TAIWAN SEEKS U.S. SUPPORT IN WHO AND OTHER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 002445 SIPDIS SIPDIS GENEVA FOR DAVID HOHMAN; DEPARTMENT PASS USDA/APHIS/CVO/JCLIFFORD, USDA/FAS/OSTA/WBRANT, DOC/ITA/FCS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/2012 TAGS: PREL AMED ETRD TBIO EAGR ECON WHO CH TW SUBJECT: TAIWAN SEEKS U.S. SUPPORT IN WHO AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS REF: A. TAIPEI 00719 ¶B. TAIPEI 00805 ¶C. TAIPEI 01061 Classified By: AIT DEPUTY DIRECTOR ROBERT S. WANG FOR REASONS 1.4 B/D ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: On November 1, the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs International Organizations DG David Lin requested a meeting with AIT to discuss access problems Taiwan is experiencing with WHO under the International Health Regulations (IHRs). In September, WHO sent a warning on tainted baby corn exports from Thailand to Beijing requesting transmission to Taiwan, but that transmission was delayed for nearly ten days. In addition, Lin also detailed problems of access and nomenclature Taiwan is experiencing with three other international organizations (IOs) under PRC pressure --World Animal Health Organization (OIE),Internet Corporation on Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the Kimberly Process. Although the issues revolved mostly around participation and nomenclature, they all stem from the PRC's full-court press to diminish Taiwan's position in IOs through the mechanism of MOUs between the PRC and each IO. AIT reiterated to MOFA that the U.S. remains committed in supporting Taiwan's meaningful participation in WHO and other relevant IO's and promised to pass on Taiwan's concerns to Washington and to US Mission Geneva. END SUMMARY ¶2. (C) MOFA/IO Director-General David Lin (Yung-lo) requested a meeting with AIT to discuss Taiwan problems in communicating with WHO. This meeting was apparently intended to substitute for a meeting FM James Huang had requested with the Director on October 24 to discuss the nearly ten-day delay in a WHO health warning reaching Taiwan via the PRC. (Note: DIR was on official travel to Kaohsiung that day, and FM Huang was not available for a later meeting.) Lin also raised Taiwan participation problems in three other IOs. WHO: IMPLEMENTING IHRs VIA BEIJING NOT WORKING -------------- -- ¶3. (C) DG David Lin expressed Taiwan's grave concern to AIT Political Chief and ESTH Officer about the warning WHO issued in early September about Thailand exports of baby corn tainted with Shigella dysenteriae. WHO transmitted this warning via Beijing, which delayed informing Taipei for nearly ten days. Lin said Taiwan is concerned this may set a precedent for WHO notifications of Taiwan under the International Health Regulations (IHR's),with WHO notifying Beijing and relying on Beijing to pass the information to Taiwan. Lin said Geneva TECRO chief Shen Lyu-shun contacted WHO legal counsel Gian Luca Burci about this incident. Burci, he said, agreed "in principle" to help facilitate Taiwan contact with the WHO Secretariat. (Note: Lin also gave AIT a copy of the letter of protest Shen sent to Burci, which has been e-mailed to EAP/TC and USMission Geneva's David Hohman. End Note) ¶4. (C) DG Lin asked the U.S. and its friends to weigh in to support ldevising a practical, effective solution which would address both the gap in information and the need for implementing the IHR's. Lin also hoped the WHO would appoint a WHO contact point for Taiwan, such as Legal Counselor Burci, to facilitate communication in emergency situations as a temporary arrangement. AIT Pol Chief assured Lin that the U.S. remains committed to supporting Taiwan's meaningful participation in WHO activities and that the U.S. will continue discussing Taiwan's situation regarding IHR implementation with like-minded nations. Deputy DG Lily Hsu told AIT that the EU had expressed its concern over the notification issue and planned to send a representative to Geneva to address the issue with WHO after the EU/China summit in November. OIE RESOLUTION OVER PRC MOU -------------- ¶5. (C) DG Lin then raised the issue of Taiwan's participation in the World Animal Health Organization (OIE) where Taiwan is a non-sovereign regional member. He gave AIT a copy of a letter to Taiwan from OIE Secretary Barry O'Neill TAIPEI 00002445 002 OF 002 concerning a proposed resolution dealing with restoration of PRC rights in the OIE. O'Neill's letter promised support for Taiwan participation and voting within the OIE international committee. Lin told AIT that O'Neill and his Executive Director Bernard Vallet plan to visit Taiwan in March 2008 to discuss the issue of Taiwan participation further. Lin hopes for U.S. support in avoiding another PRC MOU, such as that with the WHO, limiting Taiwan participation. He told AIT the OIE letter is a good example of the "pragmatic approach" Taiwan is hoping for in its battle to maintain meaningful participation in IO's where its participation is under assault from the PRC. He lamented, however, that the letter omitted specific guidelines on how to implement and guarantee Taiwan's right to participate and vote. (Note: a copy of the letter -- intended for USG internal use only -- is being e-mailed to EAP/TC. End Note). ICANN -- YES TO PRC, NO TO MOU -------------- ¶6. (C) Lin also raised problems regarding PRC accession to, and Taiwan participation in, ICANN (Internet Corporation on Assigned Names and Numbers),in which Taiwan currently participates as a "distinct economy." Lin explained that ICANN President and CEO Paul Twomey, tried to invite the PRC to participate in its Government Advisory Committee (GAC) without specific mention of Taiwan. Objecting to Taiwan being listed as a "distinct economy," the PRC refused Twomey's initiative and, Lin surmised, is holding out for terms that would likely diminish Taiwan's status within ICANN, such as designating Taiwan in language similar to that for Hong Kong and Macau. Lin requested U.S. assistance in approaching Twomey in order to forestall a separate MOU regarding the status of Taiwan. KIMBERLY PROCESS -- OBSERVER STATUS -------------- ¶7. (C) The final request for assistance concerns Taiwan's participation in the Kimberly Process (KP),the organization set up to stem the flow of conflict diamonds. Lin said Taiwan has always participated as an observer. Lately, "for unknown reasons," its participation has been listed under the World Diamond Council, a body that has nothing to do with Taiwan's observership in KP. MOFA believes this is one more effort by the PRC to diminish Taiwan's IO participation, and Lin requested U.S. intercession to restore its old observer status in KP. U.S. SUPPORT FOR TAIWAN UNCHANGED -------------- ¶8. (C) AIT Pol Chief promised to pass on MOFA's concerns regarding WHO, OIE, ICANN and the Kimberly Process to Washington and Geneva. He assured DG Lin and Deputy DG Hsu that U.S. support for Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations remains unchanged. He noted, however, that following Taiwan's abortive application for full WHO membership in May 2007, the U.S. has found it more difficult to elicit support for Taiwan WHO participation from like-minded countries. YOUNG