Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07TAIPEI2123
2007-09-17 08:11:00
SECRET
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:
AIT EXPRESSES U.S. CONCERNS BEFORE PRESIDENT
how-toVZCZCXRO9009 OO RUEHCN RUEHGH DE RUEHIN #2123 2600811 ZNY SSSSS ZZH O 170811Z SEP 07 FM AIT TAIPEI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6818 INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 7263 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 8899 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 9074 RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU PRIORITY 2093 RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU PRIORITY 0540 RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG PRIORITY 8519 RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI PRIORITY 1354 RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG PRIORITY 6062 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC RHHJJAA/JICPAC HONOLULU HI RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHHMUNA/USPACOM HONOLULU HI
S E C R E T TAIPEI 002123
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/17/2032
TAGS: PREL PGOV CH TW
SUBJECT: AIT EXPRESSES U.S. CONCERNS BEFORE PRESIDENT
CHEN'S SEPTEMBER 15 KAOHSIUNG SPEECH
REF: A. BEIJING 06044
B. HUSKEY TO HART E-MAIL 9/15/2007
Classified By: AIT Director Stephen M. Young. Reason(s):
1.4 (B/D)
S E C R E T TAIPEI 002123
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/17/2032
TAGS: PREL PGOV CH TW
SUBJECT: AIT EXPRESSES U.S. CONCERNS BEFORE PRESIDENT
CHEN'S SEPTEMBER 15 KAOHSIUNG SPEECH
REF: A. BEIJING 06044
B. HUSKEY TO HART E-MAIL 9/15/2007
Classified By: AIT Director Stephen M. Young. Reason(s):
1.4 (B/D)
1. (S) In response to Ref A and after coordination with the
Department, AIT Acting Director Robert Wang separately called
Vice Premier Chiou I-Jen and NSC Secretary-General Mark Chen
on Saturday morning, Sept 15, to inquire whether there would
be any "surprises" in President Chen Shui-bian's speech at
the rally that night in Kaohsiung in support of the DPP's
referendum on applying for UN membership as "Taiwan." ADIR
emphasized that Washington had expressed concern over the
speech.
2. (S) Chiou I-jen and Mark Chen both unequivocally and
repeatedly told ADIR that (they believed) there would be "no
surprises." Both insisted President Chen would not make any
new statements "beyond what he has said before." Chiou told
ADIR that surprises were "not possible," explaining that he
had earlier met with the President to discuss the UN
referendum issue, DAS Christensen's speech last week at the
U.S.-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference, and the September 15
Kaohsiung rally. Chiou insisted that President Chen
understands U.S. concerns and that the U.S. should not worry
about the speech. Both men separately made the point that
President Chen and Taiwan leaders all realize the U.S. is
"still Taiwan's best friend" and that recent comments were
"just friendly advice." Mark Chen stressed that "no one
believes the U.S. is against Taiwan." He also told ADIR that
Taiwan itself is under "tremendous pressure" from China but
that U.S. criticism is helping to generate more public
support for the DPP referendum. He concluded that President
Chen, nevertheless, "knows his own responsibility."
3. (S) Saturday evening, AIT closely monitored the DPP's
Kaohsiung rally (reported septel) and informed the Department
that there had been no surpises in President Chen's speech
(Ref B). The only part in which Chen repeated his standard
line about Taiwan being an independent sovereign state came
at the end of the speech, where he said that, contrary to the
PRC's claim that Taiwan is part of China, no one in Taiwan
agrees. Taiwan people, he continued, believe that there is
one state on each side of the Strait. Apart from that, most
of the speech focused on mobilizing the people to sign the UN
referendum petitiion and to vote in the upcoming elections.
YOUNG
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/17/2032
TAGS: PREL PGOV CH TW
SUBJECT: AIT EXPRESSES U.S. CONCERNS BEFORE PRESIDENT
CHEN'S SEPTEMBER 15 KAOHSIUNG SPEECH
REF: A. BEIJING 06044
B. HUSKEY TO HART E-MAIL 9/15/2007
Classified By: AIT Director Stephen M. Young. Reason(s):
1.4 (B/D)
1. (S) In response to Ref A and after coordination with the
Department, AIT Acting Director Robert Wang separately called
Vice Premier Chiou I-Jen and NSC Secretary-General Mark Chen
on Saturday morning, Sept 15, to inquire whether there would
be any "surprises" in President Chen Shui-bian's speech at
the rally that night in Kaohsiung in support of the DPP's
referendum on applying for UN membership as "Taiwan." ADIR
emphasized that Washington had expressed concern over the
speech.
2. (S) Chiou I-jen and Mark Chen both unequivocally and
repeatedly told ADIR that (they believed) there would be "no
surprises." Both insisted President Chen would not make any
new statements "beyond what he has said before." Chiou told
ADIR that surprises were "not possible," explaining that he
had earlier met with the President to discuss the UN
referendum issue, DAS Christensen's speech last week at the
U.S.-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference, and the September 15
Kaohsiung rally. Chiou insisted that President Chen
understands U.S. concerns and that the U.S. should not worry
about the speech. Both men separately made the point that
President Chen and Taiwan leaders all realize the U.S. is
"still Taiwan's best friend" and that recent comments were
"just friendly advice." Mark Chen stressed that "no one
believes the U.S. is against Taiwan." He also told ADIR that
Taiwan itself is under "tremendous pressure" from China but
that U.S. criticism is helping to generate more public
support for the DPP referendum. He concluded that President
Chen, nevertheless, "knows his own responsibility."
3. (S) Saturday evening, AIT closely monitored the DPP's
Kaohsiung rally (reported septel) and informed the Department
that there had been no surpises in President Chen's speech
(Ref B). The only part in which Chen repeated his standard
line about Taiwan being an independent sovereign state came
at the end of the speech, where he said that, contrary to the
PRC's claim that Taiwan is part of China, no one in Taiwan
agrees. Taiwan people, he continued, believe that there is
one state on each side of the Strait. Apart from that, most
of the speech focused on mobilizing the people to sign the UN
referendum petitiion and to vote in the upcoming elections.
YOUNG