MALAWI TO SWITCH RECOGNITION FROM TAIPEI TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 000017 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/04/2018 TAGS: PREL MI TW SUBJECT: MALAWI TO SWITCH RECOGNITION FROM TAIPEI TO BEIJING? Classified By: AIT Deputy Director Robert S. Wang, Reasons: 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Taiwan's effort to prevent the loss of diplomatic recognition by Malawi is running into difficulty as the Malawi government on January 4 declined a request by Foreign Minister James Huang to meet with the president and foreign minister. Huang left Taipei for Malawi on January 2 hoping to woo back the Malawi government after reportedly learning that the Malawians had decided to abandon their 41-year relationship with Taipei for Beijing. The Malawian rebuff forced Huang to divert to Swaziland, where he will likely be seeking to shore up relations with Taipei's remaining allies in the region. The loss of Malawi, when and if it finally comes, will be a big blow to Taiwan's formal presence in Africa, reducing the number of countries on the continent that recognize Taiwan to just four (Burkina Faso, Sao Tome, Swaziland, and Gambia). Nonetheless, Taiwan foreign policy analysts do not expect a "domino effect" to materialize in the immediate future. End summary. Malawi Choosing Beijing over Taipei? -------------- ¶2. (C) According to Taiwan press reports, Malawi has signed a "secret" agreement with Beijing to switch diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to the PRC after being offered a large aid deal that some claimed was as large as USD 6 billion. Taiwan FM James Huang departed for Malawi on January 2 in an effort to salvage formal ties, but according to a Taiwan MOFA spokesperson, the Foreign Minister had to scrap his trip on January 4 after Malawi government officials said their President and Foreign Minister were unavailable. (Note: FM Huang had told the Director in a meeting on December 31 that the "unavailability" of the Malawi President would be a clear signal that Malawi had made its decision to switch. He also anticipated the switch, if it occurs, to be announced after the LY election on January 12.) After the losses of Senegal in 2005 and Chad in 2006, losing Malawi would leave Taiwan with only four diplomatic partners in Africa (Swaziland, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Sao Tome) and 23 worldwide (down from 29 when President Chen Shui-bian took office in 2000). ¶3. (C) Malawi Ambassador to Taiwan Thengo Maloya on January 4 told AIT that his foreign ministry has not provided him with any information about Malawi switching ties from Taiwan to China or of Beijing signing any deal with Lilongwe. Ambassador Maloya said MOFA "speculation" stemmed from the visit of Malawi's ministers to Beijing for what he described as a "UN health-related meeting." ¶4. (C) Ambassador Maloya said Taiwan has greatly helped Malawi, proving funds to construct a USD 10-18 million parliament building, granting USD 15 million for a road project, constructing a 300-bed hospital, sending a technical mission to Malawi, establishing a skill training center in Malawi, and funding scholarships for Malawi students to study in Taiwan (there are currently 29). The Ambassador stressed, however, that Malawi needs to continue to develop its resources, a priority for President Bingu Wa Mutharika since he was elected in 2004. The Ambassador seemed to be implying that Beijing could prove an attractive partner to his government. Implications for Taiwan: No Domino Effect, For Now -------------- -------------- ¶5. (C) National Chengchi University Professor Yen Chen-shen told AIT that Malawi's switch, if and when it finally comes, would hurt Taipei because Taiwan has had diplomatic ties with Malawi for over forty years and there are no good prospects for getting other countries in Africa to recognize Taiwan. It is also tragic, he said, because unlike Swaziland, Malawi TAIPEI 00000017 002 OF 002 is democratic, not internationally isolated, and has a fairly large population (about 12 million people). Professor Yen thinks Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian could have done more to keep Taiwan from losing Malawi, for example by commemorating the fortieth anniversary of bilateral ties in ¶2006. Chen deserves to be praised for making frequent trips to Africa, Professor Yen said, but also to be criticized for using these trips only as a background for his domestic political agenda. Professor Yen thinks the administration should have at least created a dossier of projects Taiwan has supported in Malawi or organized a forum for retired diplomats to highlight Taiwan's contributions to Malawi. ¶6. (C) Malawi's switching of diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China would not have a "domino effect" in Africa or anywhere elsewhere, predicted Professor Yen, but in the longer run, other countries are likely to make the same switch. Some have argued that losing Malawi would leave Swaziland "vulnerable" as Taiwan's only diplomatic partner in Southern Africa. Professor Yen said, however, that Swaziland is Taiwan's strongest ally in Africa because it is "small, poor, and stable," does not have mineral resources, and has recognized Taiwan for nearly forty years. Professor Yen also does not think that any of the other three African countries that recognize Taiwan--Burkina Faso, Gambia, Sao Tome--will switch diplomatic ties anytime soon. ¶7. (C) After Malawi, the African country most likely to derecognize Taiwan is Sao Tome. Professor Yen explained that the country's potential oil reserves, a possible change in government, and the relatively newness of diplomatic ties with Taipei all make Sao Tome vulnerable. The discovery of oil, in particular, goes well with the Chinese demand for oil and China's willingness to help extract it. Sao Tome has only recognized Taiwan since 1997 and another change in government, which Professor Yen thinks is possible, could tip the scales in Beijing's favor. Likewise, Gambia might also have oil and consequently an incentive to work with Beijing. Burkina Faso does not have oil, but Professor Yen says it might switch because its president, who is considered a "big man" in Africa after staying in office over twenty years, has become increasingly active internationally. ¶8. (C) In the longer term, Taiwan is likely to lose diplomatic recognition from more countries, Professor Yen said, because besides advice on economic development and limited assistance, Taipei cannot outspend China over the long-term. Professor Yen asserted that PRC entrepreneurs are currently bribing their way into most countries in Africa. Comment -------------- ¶9. (C) The loss of Malawi would be the third African country to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan in the last three years. Despite some press rumors that Taiwan was close to gaining recognition from other countries in Africa, Taipei appears to be facing an uphill battle on the continent given the PRC's growing clout. If the formal loss comes in the middle of Taiwan's current legislative and presidential election season, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is likely to try to use the issue for political gain, playing up Chinese hostile intentions to further squeeze Taiwan's international space. At the same time, the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) is likely to seize on this loss as a reflection of the DPP administration's failure in the international arena. YOUNG