VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0119/01 0320927
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 010927Z FEB 10
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3238
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9674
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 1059

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000119 
 
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 Jan. 30 
- Feb. 1 news coverage on U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, on suspected 
Chinese submarine movement in the waters near Kaohsiung on January 
27, and on the college entrance exams for Taiwan senior high school 
students. 
 
¶2. Almost every paper discussed the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.  A 
column in the pro-independence "Liberty Times" said the arms sales 
come at the right time to test the ambiguous relationship between 
China and the Ma administration and whether the Ma administration 
really wants to purchase weapons from the United States.  A separate 
"Liberty Times" analysis discussed U.S. beef imports to Taiwan.  The 
article said Washington has got what it wants -- namely, to secure 
the export of its bone-in beef to Taiwan.  An editorial and a column 
in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily" both discussed the U.S. arms 
sales to Taiwan.  The editorial said a huge crisis in terms of 
U.S.-Taiwan relations is hiding behind the arms sales, and the 
column also said that one has seen obvious changes in terms of 
Taiwan's position in the United States Asia-Pacific strategy.  A 
column in the pro-unification "United Daily News" also discussed the 
impact of the U.S. arms sales and U.S. beef imports to U.S.-Taiwan 
relations.  The article concluded by saying that subtle changes have 
been observed in U.S.-Taiwan relations.  End summary. 
 
A) "Headache Time for the Ma Administration" 
 
The "Free Talk" column in the pro-independence "Liberty Times" 
[circulation: 680,000] wrote (2/1): 
 
"The United States has approved its arms sales [package] to Taiwan, 
which, even without the F-16 fighter jets and submarines that Taiwan 
desires most, has already made China fly into a rage.  The Ma 
administration, on the other hand, is holding a hot potato in its 
hands, fearing that it will enrage China if it decides to buy [the 
weapons], while it will surely make the Taiwan people very angry if 
it decides not to.  As it stands, these weapons admittedly will not 
be able to alter the [military] balance in the Taiwan Strait, but 
they have accidentally become a touchstone to test the ambiguous 
relationship between China and the Ma administration. ... 
 
"As a matter of fact, Ma's tilting toward China has not only made 
Taiwan a victim, but also worried and saddened the free world and 
the Western world.  The U.S. role of sole superpower in the world 
has been gradually threatened by China. ... While seeking to bring 
India into the fold to counterbalance China, the United States of 
course will not forget Taiwan, the unsinkable aircraft carrier on 
the Pacific.  It's just that Ma's staunchly pro-China position, 
which has been exposed since he assumed office, has caused the U.S. 
government to doubt whether [Taiwan] will remain a staunch ally of 
the United States.  Already there are calls in the U.S. academic 
circle for only selling weapons to Taiwan but not helping to defend 
the island.  This is because they believe that if the Ma 
administration itself has befriended China and actively given up 
Taiwan's sovereignty, why then should American soldiers sacrifice 
their lives to protect Taiwan? 
 
"As a result, the Obama administration's approval of arms sales to 
Taiwan this time is indeed a very good idea.  On the one hand, it 
allows Taiwan to retain its fundamental defense capabilities, while 
on the other, it can test whether the Ma administration is genuinely 
interested in buying weapons or it was simply lip service.  The Ma 
administration has now arrived at a three-way junction of the United 
States, China and the Taiwan people; the direction he should pick 
will be a big headache for him." 
 
B) "The United States Has Long Got What It Wants; Ma Administration 
Has Lost It All" 
 
Journalist Fan Cheng-shiang noted in an analysis in the 
pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 680,000] (1/30): 
 
"Authoritative sources revealed that regarding opening [Taiwan's 
market] to the U.S. beef, the Ma administration's original plan was 
that 'Washington would owe Taiwan once.'  But unexpectedly, it 
turned out to be 'Taiwan owing the United States once,' and Taiwan 
has lost very badly.  In addition to the cleverness of the U.S 
government, the Ma administration's severe miscalculation of the 
backlash from the Taiwan public and the chaos [the U.S. beef 
controversy has triggered] in Taiwan are also the main reasons that 
have resulted in the United States getting an advantage, both in 
fame and fortune. ... 
 
"Sources emphasized that in terms of U.S. beef imports to Taiwan, 
'the United States has got what it wanted.'  Washington, from the 
very beginning, wanted to [export to Taiwan] its bone-in beef, which 
accounts for 98 percent of [its beef trade with Taiwan], and its 
target has never been the dispensable risky parts of U.S. beef. 
'[Selling of] ground beef and beef offal were just tactics the 
United States used to deceive and disturb.'  The Legislative Yuan 
 
passed the [food sanitation] law, and our people were quite pleased 
that we had restricted the imports of [U.S.] ground beef and beef 
offal.  Yet Washington was laughing secretly that Taipei had walked 
into its trap, because it was akin to 'making a law' that guarantees 
the export of bone-in beef to Taiwan. 
 
"Regarding reports that Washington is considering bringing the case 
to the World Trade Organization as a response to the U.S. beef 
[controversy in Taiwan], informed sources interpreted such 'leaking 
of information' as hopes [on the U.S. side] that it will exercise 
pressure on Taiwan, which is implementing the series of 
administrative measures [on U.S. beef imports].  That way it can 
proactively 'accelerate' the pace to normalize Taiwan's import of 
U.S. bone-in beef from cattle less than 30 months of age. ... 
During President Ma's transit through the United States this time, 
Washington hoped that Ma would promise that Taiwan would not 
'unilaterally abrogate' its agreements [with the United States] 
again.  In the meantime, Taipei also 'openly' reminded Washington 
that in the U.S. beef case, Washington has got what it wants and 
should know when to stop.  Taipei also expressed hopes that both 
Taiwan and the United States can put their focus on pragmatically 
beginning [bilateral] cooperation on aspects such as trade, 
economics, culture and security strategy." 
 
C) "A Huge Shadow behind the [U.S.] Arms Sales [to Taiwan]" 
 
The mass-circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 530,000] 
editorialized (2/1): 
 
"The United States has finally announced its arms sales items to 
Taiwan this year. ...What is noteworthy is that in the midst of the 
arms sales announcement, there seemed to be some insignificant 
details, behind which a huge crisis is hiding.  It reminds us of the 
warning that 'the devil is in the details.'  U.S. National Security 
Advisor General James Jones said on January 29:  '[Washington] will 
likely have consultations with China about arms sales to Taiwan.' 
What does this statement reveal?  The cornerstone of Taiwan's 
security lies in the 'Taiwan Relations Act,' but on the 
implementation level, it is based on the 'Six Assurances' made by 
the Reagan administration to Taiwan, ... which have served as 
guiding principles for Washington in handling U.S.-Taiwan relations 
since 1982.  Over the past 28 years, these principles have never 
once been violated, even when [President] George W. Bush and A-bian 
were on bad terms.  But lately one can detect ...that the six 
assurances are gradually eroding.... 
 
"Does the Ma administration really believe that Jones' statement is 
a slip of tongue?  Or was it something revealed subconsciously 
during the process when the White House leadership was gradually 
forming a consensus? ...  According to U.S. media reports, Beijing 
is spending huge amounts of money buying off and lobbying the [U.S.] 
Congress, think tanks, and scholars to seek to abolish the [Taiwan 
Relations] Act and to stop selling weapons [to Taiwan].  The power 
and trend of such a growing force can be seen in recent articles and 
calls [made] in the United States.  Are Taiwan officials still 
saying: 'U.S.-Taiwan relations remain unchanged'?" 
 
D) "Blue Team Has Vanished" 
 
Columnist Antonio Chiang wrote in his column in the mass-circulation 
"Apple Daily" [circulation: 530,000] (2/1): 
 
"Every time when Washington announced arms sales to Taiwan, Beijing 
issued solemn protests and temporarily called off some exchange 
programs [with the United States].  It appears that this has become 
a routine ritual.  Beijing knows that Washington has to sell 
[weapons to Taipei], and Washington knows that Beijing has to 
protest against it.  It has been like this for more than a decade, 
but what is different is that [we have seen] significant changes in 
Taiwan's position in the United States' Asia-Pacific strategy.  In 
the arms sales package this time, the Blackhawk helicopters, Patriot 
Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missiles, mine-hunting ships, and 
C4ISR systems are old items [proposed during] the Bian 
administration, but the price tags have gone up considerably.  Still 
there is no news about the F-16 C/D fighters and submarines that 
Taiwan wants most.  Hardly any optimistic signs can be seen in 
[current] Taiwan-U.S. relations. ... 
 
"[The weapons] that the United States is selling Taiwan are all 
secondary outdated products, and there is a big gap between these 
weapons and those [Washington] sells to Israel, Japan or South 
Korea.  The United States will not sell its most recently-developed 
weapons or offensive weapons to Taiwan, and Beijing is clearly aware 
of that.  [Beijing and Washington] have a tacit understanding about 
it, because the military significance of such arms sales [to Taiwan] 
is far less than the announcement [of the arms sales] itself, and 
the political significance of the arms sales is much higher than its 
international value.  Taiwan holds a place in the United States' 
strategy in the Asia-Pacific region.  But with the rise of China's 
 
national strength and the Ma administration's tilting toward 
mainland China, subtle changes have emerged in Taiwan-U.S. 
relations.  On the surface, [we see that] arms sales go on as usual, 
but the United States deliberately will not give what Taiwan really 
wants.  What is really serious is that the voices of the 'blue 
team,' which has supported Taiwan for a long time, can hardly be 
heard any more. ..." 
 
E) "The Taste of Weapons plus Beef" 
 
The "Black and White" column in the pro-unification "United Daily 
News" [circulation: 400,000] (2/1): 
 
"Various developments have been seen regarding [U.S.] arms sales to 
Taiwan and the [U.S.] beef [controversy], respectively, prior to and 
in the wake of President Ma's transit through the United States. 
The Obama administration announced that it would sell weapons worth 
NTD 200 billion to Taiwan on the one hand, and rumors had it that 
Washington will appeal to the World Trade Organization about 
Taiwan's restrictions on U.S. beef [imports].  Between this goodwill 
and tension, one can see subtle changes in the triangular 
relationship between Washington, Beijing and Taipei.  ... 
 
"In terms of U.S. beef, Taiwan indeed has striven for more self 
initiative and dignity.  But judging from a bigger perspective, we 
may also have to pay a higher price for this, including changes in 
the price tags of the arms sales, procrastination in the bilateral 
trade and economic talks, and also the blisters in Taiwan-U.S. 
relations.  If one wants to carefully and seriously calculate the 
gains and losses, [one has to ask:]  Is it really wise for the 
ruling and opposition parties to jointly revise the [food 
sanitation] law?  The answer is probably no. ..." 
 
STANTON