TAIWAN AGREES ON IHR ADHERENCE AND REQUESTS LETTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 001608 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/TC, HHS FOR ERIKA ELVANDER, GENEVA FOR DAVID HOHMAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2010 TAGS: AMED SENV TBIO PREL TW SUBJECT: TAIWAN AGREES ON IHR ADHERENCE AND REQUESTS LETTER FROM HHS LEAVITT REF: A. A. LEVY-KEEGAN EMAIL 5/9/06 ¶B. B. TAIPEI 1536 ¶C. C. TAIPEI 1540 Classified By: AIT DIRECTOR STEPHEN M. YOUNG for reasons 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) Summary. This is an action cable see para 7. DDIR presented demarche to VFM Michael Kau and TCDC Director Steve Kuo 5/10 at MOFA. DDIR stressed two issues: our strong support for Taiwan's unilateral adherence to the IHR and the importance of Taiwan's acceptance of the 2x2 debate on the issue of observership before the WHA General Committee and plenary. Kau reported that he had just met with the EU reps and they also supported a pragmatic approach. Taiwan plans to announce IHR adherence the week of May 15 and hopes that HHS secretary Leavitt can mention this in his letter to WHO DG SIPDIS Lee supporting Taiwan observership at the WHA. Kau promised to deliver draft copies of the announcement to AIT as soon as possible. End Summary. AIT DEMARCHE POINTS WELL TAKEN -------------- ¶2. (C) AIT DDIR demarched MOFA VFM Michael Kau (Ying-Mao) at MOFA on May 10 as agreed with Department and Geneva ref A (demarche summarized para 3). Also present were Taiwan Center for Disease Control (TCDC) Director Steve Kuo and Ministry of Health Director-General Peter Chang and MOFA IO Director-General John Chen. Kau began by saying that he had just met with local representatives of the EU troika (Austria, UK, Germany) and the EU Commission. They had expressed support for a non-political approach to increase Taiwan's participation in WHO. He said Japan had backed a similar approach and that the Japanese ambassador in Geneva had intervened directly with WHO DG Lee on this issue. DDIR welcomed the progress Taiwan had made thus far on the WHO issue and the EU and Japan's support for more meaningful participation in the WHO. ¶3. (C) DDIR then reviewed ref A demarche: that HHS Secretary Leavitt plans to write WHO DG in support of Taiwan's observership in WHO and that we will try to arrange a meeting between Leavitt and MOH Hou in Geneva; IHR adherence can be announced at anytime and in the way Taiwan considers most effective; DDIR suggested that announcing this shortly before the start of the WHA meeting (5/22) might be most effective; that Taiwan should write WHO about its IHR intent and that US has encouraged WHO response to this letter. DDIR then clarified that WHO did not confer access to Taiwan on GOARN and that we were pursuing this issue with Beijing. He relayed that WHO had stated that Taiwan does participate in TEPHINET and OVL. He advised Taiwan to adopt a low-key approach on observer status saying this will aid Taiwan's chances to participate in GOARN. He stated that the US supports a 2 plus 2 debate in both the General Committee and Plenary and that this would be in Taiwan's best interests. He urged Taiwan to move on the 2 plus 2 debate and not delay any further, not as a favor to the U.S., but to advance its own interests. TAIWAN FAVORS PRAGMATIC APPROACH -------------- ¶4. (C) Kau responded that Taiwan favored a pragmatic and non-political approach. He said Taiwan will announce IHR adherence early next week and also suggested that TCDC would be the best contact point, mentioning that the EU quartet of Austria, UK, Germany and EU's Brian McDonald stressed the value of expertise over official Taiwan title in identifying the best IHR contact. DDIR welcomed an announcement next week and agreed that TCDC Director Steve Kuo would seem to have appropriate expert credentials to serve as a contact point. ¶5. (C) Kau said that having HHS Secretary express support for Taiwan observership in his letter would be very effective, and that he hoped that his letter would mention Taiwan's TAIPEI 00001608 002 OF 002 adherence to the IHR. On the 2 plus 2 debate, Kau said he will report to President Chen as soon as he returns to Taiwan and holds a video conference on 5/19 with local supporters of Taiwan's WHO observer status. Kau said both he and TCDC Director Kuo will recommend the President adopt the 2 plus 2 debate approach, adding that the proposed letter from HHS Secretary Leavitt would go a long way in helping him convince SIPDIS the President. TAIWAN SUGGESTS OTHER VENUES FOR REGIONAL PARTICIPATION -------------- -------------- ¶6. (C) Ministry of Health Director-General Peter Chang then raised the issue of Taiwan's participation in regional meetings such as the Western Pacific Regional Committee (WPRC). He said that both Koreas participated in different regional meetings and perhaps Taiwan could participate in the SEARO (based in New Delhi) or even PAHO (based in Wash DC) and thus reduce frictions with the PRC. DDIR said the idea might be worth exploring but citing the two Koreas as a precedent would likely not be welcome by the PRC. ¶7. (C) COMMENT AND ACTION REQUEST. Taiwan seems to have adopted a more pragmatic approach than in our previous meetings (ref. B & C) The questions raised in this meeting had little to do with symbolic gestures and much to do with details of advancing its WHO participation. We would welcome any thoughts from EAP, IO or the U.S. Mission Geneva on how best to respond to Taiwan's questions. END COMMENT YOUNG