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### Viewing cable 05TAIPEI1756, MEDIA REACTION: CROSS-STRAIT MEDIA EXCHANGES,

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
05TAIPEI1756 | 2005-04-12 23:44 | 2011-08-23 00:00 | UNCLASSIFIED | American Institute Taiwan, Taipei

`

    This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

    122344Z Apr 05

` `

    UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TAIPEI 001756

    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: CROSS-STRAIT MEDIA EXCHANGES,
    JAPANESE HISTORY TEXTBOOK CONTROVERSY

    ¶1. Summary: Major Chinese-languages Taipei dailies
    started to comment April 12 on a Mainland Affairs
    Council's (MAC) announcement Sunday that Taiwan would
    temporary ban China's Xinhua News Agency and the
    People's Daily from sending journalists to Taiwan.  The
    pro-independence "Liberty Times" editorial supported
    MAC's decision by saying these so-called cross-Strait
    "media exchanges" are basically a "fairy tale that
    deceives all people" in light of the lack of press
    freedom in China. The centrist "China Times," on the
    other hand, ran an editorial that suggested Taiwan's
    "open society" is its greatest asset and the one thing
    that makes Taiwan better than China.  Taiwan would
    become a "total loser" if it were to give up this
    asset, the editorial said.  Kao Ling-yun, a "United
    Evening News" reporter who was a participant in the
    Spring 2004 Jefferson Fellowship program at the East-
    West Center, said in an op-ed piece in the pro-
    unification "United Daily News" that media exchanges
    are an international trend and Taiwan should not brag
    about being democratic while at the same time trying to
    aggressively control media outlets.

    ¶2. The anti-Japanese protests in China and South Korea
    against Japan's history textbooks that justify Japan's
    aggression during World War II still did not receive
    significant coverage in the major Chinese-language
    newspapers in Taiwan April 12.  Stories on the protests
    were buried deep in the last few pages of these
    newspapers, and only two limited-circulation English-
    language newspapers commented on the issue.  The pro-
    independence English-language "Taipei Times" editorial
    cautioned the Taiwan government to be sensitive to
    tensions between Japan and China while avoiding
    becoming directly involved in any Sino-Japanese
    dispute.  The pro-unification English-language "China
    Post" focused its commentary on China's attempt to
    "block" Japan's rise in international stature.  End
    summary.

    ¶1. Cross-Strait Media Exchanges

    A) "With News Coverage That Distorts Truth, What Is the
    Need to Talk about [Cross-Strait] Media Exchanges?"

    The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation:
    800,000] editorialized (4/12):

    ". Taiwan and China are two totally different
    countries.  Taiwan enjoys democracy and freedom, but
    China is a totalitarian country.  In terms of press
    freedom, Taiwan's media not only enjoys freedom of the
    press but has also enjoyed too much freedom of the
    press.  As for China, all its media outlets are
    politically controlled, let alone press freedom.  The
    Chinese Communist Party's `party-controlled propaganda'
    is now practically a sacred doctrine that cannot be
    violated.  Under such a situation whereas both sides of
    the Taiwan Strait enjoy uneven freedom of press, the so-
    called cross-Strait `media exchanges' are nothing but a
    fairy tale that deceives all people.

    "Take the cases of Xinhua News Agency and People's
    Daily as an example, the government's opening policy
    [to allow these two Chinese media outlets to send
    journalists to Taiwan] was originally designated to
    promote Chinese people's understanding of Taiwan.  But
    as China's official mouthpieces, how could the Xinhua
    News Agency and People's Daily maintain an objective
    viewpoint and the principle of genuine reporting when
    they covered, reported and commented on Taiwan's news?
    To put it more plainly, the performance of the Xinhua
    News Agency and People's Daily is tantamount to
    reaching deep into Taiwan and conducting political work
    for the Beijing authorities; they are basically serving
    the politics of `twisting Taiwan's reality from Taiwan.
    .'  Their behavior not only will not `contribute to the
    understanding across the Taiwan Strait' but have
    deepened the Chinese people's misunderstanding of
    Taiwan's public opinion and the value of democracy and
    freedom.  As a result, the move to allow Xinhua News
    Agency and People's Daily to send journalists to Taiwan
    has done nothing favorable for either Taiwan or the
    Chinese people. ."

    B) "An `Open Society' Is Taiwan's Greatest Asset.
    Please Cherish It!"

    An editorial of the centrist, pro-status quo "China
    Times" [circulation: 600,000] wrote (4/12):

    ". This is the function of media.  One does not see an
    immediate effect [of media reporting], but it gradually
    opens the vision of media . and the self-consciousness
    of the reporters.  [Through media reporting], the most
    valued characteristics of Taiwan's society can thus be
    revealed - namely, Taiwan's democracy, rule of law,
    freedom of speech and thinking - none of which are
    something that mainland China can compare to.  Even if
    mainland China's economic growth continues to surge or
    its military power continues to grow, it cannot turn
    into an open society in a short period of time.  What
    Taiwan should attach the greatest importance to is in
    fact this invisible asset that is deep-rooted in the
    people of Taiwan. .

    "Now, even if Taiwan's economic power is not as strong
    as that of mainland China's; its military strength is
    weaker that of mainland China's and its influence on
    the international society is much inferior than that of
    mainland China's, its free and open society, democracy
    and rule of law is actually the most important key that
    makes itself a winner over China.  Taiwan will be a
    total loser if it wants to give up this last advantage.
    ."

    C) "[Taiwan] Brags about Itself Being Democratic But
    Still Gruffly Constrains the Media"

    United Evening News Journalist Kao Lin-yun wrote an op-
    ed article in the conservative, pro-unification,
    Chinese-language "United Daily News" [circulation:
    600,000] (04/12):

    "The Mainland Affairs Council made the decision to ban
    journalists from People's Daily and Xinhua News Agency
    from covering news in Taiwan.  The decision is not
    conducive for the accumulation of goodwill with regard
    to cross-Strait interaction.  Instead, it reflects in
    particular the hostility toward the media in the
    consciousness of the [Taiwan] government.  The
    government made the attempt to punish the Chinese media
    outlets . simply because it is displeased with the
    Chinese authorities.  The attempt, which lacks
    democratic spirit, is the same as the Government
    Information Office's decision a few years ago to use
    censorship to oppress Taiwan's media that criticized
    the government. .

    "Taiwan has always been proud of itself as being more
    democratic than China politically.  Can a democracy
    find it hard to handle even two media outlets?
    Moreover, since the government dared to allow Chinese
    media outlets to send journalists to Taiwan, it should
    be capable of enduring their [negative] reports.  Or
    does the government want to demand those Chinese media
    outlets to become its own mouthpiece? ."

    ¶2. Japanese History Textbook Controversy

    A) "Avoid Fanning Sino-Japanese Unrest"

    The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times"
    [circulation: 30,000] editorialized (4/12):

     ". Such an upsurge of anti-Japanese nationalism will
    necessarily rouse Japanese nationalism.  China's and
    South Korea's joint protests against Japan have made
    Tokyo feel isolated and threatened.  This is likely to
    make it more determined to secure its security
    relationship with the US.  Japan's rearmament,
    therefore, seems, inevitable.

    "With the expansion of the Sino-Japanese conflict,
    Taiwan's security and regional stability could suffer.
    Taiwan and Japan are both threatened by China.
    Washington and Tokyo have noted their concerns over
    Taiwan and the Taiwan Strait in their joint declaration
    on security.  However, recent incidents, such as the
    Anti-Secession Law and Taiwan's Solidarity Union
    Chairman Shu Chin-chiang's visit to the Yasukuni
    Shrine, have polarized Taiwanese public opinion with
    regard to China and Japan.  The government should be
    sensitive to tension between Japan and China and
    prepare a response strategy, but for the moment it
    should avoid getting directly involved in any Sino-
    Japanese dispute."

    B) "PRC Blocking Japan's Rise"

    The conservative, pro-unification, English-language
    "China Post" [circulation: 30,000] observed in an
    editorial (4/12):

    "Beijing is trying to block the rise of Japan by
    keeping it out of the United Nations Security Council.
    Grave implications are in store for Taiwan. .

    "If china prevented Japan's elevation, it would mark
    their most serious confrontation since Japan's invasion
    of China in 1937.

    "The U.S. and Japan are well-prepared for the worst
    scenario with China, but Taiwan, unfortunately, is on
    the wrong side of it."

    PAAL

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