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Koo defends his controversial ads

Senior Advisor to the President Koo Kwang-ming yesterday discusses the controversial ads he ran in two US newspapers and the `Taipei Times' last week demanding the US change its `one China' policy. PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES

It is "extremely difficult" for the US to change its "one China" policy, said Senior Advisor to the President Koo Kwang-ming (辜 寬敏), who returned on Monday from a trip to Washington to try to persuade US officials to give up the policy.

The 80-year-old Koo met with US State Department officials, including US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, who were perplexed or angered by his advertisements in US and Taiwanese newspapers last week that urged Washington to rethink its "one China" policy.

Koo's full-page ads, headlined "US adherence to one China policy only benefits communist dictators: Let Taiwan speak out for a lasting peace," appeared in the New York Times and the Washington Post on Oct. 4 and the Taipei Times on Oct. 5.

At a press conference hosted by the Taiwan North Society yesterday, Koo said he was surprised by the strong reaction to the ads.

Koo was in Washington the day his ads appeared in the two US papers. The White House called the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in Washington at 9:30am demanding an explanation.

The State Department made a similar call at 11:30am.

"They asked what my ads meant," Koo said, describing his ads as "a blow to the US government" that "hurt the self-esteem of State Department officials."

Both the White House and the State Department asked if the Presidential Office had authorized the advertisements, which cost Koo US$200,000.

The Presidential Office denied prior knowledge of Koo's plan to place the ads.

"The State Department should ask our government whether it supports my view that the US should not adhere to the `one China' policy anymore. Of course our government wants the US to remove the policy," Koo said.

He said President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) didn't know about his ad plan. After the ads appeared, Koo called Ma Yung-cheng (馬永成), a top Presidential Office staff member, three times, wanting to talk to Chen.

"Ma's aide told me he was in a meeting. Ma never replied to my call," Koo said.

Despite the uproar, Koo said he was "very satisfied" with the impact of his ads.

"Actually, almost everyone I met in Washington praised my ads and said they personally agreed with me. However, they added that as staff of the State Department, they could not support my view," Koo said.

Koo said he tried to dissuade US officials from doing what China asked of them in matters related to Taiwan.

China is happy that the strategy of getting Washington to apply pressure on Taiwan works, but "Taiwan suffers and its dislike towards the US is growing," Koo said.

"The US has been urging us to talk to China. However, if the US continues to serve as China's mouthpiece, China will not need to initiate any dialogue with us. It simply has to ask Washington to command Taiwan to do what it wishes," he said.

Koo criticized Chen's Double Ten National Day address, in which he invited China to start talks with Taiwan on the basis reached during a 1992 Hong Kong meeting. Koo said such remarks were inappropriate.

Koo said he has previously advised Chen not to offer any more olive branches to Beijing.

China froze cross-strait talks during Chen's first term but cannot afford to turn its back on Chen for another four years, Koo said, adding that Beijing will have to find a way to talk to Chen sooner or later.

Koo said he told US officials that he wished for three things.

"First, I hope TECRO's name could be changed to the Taiwan Institute in America," he said.

"Second, Washington should stop doing what China asks it to do over Taiwan. Third, I wish to be invited to attend President [George W.] Bush's inauguration ceremony if he is re-elected. I am already 80 and don't have many years left," Koo said.
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