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### Viewing cable 05TAIPEI2824, MEDIA REACTION: U.S. BEEF

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
05TAIPEI2824 | 2005-06-29 00:56 | 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.

` `

    UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 002824

    SIPDIS

    DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/RSP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD -
    ROBERT PALLADINO
    DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON, FAS FOR OA, CMP/DA, ITP/AAD,
    CMP/DLP, FAS PASS APHIS/DEHAVEN, IWAMOTO, CAPLEN
    BEIJING FOR APHIS REGIONAL DIRECTOR GREENE

    E.O. 12958: N/A
    TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
    SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: U.S. BEEF

    ¶1. Summary: Following the full-page- and multi-page-
    coverage in major Taipei dailies this past weekend
    concerning the official announcement of the second case
    of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in the United
    States, AIT Taipei held a press conference Monday
    (6/27) featuring Director Douglas Paal and Deputy Chief
    of AIT Agriculture Section Eric Trachtenberg to
    reassure the Taiwan public of the safety of U.S. beef.
    The Taipei dailies continued to discuss the safety of
    U.S. beef in their inside pages the next day (6/28),
    where they highlighted Paal's reassurances and Taiwan
    President Chen Shui-bian's and Premier Frank Hsieh's
    supporting statements that U.S. beef should not be
    taken off shelves.  At the same time, however, the
    newspapers covered in great detail opposition
    legislators' moves to sue Taiwan's Health Minister Hou
    Sheng-mou for negligence of duty for lifting Taiwan's
    ban on U.S. beef imports in April.

    ¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a centrist
    "China Times" commentary questioned the decision-making
    process of the Taiwan government with regard to opening
    the Taiwan market to U.S. beef in April, while a pro-
    unification "United Daily News" commentary criticized
    the inconsistent attitudes shown by different Taiwan
    government agencies in making decisions that directly
    concern the Taiwan people's interests.  A limited-
    circulation, pro-independence, English-language "Taipei
    Times" editorial, however, stressed that science has
    shown U.S. beef is safe to eat.  This editorial
    continued by stating that the Taiwan government has
    bowed to pressure with regard to U.S. beef - not
    pressure from the United States, however, but that of
    unscrupulous and populist Taiwan politicians.  End
    summary.

    A) "[AIT Taipei Director] Douglas Paal's Promotional
    Efforts"

    Journalist Chang Hui-ying noted in the "My Views"
    column of the centrist, pro-status quo "China Times"
    (6/29):

    ". On the other hand, when [we] look at the Taiwan
    government's decision to re-open its market to U.S.
    beef [in April], Taiwan society cannot help but ask
    questions such as whether the decision was made in the
    best interests of the Taiwan people . .  The crisis
    within [such a decision] lies in the fact that the
    Taiwan people thought that their government, if really
    interested in safeguarding their health, would demand
    that [imported] U.S. beef be one hundred percent safe,
    in the same way that any parent would do for [his or
    her] children, not minding having to take all the
    trouble [in making such a demand].  But the consequent
    decision-making direction was obviously the opposite.
    As a result, [we cannot help but ask] which peoples'
    interests is [the Taiwan government] protecting after
    all? Or, whose interests is it protecting, anyway?

    "Despite various speculation, people outside can hardly
    prove who really gave the order [to lift the ban on
    U.S. beef] and why.  The problem is that eating beef
    [safely] has nothing to do with whether you belong to
    the Pan-Blue or Pan-Green Camp.  For the Taiwan people,
    what directly concerns them is the [safety of the] food
    that they eat every day, and it is an issue that they
    originally assumed and trusted that their government
    would do the best it could to protect them.  It will be
    a serious crisis of confidence if [the Taiwan
    government] loses the peoples' trust on an issue like
    this."

    B) "Do [We] Still Have Our Right to Eat?"

    The "Black and White" column of the pro-unification
    "United Daily News" [circulation: 600,000] wrote
    (6/27):

    "When a Department of Health (DOH) official said U.S.
    beef currently in local markets does not need to be
    taken off the shelves, he was actually calling on the
    local people to calm down and to continue to enjoy the
    U.S. beef.  Given DOH's fearless attitude regardless of
    any criticism against it, it would be very difficult
    for U.S. beef not to become a kind of rare and precious
    good even if the [Taiwan] government had no alternative
    but to ban it again.

    "Whereas there are three different [government]
    agencies [in charge], there are actually four different
    versions about [the safety of] U.S. beef -- no wonder
    local people feel confused about whether U.S. beef is
    safe or not.  While Japan, Korea and Singapore are
    still cautiously awaiting further assessments, Taiwan
    has already fearlessly embraced U.S. beef under the pre-
    announcement and the push of our president.  The
    Council of Agriculture (COA) has opposed the opening of
    the market to the United States from the beginning to
    end, but [the government] simply skipped COA and
    directly had DOH open the doors to our market to please
    Uncle Sam. .

    "Without doubt, U.S. beef is very delicious and our
    people need not over panic.  Nobody can say no if the
    gourmets want to continue eating U.S. beef.  In fact,
    what really has panicked the Taiwan people is not U.S.
    beef but the government's inconsistent behavior.  Our
    government can easily throw away [our people's] right
    to eat, let alone its sovereignty to defend the
    Diaoyutais [ed:  islands claimed by Japan, China and
    Taiwan]."

    C) "Complaints over U.S. Beef Half-Baked"

    The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times"
    [circulation: 30,000] commented in an editorial (6/28):

    ". Given these conditions, the [Taiwan] government
    certainly caved in to pressure - but not pressure from
    the US, but from unscrupulous, populist politicians.
    It should not have banned US beef, but explained
    clearly why such a ban was unnecessary.  Those who do
    not believe in the WAHO's [i.e. World Animal Health
    Organization] science or the effectiveness of US
    slaughterhouse regulation could simply choose not to
    eat US beef.  Let the market decide.  Which last
    weekend it did; consumers flocked to the stores to
    purchase US beef, expecting that stores would cut
    prices to get the meat off their shelves before they
    might be compelled to take it off.  At least the public
    has shown some common sense."

    PAAL

`