Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07TAIPEI2445
2007-11-06 05:17:00
CONFIDENTIAL
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:  

TAIWAN SEEKS U.S. SUPPORT IN WHO AND OTHER

Tags:  PREL AMED ETRD TBIO EAGR ECON WHO CH TW 
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VZCZCXRO8676
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHIN #2445/01 3100517
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 060517Z NOV 07
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7302
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 7413
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS PRIORITY 0617
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 8996
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 9198
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 1904
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 1823
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
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

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