UPDATE ON UN REFERENCES TO TAIWAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000679 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/16/2012 TAGS: PREL UNSC SUBJECT: UPDATE ON UN REFERENCES TO TAIWAN REF: USUN 645 Classified By: Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Upon his return to New York August 13, UN SYG Ban met with Amb Khalilzad to discuss a range of issues. On the issue of UN language on the status of Taiwan, Ban said he realized he had gone too far in his recent public statements, and confirmed that the UN would no longer use the phrase "Taiwan is a part of China," as reported reftel. ¶2. (C) Separately, the missions of Australia, Canada, Japan and New Zealand have consulted with USUN about the subject. In reaction to Washington's demarche and following USUN's engagement with the UN, Canada too demarched the UN and received the same commitment that the UN would no longer use this phrase. Australia had a similar low-level exchange with the UN's Office of Legal Affairs (OLA). Japan met August 15 with OLA Assistant Secretary-General Larry Johnson, who confirmed that in his most recent correspondence on this matter replying to the correspondence from the Solomon Islands and Swaziland he had dropped the unhelpful phrase. USUN urged New Zealand, who had not yet engaged the UN, to make clear to the UN that they too are monitoring the UN's terminology and that they share USG concerns about the need for increased caution during the presidential campaign in Taiwan. ¶3. (C) Comment: UN officials and foreign mission colleagues tracking this issue in New York are braced for more action from Taiwan, including during the annual consideration in September of inscription of items on the GA agenda by the General Committee of the UNGA. ( In recent years, friends of Taiwan have sought to inscribe an item related to UN membership for Taiwan.) In addition to the letter sent to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council in July (reftel),St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands and Swaziland sent a similar letter to the President of the Security Council (Congo) in August. The Congolese replied by referencing the 1971 UNGA resolution. End Comment. KHALILZAD