Cablegate: Media Reaction: Joseph Wu's Appointment As New Tecro Chief

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RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0639/01 0800929
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 210929Z MAR 07
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4544
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6502
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 7744

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000639

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DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - LLOYD NEIGHBORS
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: JOSEPH WU'S APPOINTMENT AS NEW TECRO CHIEF

1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news
coverage March 21 on the 2008 presidential election, on the
government's new language policy, and on local murder and kidnap
cases. Several papers carried the remarks by President Chen
Shui-bian and AIT Taipei Director Stephen Young during an American
Chamber of Commerce's annual post-Chinese New Year gathering Tuesday
evening. The pro-unification "United Daily News" ran a news story
on page 12 with the headline: "Stephen Young: If Taiwan Wants to
Prosper, Both Sides [of the Taiwan Strait] Need to Open up More."

2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a column in the
pro-independence "Liberty Times" commented on the appointment of
incumbent Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Joseph Wu as the new
TECRO chief. The article said Wu can handle Taiwan-U.S. relations
better because he has a more understanding of China. A commentary
in the pro-unification "United Daily News," on the other hand, said
Washington approved of Wu's appointment because it does not want to
see any more surprises from the Chen Shui-bian administration. An
editorial in the limited-circulation, pro-independence,
English-language "Taipei Times" said "Chen's appointment of a
seasoned veteran in cross-strait affairs to represent Taiwan in
Washington clearly demonstrates his view that cross-strait relations
are an extension of Taiwan-US relations." End summary.

A) "Thoughts on Joseph Wu's Appointment as New TECRO Chief"

Columnist Paul Lin noted in the pro-independence "Liberty Times"
[circulation: 500,000] (3/21):

"Most importantly, Taiwan-U.S. relations are in reality about the
relations among Taiwan, the U.S., and China, and this point
determined that the chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC)
also shares the responsibility to go the United States to
communicate with Washington. Now that incumbent MAC Chairman Joseph
Wu has been appointed to head the TECRO office in Washington, he can
handle Taiwan-U.S. relations better than those officials from the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, because he has a more profound
understanding of China. In addition to being able adequately to
estimate the Chinese factor in Taiwan-U.S. relations, Wu can also
help Washington better understand China and how many common
strategic interests both Taiwan and the United States share. Given
his profound understanding of China, Wu has better knowledge of how
to handle the relations between Taiwan and China more appropriately.

"In contrast, when one looks at U.S.-China relations, [one will find
that] major changes have taken place since President George W. Bush
assumed office in 2000. There are genuine 'China hands' in the
United States, such as John J. Tkacik, but mainstream 'China hands'
do not really understand China... They are obsessed with
Confucianism, but they lack knowledge of Chinese political trickery
and rogue culture. [We] hope that Wu's appointment can compensate
for the U.S. deficiency on this score. Also, Wu's strategic goal
should be to urge Washington gradually to get rid of the restraints
[imposed by] 'one China.' ..."

B) "The United States Hopes there are no more 'Surprises'"

Journalist Sun Yang-ming said in the "United Notes" column in the
pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (3/21):

"The most straightforward reason why the United States agreed to
have Joseph Wu replace David Lee as the TECRO chief was because it
hopes there will no longer be any more surprises during the last
year of the Chen Shui-bian administration, particularly in the
crucial election year. In other words, what Washington hopes is
that during the following year, it can gain full control of the
direction of the Chen administration, especially at a time when
China's military is about to mobilize.

"Any surprise that happens in or before 2008 can draw the United
States into a bottomless abyss. In other words, Joseph Wu is
actually the man that the United States desires. Wu said himself
that he can fully grasp Chen's ideas, and this is exactly what the
United States wants. Washington may even expect that he can inform
it of the intent of the Chen administration beforehand.

"The biggest long-term problem for the Bian administration is that
it has failed to gain full trust of the United States. Deputy
Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Thomas
Christensen has not hidden such a view, even with the reporters'
tape recorder in front of him. Surely this will be the biggest
problem that Wu will face. Washington has been highly vigilant,
particularly after Chen tossed off his 'Four Wants and One Without'
remarks.

"Long before the 'Four Wants and One Without' announcement was made,
Washington had actually learned that Chen would come up with some
new 'statements.' Relevant people at AIT even kept full alert

during the Lunar New Year holidays just in case Chen might launch
'surprise attacks,' as he did last year with the 'cessation of the
functions of the National Unification Council.' But, obviously,
TECRO failed to fully communicate this with the United States.

"In the wake of Chen's 'Four Wants and One Without' remarks, the
initial reaction of the United States is moderate, but this did not
represent Washington's real opinion. As a matter of fact, the State
Department differed in views about how to inform the Bian
administration of the U.S. displeasure, mainly because Deputy
Secretary of State John Negroponte and Christensen were both in

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Beijing and no one could make a final decision. Such a development
indicated that, in addition to the previous relatively moderate
statement, the State Department will likely have a second round of
movement. Washington's approval of Wu's appointment should be
viewed as one of the steps it will take.

"Among the people on the U.S. side who know the inside stories,
probably no one would believe that the 'Four Wants and One Without'
announcement was not serious. Even though TECRO has a smooth
channel for working with the United States, it has failed to
function in this incident, and that makes Washington's approval to
replace David Lee a reasonable consequence."

C) "Mr. Wu Goes to Washington"

The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation:
30,000] editorialized (3/21):

"With just a year left until he leaves office, President Chen
Shui-bian has finally decided to appoint a Democratic Progressive
Party (DPP) member to be the nation's top representative to the US.
By selecting Mainland Affairs Chairman Joseph Wu, Chen has fit the
last piece into the DPP's diplomatic puzzle. US-Taiwan relations
are crucial to the nation's diplomatic, security and cross-strait
interests, so the appointment of Wu was a very good decision. ...
Although Taiwan-US relations are fundamentally diplomatic affairs,
Washington ahs always been a main battleground during exchanges
between China and Taiwan. Since Beijing began enlisting the US'
help in restraining Taiwan from changing the 'status quo,'
Washington has become the most direct and effective shortcut for
each to exert pressure on the other.

"This has been especially true since former US deputy secretary of
state Robert Zoellick began encouraging China to become a
'responsible stakeholder.' For example, during a visit to the US in
2005, Chinese President Hu Jintao said the US and China should
'jointly manage the Taiwan Strait.' Last week Chen said that
Taiwan, the US and China should work together to manage cross-strait
peace, security and stability. Clearly all three countries have
accepted that the US holds an important position in cross-strait
relations. Chen's appointment of a seasoned veteran in cross-strait
affairs to represent Taiwan in Washington clearly demonstrates his
view that cross-strait relations are an extension of Taiwan-US
relations. In doing so, he has established a strategic triangle
between the three countries. ..."

YOUNG

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