FORMER PRESIDENT LEE TENG-HUI'S VISIT TO THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 004250

SIPDIS

STATE PASS AIT/W

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2015
TAGS: PGOV TW
SUBJECT: FORMER PRESIDENT LEE TENG-HUI'S VISIT TO THE
U.S.: BACKGROUND NOTES (C-AL5-01095)

REF: SECSTATE 190431

Classified By: AIT Director Douglas H. Paal, Reason(s):
1.4 (B/D)


1. (C) In response to reftel request, AIT is providing the
following background notes on the visit of former Taiwan
President Lee Teng-hui to the U.S., and events leading up to
it.


2. (C) The Director met with former President Lee on August
30 to discuss Lee's planned U.S. visit. At that time, Lee
told the Director that he was scheduled to arrive in the U.S.
on October 1, and expressed surprise that this was only one
day after President Chen Shui-bian's planned departure from
San Francisco. Lee indicated that he understood the timing
of his and Chen's visits could lead to misunderstanding by
the PRC and emphasized that the final timing for his trip was
not yet formalized. He told the Director that he might
change the timing of his trip in order to "escape" such
misunderstandings. Lee suggested he had planned his trip
intentionally to fall well after Hu Jintao's trip to the
United States but without any consideration of the timing of
Chen's transit.


3. (C) Lee also assured the Director that his remarks in the
U.S. would not touch on Taiwan independence but would instead
focus on "democracy, freedom, and liberty." He argued that
it was a "mistake" to characterize him as the leader of an
"independence movement," emphasizing that he was merely
interested in Taiwan becoming a "normal country," not in
Taiwan independence. Lee stated that he would present no
problems for U.S. policy and that he would not talk about
U.S. policy during his trip. He explained that he wanted to
visit the United States as a representative of the Taiwan
people to help "U.S. friends . . . understand the real Taiwan
domestic situation." Lee concluded by stressing that he did
not want to cause problems and that it was his longstanding
goal not to give the United States "too much trouble."


4. (C) On September 14, Lee Teng-hui's former Presidential
Secretary General Huang Kun-hui (now Vice President of the

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"deep-Green" Taiwan Advocates) called on the AIT Acting
Director to convey a further message from former President
Lee Teng-hui regarding his planned trip to the U.S. Huang
said he had been instructed by Lee to convey Lee's
appreciation for the Director's August 30 visit to see him.
Lee, Huang continued, fully understood and respected the
Director's message delivered at that time, which he, Huang,
summarized in two points: (1) U.S. concern about the
proximity of Lee's planned early October U.S. visit to
President Chen's U.S. transit, and (2) U.S. concern that Lee
not talk about independence or cause problems for U.S. policy
during his visit. With respect to the second point, Huang
conveyed Lee's pledge not to push for independence while
visiting the U.S., explaining that Lee, in fact, does not
advocate independence but rather that Taiwan should become a
"normal country." When questioned about the distinction
between independence and a "normal country," Huang responded
that "there is a difference." Lee's purpose in going to the
U.S., Huang explained, was to visit friends and talk about
democratization, not to create problems for the U.S.
government.


5. (C) With respect to the Director's first point, Huang
said that, in order to address U.S. concern about the
proximity of Lee's trip to Chen's, Lee had rescheduled his
trip to mid-October. Huang emphasized that Lee's trip would
be private and personal, with no connection to the Taiwan
Government. Noting that it would be difficult for Lee to
avoid speaking opportunities during his trip, Lee's message
would focus on shared democratic values between the United
States and Taiwan. Lee would emphasize the universal values
of democracy, freedom, and human rights.


6. (C) Huang told the Acting Director that the China visits
of opposition Pan-Blue leaders Lien Chan and James Soong
following the passage of the anti-secession law had misled
the people of Taiwan and the U.S. He noted that U.S.
"policymakers'" comments welcoming dialogue and interaction
across the Taiwan Strait had led many Taiwan people to assume
the U.S. government supported the opposition leaders' trips.
Lee's trip, Huang suggested, would serve to balance the
political information and promote regional peace and
stability.

7. (C) The Acting Director responded that Lee's prior
position as President and his active role in Taiwan politics
meant that his trip would inevitably have political
implications, regardless of whether or not he traveled in his
private capacity. Therefore, he cautioned, any remarks by
Lee would attract close media attention. The Acting Director
reiterated the importance of Lee's visit remaining low-key
and not causing problems for U.S. policy. In early
September, former Premier Vincent Siew called on Lee, later
telling the Director that the former president was
outspokenly critical of President Chen's inconsistency and
his wife's personal corruption. This adds to indications
from Presidential Office personnel of "very bad relations"
between the two men.


8. (C) Comment. Lee Teng-hui's U.S. visit was organized by
his personal staff with some assistance from Taiwan
Advocates, a Lee think tank. AIT found the Taiwan Solidarity
Union (TSU),of which Lee is usually termed the "spiritual
leader," to be totally out of the loop on Lee's trip. (In
fact, TSU officials indicated they have little contact at all
with former President Lee and his staff.) Lee's associates
and staffers were extremely skittish and close-hold about the
trip, necessitating the Director's personal intervention with
Lee himself. Presidential Secretary General James Huang and
other government officials repeatedly emphasized to AIT that
Lee's visit was purely private and had nothing to do with the
Taiwan government. They also indicated that President Chen
was none too happy about the Lee visit. They did,
nonetheless, request AIT and USG facilitation of Lee's travel
in the U.S. End Comment.
PAAL