TAIWAN TO APPLY FOR WHO MEMBERSHIP

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 000768

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/06/2032
TAGS: PREL WHO TBIO TW CH
SUBJECT: TAIWAN TO APPLY FOR WHO MEMBERSHIP

REF: TAIPEI 00719

Classified By: AIT Acting Director Robert S. Wang,
Reason 1.4 (b/d)


1. (C) Summary: Foreign Minister James Huang informed the
Acting Director on April 6 that Taiwan has decided to apply
for WHO membership rather than WHA observership this year.
President Chen Shui-bian will send a letter directly to WHO
Director-General Margaret Chan on April 12 applying for
membership under the name "Taiwan." Because WHO procedures
allow the Director-General to invite applicants for
membership to become WHA observers while their applications
are under review, there will be a linkage between the quests
for observership and membership. Huang said Taiwan has
decided on this new approach because of strong domestic
pressure, frustration over the lack of substantive results in
its ten-year campaign for WHA observership, and frustration
that its efforts at meaningful participation have been
"seriously obstructed by the 2005 China-WHO MOU." Huang, who
expressed hope the U.S. would continue to support Taiwan's
approach, noted that TECRO Representative David Lee will be
instructed to deliver the same message in Washington.
Pointing out that he had no instructions, ADIR said he would
report to Washington immediately. Nonetheless, established
U.S. policy, ADIR noted, is to support meaningful
participation and observer status but not membership for
Taiwan. Speaking informally, he expressed concern that a
membership campaign might undermine Taiwan's efforts to
increase meaningful participation and to become a WHA
observer. End Summary.


2. (C) Foreign Minister James Huang informed the Acting
Director on April 6 that Taiwan has decided to apply for
membership to the World Health Organization (WHO) ahead of
the World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting scheduled for May
13-24. President Chen Shui-bian will send an application
letter directly to WHO Director-General Margaret Chan on
April 12, the first such letter by the President, requesting
membership status under the name "Taiwan." Huang asserted
that the use of "Taiwan" does not represent a "name change"
as Taiwan has previously applied for observer status under
the name "Health Entity of Taiwan" or "Taiwan." Huang added
that Taiwan will request also that Director-General Chan
grant Taiwan interim observer status while its membership
application is under review. (Note: MOFA Director-General
for International Organizations David Lin pointed out that
the Director-General "may" extend such an invitation under
WHO regulations. Lin also said that Taiwan will not
separately apply for WHA observer status this year as that
would conflict with its membership application.)


3. (C) Huang stated that Taiwan is departing from its
previous approach of applying for WHA observer status because
of strong domestic pressure to seek membership rather than
observership, frustration with a lack of substantive results
from its ten-year observership campaign, and the "serious
obstruction" of the 2005 China-WHO MOU to Taiwan's efforts to
increase meaningful participation in working-level meetings.
Huang cited a recent public opinion poll that shows over 90
percent of people on Taiwan support applying for WHO
membership and he noted that large numbers of legislators and
medical professionals have been pressuring the administration
to initiate such a campaign.


4. (C) Huang expressed hope the U.S. would "continue to
support" Taiwan's approach this year, pointing to U.S.
previous support for observer status and meaningful
participation. Huang said MOFA would be prepared to send an
official to Washington in late April if needed to further
discuss Taiwan WHO strategy. Huang expressed hope that
Washington would inform U.S. representatives in Geneva about
Taiwan's membership application and that Taiwan and U.S.
representatives could coordinate in Geneva. Huang said he
would instruct TECRO Representative David Lee to deliver the
same message on the Taiwan decision to apply for WHO
membership to U.S. officials in Washington. Huang noted that

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the U.S. was the first country to be informed of the new
Taiwan approach and he added that Taiwan would solicit the
support of its diplomatic partners for its membership
application. Huang asked the U.S. to keep the current
consultations with Taiwan on this issue confidential, adding
that Taiwan plans to make a public announcement of its
decision next week after the letter is delivered to the WHO.
Having said this, Foreign Minister Huang and Director-General
Lee claimed that Taiwan has no intention of "politicizing"
the WHO membership campaign.


5. (C) Emphasizing that he was speaking without
instructions, ADIR noted that the U.S. supports meaningful
participation and observer status for Taiwan but not
membership. Speaking informally, he expressed concerns that
Taiwan's decision to apply for membership under the name
Taiwan might well undermine the long-term, patient efforts to
increase Taiwan's meaningful participation in working-level
WHO meetings and to increase support for Taiwan's
observership bid. ADIR agreed to convey this request to
Washington.
WANG