Reply #127: Pro-Beijing media is pro-blue

[dArKeR]

Hsu Tung-ming ???

Saturday, Apr 03, 2004,Page 8

Like its fickle weather, Beijing varies in its judgment on and response to Taiwan's recent presidential election. Before the election, Chinese media acted like the pan-blue camp's cheerleaders. Yet, upon the declaration of the election result, China's Taiwan Affairs Office warned that it would not stand idly by if the violence in Taiwan got out of control.

When countries such as the US and Japan congratulated President Chen Shui-bian (???) on his re-election following the proclamation of the Central Election Commission of his victory, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs protested, stressing to the US that Taiwan is part of China and Washington should stay away from its domestic politics.

Two programs in China that routinely report on Taiwan's political development are Across the Taiwan Strait on the Chinese Cultural Television (CCTV) and Taipei on Air on Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV and both gave a lot of air time to the election.

Across the Taiwan Strait is similar in format to Taiwan's political talk shows. Heated discussion among guests is rare. They all share the same enemies -- from former president Lee Teng-hui (???) to Chen. They also hoped for a pan-blue victory -- in the belief that if that were to happen, China and Taiwan would get along better and direct links would be more likely to materialize. Experts and academics invited to the show even offered advice to the pan-blue camp as if they were its campaign chiefs in Beijing.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/edit/archives/2004/04/03/2003116516