Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04TAIPEI3465
2004-11-03 08:55:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:  

CHINESE TAIPEI'S APEC AGENDA: LOW-KEY MEETINGS

Tags:  ECON PGOV TW 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 003465 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR EAP/RSP/TC AND EAP/EP, STATE PASS AIT/W

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/03/2014
TAGS: ECON PGOV TW
SUBJECT: CHINESE TAIPEI'S APEC AGENDA: LOW-KEY MEETINGS

Classified By: AIT Director Douglas Paal, Reason 1.4 b/d

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 003465

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR EAP/RSP/TC AND EAP/EP, STATE PASS AIT/W

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/03/2014
TAGS: ECON PGOV TW
SUBJECT: CHINESE TAIPEI'S APEC AGENDA: LOW-KEY MEETINGS

Classified By: AIT Director Douglas Paal, Reason 1.4 b/d


1. (C) Summary: Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tseh
will once again represent Chinese Taipei at the APEC Leaders'
Meeting in November in Santiago, Chile. Academia Sinica's
Michael Hsiao and National Security Council's Connie Yang
believe the Chinese Taipei delegation will try to avoid any
controversial moves at the APEC Summit but will seek to play
an active role in discussion of health and high tech issues.
Hsiao and Yang promised that Chinese Taipei would support
U.S. initiatives on transparency and anti-corruption, but
would not be active on security related issues. Chinese
Taipei will seek a handful of official and unofficial
bilateral meetings, but is not planning for any detailed
discussions at the Leaders' Meeting. Chinese Taipei
representatives to the Ministers' Meeting are more likely to
engage on substantive discussions on the margins, possibly
including cross-Strait transportation. End Summary.

Chinese-Taipei Picking its Spots in APEC
========================================


2. (SBU) President Chen announced September 21 that Academia
Sinica President Dr. Lee Yuan-tseh would once again represent
him at the APEC Leaders' Meeting November 20-21 in Santiago,
Chile. This will be the third straight year Lee, a 1986
Nobel Prize laureate in chemistry, has represented Chen at
the annual meeting. Academia Sinica researcher Michael
Hsiao, Lee's aide de camp in previous meetings and a member
of the National Security Council-led group discussing
Taiwan's goals for the APEC Summit characterized Chinese
Taipei's objectives for the 2004 Leaders' Meeting as the same
as last year: trying to secure as many formal and informal
bilateral meetings with other APEC leaders as practical,
actively participating in those areas where Taiwan has
specific interests or expertise, and avoiding controversial
situations that might damage Taiwan's standing within APEC.


3. (SBU) He saw particular opportunities for Chinese Taipei
to play a role in discussions on health and the utilization
of high technology to facilitate trade and bridge the digital
divide. The SARS crisis in 2003 spurred the creation of a

Health Task Force to analyze health consequences of trade
policies, support regional health preparedness policies and
to develop strategic priorities for cooperation. The recent
outbreaks of Avian Flu in Asia suggest to Hsiao that it might
be useful to expand this task force to allow it to better
share information, review best practices, and coordinate
responses. Chinese Taipei would support a call for Health
Ministers to expand the scope of the Heath Task Force for
this purpose. Hsiao said Chinese Taipei would also support
efforts to establish an APEC-supported AIDS Center in
Thailand and establishment of a clearinghouse for information
on vaccines.


4. (SBU) In high-tech areas Taiwan has expertise that it is
eager to share with other economies in APEC. Hsiao noted the
recent report issued by the APEC Secretariat lauding Chinese
Taipei's use of technology to facilitate trade by increasing
transparency and efficiency. Chinese Taipei has been active
in efforts to bridge the digital divide within APEC, for
example, by promoting telecenters for computer and digital
training, and will seek to continue and expand that role,
including through allocation of resources, including funding,
to appropriate projects.


5. (SBU) NSC Senior Economic Advisor Connie Yang echoed
Hsiao's comments that Taiwan would focus its efforts in areas
where it felt it could contribute most to APEC initiatives.
She highlighted in particular the issue of Avian Flu and
suggested that Taiwan was well-placed to play a significant
role in the development of the Health Task Force into an
entity that could better support regional health preparedness
activities and information sharing. Yang also noted Chinese
Taipei's efforts to help other member economies develop their
digital technology capabilities.

Support for U.S. Initiatives, But Security Takes Backseat
============================================= ============


6. (C) Hsiao said that Chinese Taipei will support U.S. led
anti-corruption initiatives. Although Chinese Taipei cannot
sign the UN Convention against Corruption, the government is
planning to incorporate the principles of the convention in
Taiwan law. Chinese Taipei will also support proposals for
APEC reforms. Chinese Taipei will not seek a prominent role
in discussion of security related issues, but will support
APEC consensus. Although supporting U.S. calls for
counter-terrorism activities within APEC, including
nonproliferation, restrictions on MANPADS, and attention to
economic security issues, Hsiao was concerned that an active
approach in security related discussions would be
counterproductive. Yang later agreed that the NSC also
believes any intervention by Chinese Taipei on these issues
would be more damaging than helpful. She said the NSC
clearly understands that it is best for Taiwan to remain
silent in these discussions.

Seeking Bilateral Meetings...
=============================


7. (C) As in past years, Chinese Taipei will try to take
advantage of the APEC Leaders' Meeting to schedule official
and informal bilateral meetings with regional leaders. Hsiao
suggested Chinese Taipei would attempt to schedule four or
five official meetings, listing Japan, Singapore, Malaysia,
and Papua New Guinea as potential partners. Topics of
discussion might include trade issues, development assistance
for PNG, and Taiwan's security relationship with Japan.
Taiwan is likely to again request a meeting with a high-level
U.S. official (not the President) during the Summit.

But No Substantive Cross-Strait Dialogue
========================================


8. (C) Hsiao was hopeful that Lee would have the opportunity
to have an informal discussion with Chinese President Hu
Jintao, but insisted there were no plans for Lee to pass any
detailed message from President Chen regarding the
possibility of expanding dialogue between the two sides of
the Strait. Lee said to the press November 2 that he felt he
was not the right envoy for a cross-strait dialogue and
declared the most effective way to conduct cross-strait
communication is for Hu and Chen to meet face to face. Lee
said he will make this suggestion directly to Hu Jintao at
APEC if he has a chance to meet him. Hsiao said Chinese
Taipei was optimistic that detailed discussions regarding
cross-Strait ties, including direct flights for Chinese New
Year, might occur during the Joint Ministerial Meetings,
November 17-18.


9. (SBU) Comment: Taiwan's leadership has traditionally used
APEC, one of the few prominent international organizations of
which Taiwan is a full member, primarily as a forum in which
to interact on an equal basis with regional partners. This
has paid dividends in areas where Taiwan is strong, such as
telecommunications and high technology discussions, and
Chinese Taipei's representatives have been valuable
contributors to APEC's activities on these topics. In the
health care field, Taiwan clearly sees APEC's Health Task
Force as an opportunity to demonstrate its value in
international health cooperation. The Taiwan government
appears to be reluctant to risk its standing in APEC by
courting the controversy that would invariably surround an
attempt to support actively discussion of security issues.
Although supportive of including security discussions within
APEC, Taiwan policy-makers believe Taiwan's interests are
best served by taking a low-profile approach at the upcoming
Leaders' Meeting and benefiting from any positive outcomes.
End Comment.
PAAL