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. TAIPEI 00002162 002 OF 002 YOUNG