HAITIAN PERMREP ANTICIPATES "SERIOUS PROBLEMS"

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 002220

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL UNSC KPKO CH TW HA
SUBJECT: HAITIAN PERMREP ANTICIPATES "SERIOUS PROBLEMS"
WITH CHINA ON MINUSTAH MANDATE RENEWAL

REF: A. TAIPEI 2784 (NOTAL)

B. PORT-AU-PRINCE 2247

C. 1997 USUN 96 (NOTAL)

D. 1999 USUN 489 (NOTAL)


1. (SBU) USUN Senior WHA Area Advisor Ambassador Godard and
poloff (notetaker) approached Haitian PermRep to the UN Leo
Merores on December 4 to discuss China's stance on the
renewal of the mandate of the UN Stabilization Mission in
Haiti (MINUSTAH) in February 2007, given Haiti's support for
two Taiwan-related UNGA resolutions in September 2006 (ref A)
and China's subsequent complaints in Port-au-Prince about
Haiti's behavior at the UN (ref B). Recalling China's veto
of a UN peacekeeping operation in Guatemala in 1997 (ref C)
because of an official visit by the Taiwanese Foreign
Minister as well as China's veto of a UNSC mission in
Macedonia in 1999 (ref D) due to that country's relationship
with Taiwan, Ambassador Godard expressed concern about
reports that the GOH Minister of Health might soon visit
Taiwan. The USG attaches great importance to MINUSTAH's
support for Haiti's reconstruction, Ambassador Godard
observed, and wants to ensure that the Security Council can
act to extend the mission's mandate when it comes up for
review in February 2007.


2. (SBU) Noting that he had warned his government all along
of China's possible reaction to Haiti's support for Taiwan
based on the Guatemalan and Macedonian precedents, Merores
glumly said he "anticipated the worst" reaction from China
during discussions on MINUSTAH's mandate. Chinese diplomats
in New York had said they would "see him in February" after
Haiti supported Taiwan during the UNGA debate, Merores
reported. He added that the French Mission in New York had
recently called him to express concern about the Taiwan
situation. Agreeing that a trip by the Haitian Health
Minister to Taiwan now would be counter-productive, he said
that several GOH officials were trying to "chase the minister
down" to dissuade him from traveling, but that he was not yet
sure whether a trip had taken place. Merores told Ambassador
Godard he had called PM Alexis the weekend of December 2-3 to
convey his concerns about the Taiwan issue and expressed hope
that GOH Finance Minister Dorsanvil's recent visit to China
may have helped improve the bilateral relationship. He also
said he planned to raise the Taiwan issue with Haitian
Foreign Minister Clerisme during the minister's private trip
to New York December 9-10 and urge that Clerisme meet with
the Chinese Mission to the UN while in New York.


3. (SBU) Asked about his strategy to deal with the issue in
the coming weeks, Merores said he had heard that Chinese
representatives might demand an "apology" from Haiti for its
actions during the UNGA debate. Such an apology had already
been deemed unacceptable by the GOH, Merores maintained, but
a "clarification" of Haiti's position might be possible.
However, noting China's past concerns about Haiti's
relationship with Taiwan -- including an April 2005 reception
for a visiting UNSC delegation in Port-au-Prince to which
both the Taiwanese and PRC representatives were invited, a
trip that Merores himself took to Taiwan, and Haiti's support
for observer status for Taiwan in the World Health
Organization -- he admitted that this issue now constituted a
"serious problem" which would not be easily resolved.
BOLTON