This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS TAIPEI 003309
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/RSP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD -
ROBERT PALLADINO
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: SECRETARY POWELL'S BEIJING
TRIP
"[President Chen] Ruins [U.S. President] Bush's Big
Plan, Forcing [Washington and Beijing to Strengthen the
Mechanism] to Prevent [Taiwan] Independence and to Push
for [Cross-Strait] Talks"
Chen Yi-hsin, professor at the American Studies
Institute of Tamkang University, said in an op-ed piece
in the conservative, pro-unification "United Daily
News" (10/21):
"U.S. State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said
recently that when Secretary of State Colin Powell
meets with Chinese President Hu Jintao on October 25,
he `expects to have an opportunity to respond to
Beijing about U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.' Boucher's
remarks indicate that the Bush administration is
displeased with the small tricks President Chen Shui-
bian played [with] his National Day speech. Boucher's
remarks also show that Washington has decided to
discuss with Beijing how to further strengthen an
agreement reached between Vice President Dick Cheney
and the Beijing leaders when [Cheney] visited China in
April, in which both sides agreed to establish a
mechanism to prevent Taiwan independence and to push
for talks across the Taiwan Strait.
"The main reason that Washington is displeased [with
Taipei] is that other than the goodwill gesture, Taipei
failed to report to the United States in advance about
those negative remarks Chen made [in his National Day
speech]. .
"It is noteworthy that when meeting with the
journalists in Washington in May, Powell confirmed that
Washington and Beijing have started to work on
resolutions to the Taiwan issue that is of mutual
concern. Powell's remarks have indirectly confirmed
that a cooperative mechanism has been established
between Washington and Beijing since Cheney's China
visit in an attempt to prevent Taiwan from altering the
status quo. Nonetheless, the Bush administration has
long been displeased about Taipei's refusal to listen
to the United States' warnings and its insistence on
the `secret independence' route. Taipei toyed with the
United States again this time using Chen's National Day
speech, treating President Bush as a `lame duck'
president. This has, without doubt, pushed Washington
to accelerate its pace of talking with Beijing on how
to further strengthen their bilateral plan to prevent
Taiwan independence and push for cross-Strait talks."
PAAL