TAIWAN ASSERTS IT HAS NO PLANS TO ENGAGE SUDAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L TAIPEI 004124 SIPDIS STATE PASS AIT/WASHINGTON E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/07/2015 TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC TW SUBJECT: TAIWAN ASSERTS IT HAS NO PLANS TO ENGAGE SUDAN REF: TAIPEI 04089 Classified By: AIT Director Doug Paal, Reason 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (C) In light of the PRC's efforts to expand business ties and promote energy deals in Sudan, AIT consulted Taiwan National Security Council (NSC),Presidential Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA),and Chinese Petroleum Corporation (CPC) officials about Taipei's own policies and activities in Sudan. Khartoum has diplomatic relations with Beijing and does not have an official or unofficial presence in Taipei. Taiwan MOFA African Affairs Deputy Director-General Jacques Wu told AIT that Foreign Minister Mark Chen visited Chad, which borders Sudan, in June to discuss energy ties, but he insisted Chen did not visit Sudan and that there are no Taiwan government plans to engage Sudan diplomatically to counter Beijing's growing ties with Khartoum. ¶2. (C) Taiwan NSC Senior Advisor Connie Yang and Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General James Huang explained to AIT that Khartoum is too politically controversial, has a poor human rights record, and is not the type of government the Chen Shui-bian administration wants to engage in the international community. Yang also noted that Taipei, as part of its new foreign policy strategy, is seeking to reach out to more "legitimate" governments and that the USG would likely oppose any Taiwan involvement in Sudan. ¶3. (C) CPC Exploration and Production Division Chief Patrick Yu acknowledged that the PRC is very active in Sudan, but added that Khartoum is too politically unstable and risky for CPC to partake in any petroleum ventures there. Yu did admit that CPC officials were recently approached by overseas Chinese businessmen based in Sudan, who claimed to have contacts in the government and offered to broker favorable petroleum deals for Taipei. However, Yu said that CPC turned down their offer. ¶4. (C) Comment: While government officials deny that Taiwan is active in Sudan, in the wake of Taipei's new policy to counter the PRC's campaign to secure energy resources in Africa and the Middle East (reftel),we cannot categorically state that Taiwan will not seek to establish a discreet relationship with Sudan to pursue economic cooperation. AIT will continue to pursue this during our meetings with government officials. End comment. PAAL