TAIWAN REQUESTS US SUPPORT FOR "LIMITED" DEBATE IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 002162

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 9/19/2032
TAGS: AALC PREL UNGA AORG CH TW
SUBJECT: TAIWAN REQUESTS US SUPPORT FOR "LIMITED" DEBATE IN
UNGA

REF: A. SECSTATE 133171

B. NEW YORK 00773

C. TAIPEI 02139

D. SECSTATE 131494

Classified By: AIT Director Stephen M. Young, Reason 1.4 (b/d)


1. (C) Summary: Taiwan Acting Foreign Minister Yang Tzu-pao
called in the Director on September 21 to request U.S.
support for a "limited" debate on the Taiwan issue in UNGA.
Yang asserted that "closing" the debate to a two-plus-two
format during the September 18 GC meeting was not "friendly"
to Taiwan. He asked if the U.S. would support a two-plus-two
or three-plus-three open debate in the General Assembly,
suggesting that Taiwan's allies were likely to press such an
issue at the opening of the plenary on September 21. The
Director said he would convey the request to Washington but
noted that the U.S. voted for the two-plus-two format in the
General Committee and would be very unlikely to support
proposals to expand discussion of the Taiwan issue at UNGA.
End Summary.


2. (C) Taiwan Acting Foreign Minister Yang Tzu-pao, who was
scheduled to lead a delegation to the UN but canceled his
travel at the last minute, called in the Director on
September 21 to request U.S. support for a "limited" debate
on the Taiwan issue in the UN General Assembly. Yang said
Foreign Minister James Huang (Chih-fang) called this morning
from the Caribbean and instructed him to raise the issue with
AIT because the U.S. and Taiwan are "close friends" and
Taiwan's voice needs to be heard in the UN. Huang expressed
concern about the limitation of the Taiwan discussion on
September 18 to a two-plus-two, closed format in the General
Committee meeting. Yang asserted that "closing" the debate
on Taiwan's status was not "friendly" to Taiwan. He asked if
the U.S. would support a two-plus-two or three-plus-three
open debate in the General Assembly, suggesting that Taiwan's
allies were likely to press such an issue at the open of the
plenary on September 21. "If not," Yang asked "are there any
arrangements that the U.S. can support?"


3. (C) The Director responded that the U.S. seeks to follow
past practices in handling the Taiwan issue. The U.S. agreed
to the two-plus-two format in the General Committee and would
be very unlikely to support proposals to expand discussion of
the Taiwan issue at UNGA. The Director emphasized that the
U.S. prefers not to take a prominent role on the question of
Taiwan's application to the UN, but AIT would convey the
request to Washington.


4. (C) IO Acting Director-General Lily Hsu elaborated on
"potential" moves by Taiwan's allies in the UN, saying Taiwan
supporters are likely to push for a two-plus-two or similar
"limited" format for holding a debate during the UNGA
session. She suggested that Taiwan wants to avoid a
repetition of the "open, heated" debate during last year's
UNGA proceedings. The goal is to keep the debate "limited,"
Hsu emphasized, because Taiwan does not want to be a
"troublemaker." Lily said that Taiwan is more concerned
about what the U.S. may say, rather than do, at the upcoming
Plenary in response to any proposals tabled by Taiwan's
allies.


5. (C) The Director emphasized that the U.S. would prefer
not to take an active role on behalf of Taiwan during any of
the UN proceedings and wants to keep to the practices used
over the past two years. He said the U.S. in the end will
look at the context and the situation and respond according
to our long-standing policy, which does not support Taiwan
membership in international organizations where sovereignty
is a prerequisite. He said that by pushing on the UN issue,
Taiwan leaders were making it more difficult to expand
Taiwan's international space as China would work even harder
to oppose Taiwan in international organizations. Yang
replied that Taiwan's leaders are well aware of the potential
downside, but added that even some "small, symbolic" gesture
at UNGA is important for the ruling party.

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