CHINA DOES NOT WANT TAIWAN IN THE CGPCS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 002408 SIPDIS DEPT FOR PM/PPA DONNA HOPKINS AND DAVID FORAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/20/2029 TAGS: PREL EWWT MARR PGOV PHSA PHUM SO CH SUBJECT: CHINA DOES NOT WANT TAIWAN IN THE CGPCS REF: SECSTATE 85758 Classified By: Deputy Political Section Chief Ben Moeling, reasons 1.4 (b, d) ¶1. (C) China would oppose Taiwan participation in the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS),but otherwise welcomes broader participation, according to MFA International Organizations and Conferences Department UN Affairs Division official Cheng Lie. Cheng, who plans to attend the September CGPCS meeting chaired by Japan, told PolOff August 20 in response to reftel points encouraging increased participation in CGPCS meetings that China was "flexible and open" to membership and participation in the CGPCS, but was concerned that participation should not be open to "non-governmental entities" that might "cause problems for China," specifically Taiwan. While China concurred with the U.S. view that membership in the CGPCS should not be impeded by political agendas, China did not want to see Taiwan's participation in the group, said Cheng. ¶2. (C) China was satisfied thus far with the progress of the CGPCS and viewed it as an "effective and useful" forum for ongoing discussions, said Cheng, adding that China had no immediate plans to alter the size of its current contingent of two destroyers and one supply vessel dispatched in the region. Cheng told POLOFF that China would like to focus on enhanced coordination of military efforts with other countries. China's proposal was to demarcate the region into areas of responsibilities by country, with each country responsible for patrolling the waters in its designated area. China believed that this would be the safest and most efficient use of military assets, Cheng concluded. GOLDBERG