VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0114/01 0290850
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 290850Z JAN 10
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3232
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9670
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 1054

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000114 
 
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.-CHINA-TAIWAN RELATIONS 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news 
coverage January 28 on the Taiwan government's plan to raise the 
National Health Insurance premiums; on President Ma Ying-jeou's 
transit in San Francisco en route to Honduras; on developments in 
cross-Strait relations; and on the year-end city and county 
magistrates' elections.  The pro-unification "United Daily News" ran 
a front-page news story with the headline reading "With Police Cars 
Clearing the Way and [Guards] Carrying Guns to Protect [Him], Ma 
Enjoys the Head-of-State Level of Courtesy Treatment [in San 
Francisco]." 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a column in the 
mass-circulation "Apple Daily" discussed possible U.S. arms sales to 
Taiwan and concluded that "unless Ma Ying-jeou proactively changes 
his policy, the United States will not disregard Taiwan."  A column 
in the KMT-leaning "China Times" discussed three issues that may 
possibly trigger clashes between the United States and China -- U.S. 
arms sales to Taiwan, President Barack Obama's meeting with the 
Dalai Lama, and the appreciation of the Renminbi -- and said Obama 
has been acting carefully not to step on the red line drawn by 
China.  An editorial in the pro-independence, English-language 
"Taipei Times" discussed Google's recent threat to quit China.  The 
article said "we have seen mounting support from the U.S. government 
and European countries,...in the end, however, the biggest force 
behind China's liberalization will come from within."  A separate 
"Taipei Times" op-ed criticized a commentary recently published by 
the pro-unification, Chinese-language "United Daily News," which 
incorrectly suggested the United States' "imperialistic 
machinations" in Haiti.  The article argued that "there was no evil 
plot by the US military" in Haiti.  End summary. 
 
A) "[U.S.] Arms Sales to Taiwan Is No News" 
 
Columnist Antonio Chiang wrote in his column in the mass-circulation 
"Apple Daily" [circulation: 530,000] (1/28): 
 
"[The news that] the United States is about to announce its arms 
sales to Taiwan has been reported and spread around more than once 
now, and it is no news any more.  Beijing has repeatedly expressed 
serious concerns [over the issue].  But since it is a matter related 
to the United States' global strategy, Washington's commitment to 
return to Asia will become a fantasy if it decides to yield on the 
matter.  During his visit to mainland China, [U.S. President Barack] 
Obama did not mention a word about democracy and human rights, and 
instead, he was susceptible to flattery from Beijing.  Chinese 
leaders believe they are standing on an equal footing with the 
United States now and the two [countries] can rule the world 
together.  China's momentum rose sharply [all of a sudden], and the 
theory of a 'Chinese model' also came into vogue.  China is not just 
rising but is also throwing its weight around now. 
 
"When Obama returned to the United States, he immediately received 
the prime minister of India in an unprecedented way in a tent at the 
White House.  His intention was crystal clear -- he wants to 
maintain a balance between U.S.-China relations and U.S.-India 
relations.  Shortly afterwards, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates 
visited India, and both sides had a high-sounding talk about a 
U.S.-India cooperation agreement.  Obama has gradually returned to 
the old route [taken by former President] George W. Bush 
diplomatically -- namely, the United States is returning to Asia, 
with Japan, India and Australia as the nucleus [of its foreign 
relations in the region]. 
 
"In the wake of the Google incident, [Secretary of State] Hillary 
Clinton has openly integrated 'Internet freedom' into the framework 
of U.S. foreign policy, a move tantamount to announcing [the United 
States'] new human rights policy, which is intended to step on 
China's sore spot.  It has been several decades since Washington 
started to provide weapons to Taiwan.  The military [balance] in the 
Taiwan Strait has been constantly tipped in favor of China, while 
[U.S.] arms sales [to Taiwan] merely provide fundamental defense 
needs, which are inadequate for [Taiwan] to protect itself or enable 
[the island] to attack [China].  What need is there for China to 
make a fuss about it and push its luck?  Beijing's purpose is to 
test Obama's bottom line.  Obama may not be very experienced in 
foreign affairs, but he has many old hands [helping to] handle his 
Asian policy, and these people have an in-depth understanding of 
cross-Strait issues.  Unless Ma Ying-jeou proactively changes his 
policy, the United States will not disregard Taiwan. ... 
 
B) "U.S.-China Conflicts -- Avoiding Stepping on the Red Line" 
 
The "International Lookout" column in the KMT-leaning "China Times" 
[circulation: 120,000] wrote (1/28): 
 
"According to the media in general, it is inevitable that big 
clashes will break out between the United States and China and that 
Obama is facing a big test in terms of his China policy.  [The 
media] also questioned if Obama has been acting too rashly in his 
 
decision-making [process]?  But it is said that Obama [actually] has 
not been acting rashly at all; many of his decisions have been made 
after thorough and profound deliberations in an attempt not to step 
on China's 'red line' and also to be able to manifest Washington's 
tough attitude.  And his goal?  To boost his domestic approval 
ratings, of course! 
 
"It is likely that Obama will have clashes with China in at least 
three aspects:  the [U.S.] arms sales to Taiwan, meeting with the 
Dalai Lama, and the question regarding whether the Renminbi should 
appreciate.  As for the matter of Internet [freedom], since it is an 
indirect clash, it can be big or small.  Google is merely a 
bargaining chip, which can be used or dumped aside.  In terms of 
[U.S.] arms sales to Taiwan, Obama believes he can hold his ground 
[on the matter] because he is acting in accordance with the [U.S.] 
domestic law, and because the arms sale [package] was agreed upon by 
the previous Bush administration.  He believes that it is the F16 
C/D fighter jets and submarines that he needs to pay attention to, 
which can also be viewed as China's 'red line.'  China's recent 
lambasting about the sale of 'Patriot' missiles to Taiwan was 
actually a move to stop the United States from selling fighter jets 
and submarines [to the island], and as long as [Washington] avoids 
stepping on the red line, there should not be any problem carrying 
out the current arms sales [package]. 
 
"Regarding the meeting with the Dalai Lama, this matter must have 
been within China's estimation for quite some time.  Obama has 
already been 'friendly' enough by having procrastinated on the 
meeting for so long.  The Sino-U.S. joint statement released during 
Obama's visit to Beijing also formally acknowledged that Tibet is an 
indivisible part of China -- a move that was sufficient to make 
Beijing understand his position. ...  Exercising pressure on Beijing 
to push the Renminbi to appreciate is a flexible policy of Obama; it 
is all right to do it even though Washington knows clearly that it 
won't work, but it will be even better if Washington is able to earn 
some concessions [from China]. ...  In terms of the U.S. arms sales 
to Taiwan and the meeting with Dalai Lama, it is up to Washington to 
decide what it should do.  But when it comes to the appreciation of 
the Renminbi, there is no way [Washington] can put forth its efforts 
unilaterally to make it happen; all it can do is simply make a show 
of its tough attitude." 
 
C) "Challenging Censorship in China" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 
30,000] editorialized (1/28): 
 
"Google should be commended for its courage in standing up against 
Big Brother in China after announcing its plan to stop censoring 
search results on its google.cn platform -- a condition imposed on 
the US Internet giant when it entered the Chinese market in 2006. 
Two weeks have passed, however, and Google has yet to end censorship 
on its platform. This tells us that it is remains caught between its 
business interests in China and the universal principle of Internet 
freedom it should stand for. ... 
Google, therefore, should stop prevaricating and put an end to the 
censorship of search results in China -- unless it has a backup plan 
that guarantees it can 'go around' China's efforts to censor the 
Internet, as Microsoft founder Bill Gates proposed on Tuesday. 
 
"The ultimate outcome, though, could be ugly: Should it refuse to go 
along with Beijing's conditions, the search engine could be forced 
out of the market. If this happened, China would only have itself to 
blame, and it is hard to believe that the breakup would last very 
long. ...In the Google case, we have seen mounting support from the 
US government and European countries, which should stick to their 
guns until changes in China follow.  In the end, however, the 
biggest force behind China's liberalization will come from within. 
..." 
 
D) "'UDN' Sees an Evil US Plot in Haiti" 
 
"Taipei Times" Editor J. Michael Cole noted in the pro-independence, 
English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 30,000] (1/28): 
 
"In a commentary on Jan. 19 on the role of the US in relief efforts 
in quake-devastated Haiti, the Chinese-language United Daily News 
went on the offensive on what it claimed were signs of US 
imperialistic machinations in the impoverished country. ...  Nowhere 
in the commentary does the author ask who could, or should, ensure 
security and order in Haiti, a country with a long history of 
political instability and warlordism. The only other military 
presence in the country with enough knowledge of the place to make a 
difference in ensuring the safety of humanitarian delivery is 
Canada, which is already overstretched in Afghanistan and could not 
deploy anything nearly as sizable -- and as rapidly -- as the US. No 
country in the region, not even the Chinese UN contingent, has the 
means to do this, period. ... 
 
"The author chose to look at the deployment through the prism of 
politics rather than as necessary action that undoubtedly saved 
hundreds, if not thousands, of lives.  The US was a natural leader 
to deal with the aftermath of this catastrophe, and it has 
substantial experience operating in the ever-unstable Haiti that 
goes back to at least former US president George H.W. Bush. ... 
What prompted the US into action then was not imperial designs on 
the Western hemisphere's poorest country, but rather fear of 
domestic instability and a humanitarian crisis as thousands of 
Haitian boat people sought refuge in the US. ... 
 
"As for denying some aircraft to land at the airport in 
Port-au-Prince, many reports show that the airport is far too small 
to accommodate the sudden increase in traffic, and many countries 
(not just France) have had to reroute their deliveries to 
neighboring Dominican Republic, whence humanitarian goods are 
transported by land across the border. Unlike what UDN alleges, 
there was no evil plot by the US military to seize the airport.  The 
article's criticism of the US prioritizing the evacuation of 
Americans in Haiti is also unfair. It is the responsibility of every 
government to ensure the safe passage of their citizens in 
emergencies. France did that in Rwanda in 1994, for example, just as 
close to 1 million Rwandan Tutsis were about to be exterminated, and 
many countries did the same when Israel invaded Lebanon in 2006. 
 
"The parallel with CNN polls, meanwhile, is just risible. Since when 
does CNN represent 'the view of the US,' as the piece argues? ... 
This commentary is strident anti-Americanism of the type that 
conservative Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) members, as well as 
Beijing, will likely exploit to widen the rift between Taipei and 
Washington. It should be noted that the English version of the 
commentary, which sounds ominously like something that would appear 
in the Beijing-controlled People's Daily, was carried on the 
official KMT Web site." 
 
STANTON