CHINESE TAIPEI SUPPORTS U.S. APEC AGENDA, OPPOSES

UNCLAS TAIPEI 003747 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE PASS USTR STATE FOR EAP/TC, EAP/MLS, USTR FOR ALTBACH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON PARM PTER TSPL APECO TW SUBJECT: CHINESE TAIPEI SUPPORTS U.S. APEC AGENDA, OPPOSES INFORMAL MINISTERS MEETING REF: A. SECSTATE 177258 ¶B. TAIPEI 3681 ¶1. This is an action request. Please see paragraph 4. ¶2. AIT Econoffs delivered reftel talking points on U.S. priorities for APEC to Ministry of Foreign Affairs Department of International Organizations Chief WANG Liang-Yu on November 1. Ms. Wang stated that Chinese Taipei generally agreed with U.S. priorities, and will support US language for Statement on APEC WMD Trafficking and WMD Financing. ¶3. In addition, Ms. Wang took the opportunity to advise that Chinese Taipei was generally opposed to holding informal ministers meetings, and did not support holding a ministers meeting to discuss North Korea. If an APEC meeting is held to discuss North Korea, it Chinese Taipei's position that the meeting should be open to all APEC members. AIT notes that Chinese Taipei has imposed trade and financial sanctions on North Korea (ref B). ¶4. Ms. Wang also asked for the U.S. reaction to the recent South Korean nomination for the Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Task Force. AIT requests guidance from Washington agencies on how to respond to Chinese Taipei. WANG