TAIWAN REQUESTS US ASSISTANCE FOR STRANDED

C O N F I D E N T I A L AIT TAIPEI 002700 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/09/2031 TAGS: PREL TW CH SUBJECT: TAIWAN REQUESTS US ASSISTANCE FOR STRANDED DIPLOMATS IN CHAD CLASSIFIED BY: AIT DIRECTOR STEPHEN M. YOUNG, REASONS: 1.4 (B/D) ¶1. ACTION REQUEST--SEE PARAGRAPH 9. ¶2. (C) SUMMARY: DURING A MEETING WITH THE DIRECTOR ON AUGUST 9, TAIWAN FOREIGN MINISTER JAMES HUANG REQUESTED US ASSISTANCE FOR TAIWAN DIPLOMATS AND EXPATRIATES IN CHAD WHO ARE FACING DIFFICULTIES LEAVING N'DJAMENA AFTER TAIWAN AND CHAD BROKE OFF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS ON AUGUST 5. HUANG ALSO SOUGHT US SUPPORT IN MAINTAINING TAIWAN'S REMAINING FORMAL DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS, NOW DOWN TO 24 COUNTRIES. HE CHARACTERIZED THE BREAK WITH CHAD AS A "PROVOCATION" BY BEIJING THAT UNDERMINES CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (C) TAIWAN FOREIGN MINISTER JAMES HUANG REQUESTED A MEETING WITH THE DIRECTOR ON AUGUST 9 TO DISCUSS ISSUES RELATED TO THE BREAK IN DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN TAIWAN AND CHAD ON SATURDAY AUGUST 5. HUANG NOTED THAT IT IS "COMMON AND UNDERSTANDABLE" THAT CHINA AND TAIWAN COMPETE FOR RECOGNITION IN THE DIPLOMATIC ARENA, BUT HE CHARACTERIZED THE TIMING OF CHAD'S SWITCH TO THE PRC ON AUGUST 6 AS A "PURPOSEFUL" ATTEMPT TO INSULT PREMIER SU TSENG-CHANG AND THE TAIWAN PEOPLE. HUANG SAID THE MOVE HAD GONE BEYOND "NORMAL COMPETITION" OVER DIPLOMATIC RECOGNITION AND WAS AN "OUTRIGHT PROVOCATION" TO CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS. (NOTE: TAIWAN BROKE OFF RELATIONS LATE-SATURDAY EVENING AFTER LEARNING THAT CHAD'S FOREIGN MINISTER WAS IN BEIJING TO ESTABLISH FORMAL TIES WITH THE PRC ON SUNDAY AUGUST 6, THE SAME DAY PREMIER SU PLANNED TO DEPART FROM TAIPEI AS PRESIDENT CHEN SHUI-BIANS SPECIAL ENVOY TO THE INAUGURATION OF CHAD'S PRESIDENT. END NOTE.) ¶4. (C) HUANG ASSERTED THAT PREMIER SU'S ADMINISTRATION HAS ENDEAVORED TO IMPROVE CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS, CITING EFFORTS TO FACILITATE CHARTER FLIGHTS AND HOLD THE RECENT CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS EXAMPLES OF SU'S "GOODWILL." HUANG CONTRASTED THESE EFFORTS WITH THE PRC'S INTENT TO HUMILIATE SU AND THE TAIWAN GOVERNMENT THROUGH THE CHAD INCIDENT, SAYING THIS SHOWED BEIJING HAS NO INCLINATION TO IMPROVE OR ADVANCE CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS. ¶5. (C) HUANG STRESSED IT WOULD BE "CLOSE TO IMPOSSIBLE" TO IMPROVE CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS IF CHINA CONTINUES TO MAKE SUCH "PROVOCATIVE MOVES" AND TO HANDLE CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS IN AN IRRESPONSIBLE MANNER. CHINA IS FORCING THE TAIWAN GOVERNMENT "INTO A CORNER," HUANG WARNED. HE EXPRESSED HOPE THE US WOULD TELL CHINA THAT SUCH ACTIONS ARE NOT CONSTRUCTIVE AND ARE UNACCEPTABLE. ¶6. (C) SINCE BREAKING OFF DIPLOMATIC TIES, HUANG SAID, THE CHAD GOVERNMENT HAS REFUSED TO MAKE ANY CONTACT WITH TAIWAN'S EMBASSY. AS A RESULT, TAIWAN DIPLOMATIC PERSONNEL AND EXPATRIATES ARE SUFFERING "CERTAIN DIFFICULTIES." HUANG REQUESTED WASHINGTON'S ASSISTANCE IN HAVING THE US EMBASSY IN N'DJAMENA ASK THE CHAD GOVERNMENT TO TREAT TAIWAN DIPLOMATS AND EXPATRIATES IN ACCORDANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL PRACTICES. ¶7. (C) HUANG SAID THAT CHINA CONTINUES TO SUPPRESS TAIWAN'S INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES. HE REQUESTED WASHINGTON'S ASSISTANCE, TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, IN MAINTAINING TAIWAN'S EXISTING DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS, HIGHLIGHTING PANAMA, NICARAGUA, HAITI, HONDURAS, AND COSTA RICA AS COUNTRIES OF SPECIAL CONCERN. ¶8. (C) THE DIRECTOR REASSURED HUANG THAT AIT WOULD REPORT TAIWAN'S CONCERNS TO WASHINGTON IMMEDIATELY AND HAS IN FACT ALREADY REQUESTED THE US AMBASSADOR IN NDJAMENA SEEK THE EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THE TREATMENT OF TAIWAN DIPLOMATS AND EXPATRIATES WITH THE CHAD GOVERNMENT. THE DIRECTOR SYMPATHIZED WITH HUANGS FRUSTRATION OVER CHINAS CONTINUED DIPLOMATIC COMPETITION, BUT REMINDED HUANG THAT WASHINGTON DOES NOT PLAY A DIRECT ROLE IN MEDIATING BETWEEN TAIWAN AND CHINA IN THEIR STRUGGLE FOR DIPLOMATIC PARTNERS. THE DIRECTOR SUGGESTED TAIWAN SEEK TO ESTABLISH A DIRECT CHANNEL WITH CHINA TO DISCUSS TAIWAN'S CONCERNS OVER INTENSIFYING DIPLOMATIC COMPETITION. ¶9. (C) ACTION REQUEST: AIT REQUESTS DEPARTMENT GUIDANCE IN RESPONDING TO TAIWAN'S REQUEST THAT THE US WEIGH IN WITH THE CHAD GOVERNMENT TO ENSURE APPROPRIATE TREATMENT FOR TAIWAN PERSONNEL IN CHAD. COMMENT: -------------- ¶10. (C) HUANG IS CLEARLY UNDER PRESSURE TO ENSURE THAT TAIWAN'S NOW 24 FORMAL DIPLOMATIC ALLIES--DOWN FROM 29 WHEN PRESIDENT CHEN ENTERED OFFICE IN 2000--DO NOT CONTINUE TO DEFECT. HUANG'S TRIP TO PANAMA NEXT WEEK AND PRESIDENT CHEN'S ATTENDANCE AT A FORUM OF TAIWAN'S DIPLOMATIC PARTNERS IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC NEXT MONTH ARE PART OF CONTINUING EFFORTS BY TAIWAN TO HOLD THE LINE AGAINST THE PRC. YOUNG