TAIWAN FOREIGN MINISTER FRANCISCO OU: A PROFILE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 000758 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR TW SUBJECT: TAIWAN FOREIGN MINISTER FRANCISCO OU: A PROFILE SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Taiwan's new Foreign Minister Francisco H. ¶L. Ou (Hung-lien) is a strong proponent of President Ma Ying-jeou's proposal to "call a diplomatic truce" with Beijing over competition for recognition from small countries in the Americas, South Pacific, and Africa. A distinguished career diplomat whose most recent assignment was Ambassador to Guatemala (2003-2008),Ou brings extensive experience in Latin American affairs to the Ma administration. He has spent the majority of his career serving in the region, the location of 12 of the 23 countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Taipei. Ou enjoys a long history of close ties to top KMT leaders, and Taichung Mayor Jason Hu, a former foreign minister, reportedly strongly backed Ou for his new assignment. End Summary. Why Ou? -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Francisco Ou has a distinguished record as a Taiwan career diplomat. After joining Taiwan's foreign service in 1964, he attained fluency in Spanish and subsequently served in the Foreign Ministry, five different countries in South and Central America, and as Taiwan's representative to Spain (2000-2003). Ou has cultivated warm personal relations with the leaders in some countries where he has served, and his skill and effectiveness as a diplomat is credited with saving some of Taiwan's diplomatic relationships. His experience and expertise on Latin America will be an important asset to the new administration as it works to retain ties with Taiwan's 23 remaining diplomatic partners, 12 of which are concentrated in the region. ¶3. (SBU) Early in his career, Ou caught the eye of top KMT leaders while serving as Spanish language interpreter for late Presidents Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo. Chiang Ching-kuo was so impressed that he had the Foreign Ministry set up a second Director General position specially for Ou in the Department of Central and South American Affairs. Ou was a classmate of Vincent Siew at National Chengchi University and he has worked both with Siew and Ma Ying-jeou in the past. Ou has close relations with Taichung Mayor Jason Hu, a former foreign minister. Once, when Ou was medevaced back to Taipei after having been felled by hepatitis while working too hard at his post in Central America, Hu went specially to the airport to receive the ailing diplomat. Reportedly, Hu strongly recommended Ou for the foreign minister position. Some have suggested that Ou's Hakka ethnicity may have also factored into his appointment as Ma sought to diversify the ethnic makeup of his cabinet. A New Foreign Policy Path -------------- ¶4. (SBU) In line with Ma's foreign policy platform, Ou has said Taiwan should end its past reliance on "checkbook diplomacy" as a means of securing diplomatic allies. Rather, Taiwan should seek to enhance its profile on the international stage through meaningful participation in international organizations and by strengthening informal relations with important partners such as the U.S. While downplaying the potential for further attrition of Taiwan's diplomatic partners, Ou has rejected the idea that Taiwan must maintain a certain minimum number of formal diplomatic ties and argued that the competition for recognition has contributed to cross-Strait tension. ¶5. (SBU) Ou has repeatedly made the case that Taiwan and China should pursue a "diplomatic truce" to limit the waste of financial and other resources and minimize the ability of third countries to exploit the Taipei-Beijing rivalry for their own gain. However, Ou has cautioned that effective cooperation between the two sides is predicated on Beijing's willingness to allow Taiwan more international space. According to Ou, dignity and pragmatism remain the key principles for upholding national interests. ¶6. (SBU) Although he has pledged to move away from using TAIPEI 00000758 002 OF 002 "checkbook diplomacy" to "buy" new diplomatic recognitions, Ou has made clear that Taiwan will continue to provide aid to its existing less developed diplomatic allies. Ou has argued that such aid is justified, fulfilling the responsibility that more developed countries have to assist developing countries. In addition, Ou contends that Taiwan should demonstrate a certain degree of reciprocity to express gratitude to allies that have continued to provide vocal support for Taiwan in the international community, Biographic Data -------------- ¶5. (U) Present Position: Minister of Foreign Affairs, May 2008-present. ¶6. (U) Previous Positions: Ambassador of the Republic of China to Guatemala, 2003-2008; Representative, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Spain, 2000-2003; Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, 1996-2000; Ambassador of the Republic of China to Guatemala, 1990-1996; Director, Taiwan Commercial Office in Argentina, 1986-1990; Ambassador of the Republic of China to Nicaragua, 1984-1985; Director General, Department of Central and South American Affairs, MOFA, 1981-1984; Director, Far East Commercial Office in Santiago, Chile, 1975-1981; Deputy Director General, Department of Central and South American Affairs, MOFA, 1973-1975; Section Chief, Department of Central and South American Affairs, MOFA, 1971-1973; Second Secretary, Embassy of the Republic of China in Peru, 1971; Third Secretary, Embassy of the Republic of China in Peru, 1967-1971; Officer, Department of Central and South American Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1964-1967. ¶7. (U) Education: B.A., Department of Diplomacy, National Chengchi University, Taiwan, 1962. ¶8. (U) DPOB: January 5, 1940, Hualien County, Taiwan. Language proficiencies: Spanish, fluent; English, highly proficient. WANG