AIT CHAIRMAN BURGHARDT AND FOREIGN MINISTER HUANG

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TAIPEI 002591

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/11/2032
TAGS: PREL PGOV CH TW
SUBJECT: AIT CHAIRMAN BURGHARDT AND FOREIGN MINISTER HUANG
DISCUSS UN REFERENDUM, U.S.-TAIWAN TIES


Classified By: AIT Director Stephen M. Young. Reason(s):
1.4 (B/D)


1. (C) Summary. In response to AIT Chairman Burghardt's
expression of serious U.S. concern over the ruling DPP's UN
referendum in their December 10 meeting, Foreign Minister
James Huang insisted the referendum would not actually change
anything. Explaining that he was carrying messages from
President Bush and Secretary Rice, Chairman Burghardt
stressed that the referendum appeared to be a violation of
President Chen's "four no's" pledge. Huang countered that
President Chen is not trying to block cross-Strait progress
or constrain his successor, as his opposition to the ruling
DPP's "normal country resolution" in September clearly
demonstrated. End Summary.


2. (C) AIT Chairman Ray Burghardt met with Foreign Minister
James Huang on December 10. Huang was accompanied by MOFA
North American Affairs Director-General Leo Lee and Section
Chief Douglas Hsu, while AIT Director Young, Deputy Director
Wang and EAP/TC Acting Director Douglas Spelman accompanied
Burghardt.

Chairman Burghardt Conveys U.S. Concerns
--------------


3. (C) FM Huang started by asking Burghardt for his
assessment of the state of U.S.-Taiwan bilateral ties.
Burghardt replied that there continues to be serious concern
in Washington over both the Democratic Progressive Party
(DPP) UN referendum and what Taiwan authorities might say
about the referendum if it passes. He noted that during
President Chen's August 2007 transit stop in Anchorage, the
President had responded to his query on what he (Chen) would
say the day after the referendum with "you worry too much."
Chen had then spent the next two hours insisting the
referendum meant just what it said and had nothing to do with
independence. Washington, however, is quite concerned,
Burghardt told Huang, particularly in light of Chen's recent
assertions that the referendum gives Taiwan voters a choice
between unification and independence. Chen, he stressed, has
already gone well beyond the text of the referendum, and his
statements appear to be a violation of his "four no's"
pledge, as well as his pledge not to hold a referendum on
independence.


4. (C) Burghardt advised FM Huang that he had brought
messages from President Bush for President Chen and from
Secretary Rice for each of the presidential candidates.

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These messages, he explained, reflect Washington's concerns.
At the same time, he continued, the U.S. is urging Beijing
not to overreact to developments in Taiwan, stressing that
the referendum would not alter Taiwan's international status
even if it passes. Noting that the U.S. is sometimes
criticized in Taiwan for not standing up to the PRC,
Burghardt pointed to DAS Christensen's explanation of U.S.
policy in his September speech to the US-Taiwan Business
Council and Deputy Secretary Negroponte's admonishment to
both Taiwan and the PRC in his October speech to the National
Committee on U.S.-China Relations.

FM Huang Insists Referendum Does not Equal Independence
-------------- --------------


5. (C) Huang responded that the U.S. should recognize that
campaign rhetoric is different from official policy. His own
public statements in support of DPP legislative candidates at
night and on weekends, he pointed out, are quite different
from those he utters during working hours as Foreign
Minister. Most of President Chen's statements about which
the U.S. is worried, he continued, were actually made on the
campaign trail and should be seen in that light. Huang noted
that he is particularly concerned over DAS Christensen's
statement that the UN referendum is intended to change the
status quo. Burghardt responded that DAS Christensen is very
concerned about developments in Taiwan and was expressing
concerns that he and other senior leaders in Washington

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share.


6. (C) FM Huang told Burghardt that President Chen has
assured Director Young there will be no surprises. Even if
the referendum passes, he said, there will be no changes.
"The Constitution is still there," he said, "and nothing will
change." To Burghardt's query whether the DPP referendum
would require the next president to apply for UN membership
under the name Taiwan, FM Huang responded "I don't think it
is that clear." (AIT Comment: KMT Ma Ying-jeou expressed
similar concern to Burghardt in their December 9 meeting
(reported septel); however, the wording of the DPP resolution
-- "do you agree with the government joining the UN under the
name "Taiwan" -- does not specically mandate action. End
Comment.)


7. (C) If the referendum equals de jure independence, as
Beijing claims, then we must ask what definition of "de jure"
Beijing is using, Huang argued. De jure independence is a
red line that means a formal commitment or declaration,
neither of which President Chen has the authority to make.
Chairman Burghardt responded that the DPP referendum appears
to be a deliberate effort to box in the next president and
prevent pursuit of cross-Strait peace.


8. (C) Noting that he has been out on the hustings
campaigning for DPP legislative candidates, FM Huang said, "I
can tell you there is strong support for UN membership." But
whatever Taiwan does, he continued, Beijing inevitably
equates it with independence, so it is no surprise that
Beijing considers the DPP referendum equivalent to
independence. In actuality, Huang insisted, these are two
separate issues: UN membership, which is a long-term policy
goal for Taiwan, and the DPP referendum, which is just a tool
of democracy. If the U.S. does not make a big deal of the
referendum, he argued, then Beijing could not do so.
Conversely, if the U.S. criticizes the referendum, then
Beijing will redouble its criticisms.


9. (C) Taiwan authorities, Huang told Burghardt, know "where
the limits are." If President Chen had intended the DPP
referendum to constrain the next president, then he would not
have opposed the DPP "normal country resolution" in
September. On the contrary, Huang argued, the president had
worked hard to kill that resolution, showing that the
objective of his referendum "is not independence." Had the
president intended to change the status quo, Huang
reiterated, he would have supported the normal country
resolution.


10. (C) The U.S. may want to maintain an ambiguous
China-Taiwan policy, FM Huang told Burghardt, but Taiwan must
have a clear identity. Otherwise, he mused, Taiwan could end
up like Hong Kong and Macao. Unfortunately, the Director
weighed in, the DPP UN referendum will probably have the
opposite effect and negatively affect Taiwan efforts to get
in the UN.

This, Too, Shall Pass
--------------


11. (C) When the Director asked Huang what else is on the
president's mind for his meeting later that same day with
Chairman Burghardt, Huang replied, chuckling, "Referenda!"
After a moment, he added that the President might raise the
issue of PRC efforts to establish a flight route over the
mid-line of the Taiwan Strait.


11. (C) Burghardt assured FM Huang that the U.S. strongly
supports Taiwan's participation in international
organizations not requiring statehood and is working hard to
achieve this. The incident this fall in which the PRC failed
to convey a WHO epidemiological threat warning to Taiwan
should not have happened and must not be repeated. The U.S.
views PRC efforts to establish a mid-line flight route as a
serious matter, he continued, and we are discussing this with
the ICAO Secretariat, ICAO members, and the PRC. The

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Director interjected that AIT is working closely with the
Ministry of National Defense (MND) on this issue and DAS
Christensen is accompanying Treasury Secretary Paulsen to
Beijing for the Senior Economic Dialogue, where he will
likely discuss this issue on the side with PRC authorities.
Burghardt noted that President Chen's public statement last
week on PRC efforts to establish a mid-line flight route
might have complicated our efforts to deal with the issue
more quietly.


12. (C) Chairman Burghardt concluded by assessing that,
despite irritants during this election season, the overall
U.S.-Taiwan relationship remains strong. Noting that
democratic nations, including the U.S., sometimes adopt
unwise policies, he stressed the importance of learning "how
to live in one's neighborhood."


13. (C) Chairman Burghardt did not have the opportunity to
review this message.
YOUNG