the DPP, 'anti China.'  What it must 
make its detractors realize is that despite its pro-independence 
platform, the DPP does not advocate policies that pretend that China 
does not exist, nor does it seek to fuel animosities in the Taiwan 
Strait.  It is possible to be pro-independence and to seek closer, 
friendlier relations with Beijing, which, for the most part, is what 
the DPP tried to achieve while in office.  The perception of the DPP 
as a 'radical' and 'anti-China' party may be unfair, the result of a 
smear campaign by Beijing, the KMT and pan-blue media, but as long 
as that image endures, the DPP's chances of winning enough people to 
its side -- and this means light-blues -- to stage a comeback in 
2012 will be slim. ..." 
 
STANTON