Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09TAIPEI102
2009-01-23 04:08:00
CONFIDENTIAL
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:  

TAIWAN CDC DIRECTOR ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT ON IHR

Tags:  WHO PREL TW CH 
pdf how-to read a cable
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 000102 

SIPDIS

GENEVA FOR HOHMAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/21/2019
TAGS: WHO PREL TW CH
SUBJECT: TAIWAN CDC DIRECTOR ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT ON IHR
IMPLEMENTATION

REF: AIT/T-EAP/TC-USMISSION GENEVA E-MAILS

Classified By: The Director for Reasons 1.4(b/d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 000102

SIPDIS

GENEVA FOR HOHMAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/21/2019
TAGS: WHO PREL TW CH
SUBJECT: TAIWAN CDC DIRECTOR ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT ON IHR
IMPLEMENTATION

REF: AIT/T-EAP/TC-USMISSION GENEVA E-MAILS

Classified By: The Director for Reasons 1.4(b/d)


1. (C) Summary. During a January 22 press conference,
Taiwan,s CDC Director announced an agreement to give Taiwan
a direct point of contact with the WHO to implement the
International Health Regulations (IHRs). Taiwan officials
privately expressed appreciation for U.S. coordination at the
recent World Health Assembly (WHA) Executive Board meeting in
Geneva and, in public comments, made clear that Taiwan still
hopes to obtain observer status at this May,s WHA meeting.
While today,s announcement represents a significant step
forward in Taiwan,s quest for meaningful participation in
international organizations, President Ma remains under
pressure to secure observership in May. End Summary.


2. (U) Taiwan and the WHO have agreed on a proposal that will
allow Taiwan to contact the WHO directly to implement the
WHO,s International Health Regulations (IHR),CDC Director
Steve Hsu-Sung Kuo announced at a January 22 press
conference. Kuo referred to letter (dated January 2, but
received in Taipei on January 13) from Bernard Kean,
Executive Director of the WHO Director General,s office,
characterizing it as a positive development in Taiwan,s
efforts to expand its meaningful participation in key
international organizations. The letter lays out procedures
for Taiwan,s CDC to contact the WHO directly (i.e., without
any PRC involvement) while expressly limiting the channel to
technical, and not political, exchanges. Kuo said the step
was the result of improvement in cross-Strait relations,
noting that is highest-level communication the CDC had
received from the WHO since Margaret Chan took over the UN
agency in 2006. Nevertheless, Kuo emphasized, Taiwan still
hoped to secure WHA observer status at the WHA meeting this
May.


3. (SBU) Shortly before Kuo,s press conference, MOFA Deputy
Director General Lily Hsu contacted Pol chief to alert him to
the upcoming announcement and express appreciation for the
close U.S.-Taiwan coordination during the recent WHO
Executive Board meeting in Geneva. In addition to Kuo,s
public statements, Hsu said, the CDC Director would send the

WHO a formal response to the letter. The CDC letter was the
product of extensive interagency discussions that concluded
late in the evening of January 21 ) driven by the need to
close the issue before the start of the nine-day Chinese New
Year holiday.


4. (SBU) Hsu echoed Kuo,s public comments on the positive
nature of the development, but noted that the real test of
the agreement would come as Taiwan sought to implement it.
Hsu also expressed concern about how Taiwan,s media )
particularly those inclined to support the opposition DPP
party - would view the agreement. Hsu agreed to provide AIT
with the text of Kuo,s letter as soon as possible.


5. (C) In a January 21 meeting with the Director, National
Security Advisor Su Chi expressed relief that things had gone
well in Geneva this past week on IHR. The primary importance
of the agreement, he said, was the WHO decision to come
directly to Taiwan with information, and no longer route such
info through China, an arrangement China had presumably
approved. Su praised the excellent contact Taiwan enjoyed
with its friends (U.S., EU, Japan) in Geneva.

Comment
--------------

6. (C) President Ma has called for setting aside political
fights with Beijing (which Taipei stands little chance of
winning) in favor of a pragmatic effort to advance Taiwan,s
ability to have meaningful, direct access to key
international bodies. From that perspective, this agreement
would seem to be a significant victory for the President (and
for the U.S. policy objective of supporting Taiwan,s
meaningful participation in international organizations).
One indication of the significance of this agreement has been
the relatively positive coverage it has received, even from
opposition DPP-leaning media outlets. Some have suggested
that Beijing has now given all it plans to give Taiwan on
WHO/WHA participation in 2009, and will block Taiwan,s bid
for WHA observer status this May. This is based on the

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premise that allowing too much progress, too soon will raise
expectations on Taiwan and force Beijing to make even larger
&concessions8 to support President Ma,s re-election
campaign (or, more accurately, fend off a challenge from a
potentially resurgent pro-independence DPP) in 2012. This
overlooks the fact that the arrangement does nothing to
undermine China,s position on its sovereignty over Taiwan.
Such a position would also reflect a serious misunderstanding
of Taiwan,s political situation. Whatever the practical
implications of today,s announcement, in the public eye, it
would not be a substitute for the symbolically-important
observer status. Some have speculated that China will limit
this to a "one off" invitation good only for this year.
President Ma has built up public expectations for progress at
the WHA meeting in May, and failure to deliver regular
observer status may force him to take a less accommodating
attitude towards Beijing.
SYOUNG