Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09TAIPEI1420
2009-12-03 07:46:00
CONFIDENTIAL
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:
CLARIFYING U.S. POLICY ON TAIWAN PARTICIPATION IN
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 001420
SIPDIS
STATE ALSO FOR EAP/TC, EAP/CM LBRAUNOHLER, OES/OMC JFIELD,
HKOEHLER, L/EAP MMITCHELL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2019
TAGS: ECON EFIS PGOV PREL PHSA SENV CH TW XB
SUBJECT: CLARIFYING U.S. POLICY ON TAIWAN PARTICIPATION IN
REGIONAL FISHERIES MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONS
REF: A. EAP/TC-OES/OMC EMAILS
B. STATE 87368
C. TAIPEI 1113
Classified By: Bill Stanton, AIT Director,
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 001420
SIPDIS
STATE ALSO FOR EAP/TC, EAP/CM LBRAUNOHLER, OES/OMC JFIELD,
HKOEHLER, L/EAP MMITCHELL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2019
TAGS: ECON EFIS PGOV PREL PHSA SENV CH TW XB
SUBJECT: CLARIFYING U.S. POLICY ON TAIWAN PARTICIPATION IN
REGIONAL FISHERIES MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONS
REF: A. EAP/TC-OES/OMC EMAILS
B. STATE 87368
C. TAIPEI 1113
Classified By: Bill Stanton, AIT Director,
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: Taiwan has one of the world's largest
fishing industries, and already plays an active role in
various regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs).
Taiwan's participation in these RFMOs helps meet U.S.
conservation and economic interests, as would its
participation in new and emerging RFMOs. Nonetheless,
Taiwan's concerns over its "sovereignty," as well as PRC
objections to Taiwan's participation in international
organizations, have the potential to detract from successful
management of regional fisheries. We should continue to
engage Taiwan on the importance of pragmatic fisheries
cooperation, while refraining from debates over
sovereignty/equal rights with Taiwan fisheries officials. At
the same time, we should also continue to support Taiwan's
meaningful participation in all international organizations
where statehood is not a prerequisite, and encourage
cross-Strait dialogue on fisheries issues without preemptive
capitulation to likely PRC objections. END SUMMARY.
--------------
AN ACTIVE TAIWAN IS IN OUR INTEREST
--------------
2. (C) Taiwan is home to one of the world's largest fishing
industries by measures of both capture and aquaculture, and
has an estimated 2,500 tuna-fishing vessels operating across
the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans. Taiwan has also
worked in partnership with a U.S. company to manufacture tuna
boats for the fleet of American Samoa, which has an economy
80 percent dependent on its tuna canneries. Taiwan already
participates in various fisheries organizations under
different membership statuses, including as:
- a Commission Member in the Western and Central Pacific
Fisheries Convention;
- a Cooperating Non-Party in the Inter-American Tropical Tuna
Commission;
- a Member in the International Scientific Committee for Tuna
and Tuna-Like Species in the North Pacific Ocean;
- a Cooperating Non-Contracting Party in the International
Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas;
- an Invited Expert in the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission;
- a Member of the Extended Commission in the Commission for
the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna; and
- an Observer in the OECD Committee of Fisheries.
These organizations provide a forum for Taiwan's active
engagement in regional fisheries management and conservation
activities, in many cases supporting U.S. environmental and
economic interests.
--------------
SOVEREIGNTY AND PRC OBJECTIONS
--------------
3. (C) Taiwan's participation in fisheries organizations is
complicated at times by its non-state status. For instance,
Taiwan cited "sovereignty" concerns in its unwillingness to
accept unilateral boarding/inspection requirements in the
U.S. North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC) draft
proposal this past November. In the case of the South
Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization (SPRFMO),
USG concerns have been raised internally about possible PRC
objections to Taiwan's participation and role in this
organization (reftel emails). These recent cases highlight
the two salient and reoccurring themes in Taiwan's
interaction with regional fisheries management organizations
(RFMOs): 1) the problem of sovereignty, and 2) continued PRC
efforts to limit Taiwan's participation in international
organizations. Both of these issues have the potential to
TAIPEI 00001420 002 OF 002
detract from successful management of regional fisheries and
negatively affect U.S. environmental and economic interests.
--------------
COMMENT: A PRAGMATIC WAY FORWARD
--------------
4. (C) We believe the USG should continue to support
Taiwan's meaningful participation in all international
organizations where statehood is not a prerequisite, but also
draw a distinction between such participation and Taiwan's
arguments asserting "sovereignty" and "equal rights." We
should continue to stress the importance of pragmatic
fisheries cooperation with the Taiwan authorities and refrain
from engaging in sovereignty/equal rights debates with Taiwan
fisheries officials.
5. (C) Taiwan and the PRC will have to work out a pragmatic
modus vivendi, but the lack of formal Taiwan-PRC discussions
on fisheries issue makes this difficult. Encouraging Taiwan
and the PRC to enhance cross-Strait fisheries cooperation is
in the U.S. interest. Closer cross-Strait fisheries
engagement could help bolster confidence-building and
dialogue between the two sides, and help defuse conflicts
before they happen. Finally, in our view, the U.S. should
only respond to formal PRC fisheries demarches, rather than
preemptively anticipate and concede to PRC objections to our
support for Taiwan's meaningful participation in
international organizations.
STANTON
SIPDIS
STATE ALSO FOR EAP/TC, EAP/CM LBRAUNOHLER, OES/OMC JFIELD,
HKOEHLER, L/EAP MMITCHELL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2019
TAGS: ECON EFIS PGOV PREL PHSA SENV CH TW XB
SUBJECT: CLARIFYING U.S. POLICY ON TAIWAN PARTICIPATION IN
REGIONAL FISHERIES MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONS
REF: A. EAP/TC-OES/OMC EMAILS
B. STATE 87368
C. TAIPEI 1113
Classified By: Bill Stanton, AIT Director,
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: Taiwan has one of the world's largest
fishing industries, and already plays an active role in
various regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs).
Taiwan's participation in these RFMOs helps meet U.S.
conservation and economic interests, as would its
participation in new and emerging RFMOs. Nonetheless,
Taiwan's concerns over its "sovereignty," as well as PRC
objections to Taiwan's participation in international
organizations, have the potential to detract from successful
management of regional fisheries. We should continue to
engage Taiwan on the importance of pragmatic fisheries
cooperation, while refraining from debates over
sovereignty/equal rights with Taiwan fisheries officials. At
the same time, we should also continue to support Taiwan's
meaningful participation in all international organizations
where statehood is not a prerequisite, and encourage
cross-Strait dialogue on fisheries issues without preemptive
capitulation to likely PRC objections. END SUMMARY.
--------------
AN ACTIVE TAIWAN IS IN OUR INTEREST
--------------
2. (C) Taiwan is home to one of the world's largest fishing
industries by measures of both capture and aquaculture, and
has an estimated 2,500 tuna-fishing vessels operating across
the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans. Taiwan has also
worked in partnership with a U.S. company to manufacture tuna
boats for the fleet of American Samoa, which has an economy
80 percent dependent on its tuna canneries. Taiwan already
participates in various fisheries organizations under
different membership statuses, including as:
- a Commission Member in the Western and Central Pacific
Fisheries Convention;
- a Cooperating Non-Party in the Inter-American Tropical Tuna
Commission;
- a Member in the International Scientific Committee for Tuna
and Tuna-Like Species in the North Pacific Ocean;
- a Cooperating Non-Contracting Party in the International
Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas;
- an Invited Expert in the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission;
- a Member of the Extended Commission in the Commission for
the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna; and
- an Observer in the OECD Committee of Fisheries.
These organizations provide a forum for Taiwan's active
engagement in regional fisheries management and conservation
activities, in many cases supporting U.S. environmental and
economic interests.
--------------
SOVEREIGNTY AND PRC OBJECTIONS
--------------
3. (C) Taiwan's participation in fisheries organizations is
complicated at times by its non-state status. For instance,
Taiwan cited "sovereignty" concerns in its unwillingness to
accept unilateral boarding/inspection requirements in the
U.S. North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC) draft
proposal this past November. In the case of the South
Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization (SPRFMO),
USG concerns have been raised internally about possible PRC
objections to Taiwan's participation and role in this
organization (reftel emails). These recent cases highlight
the two salient and reoccurring themes in Taiwan's
interaction with regional fisheries management organizations
(RFMOs): 1) the problem of sovereignty, and 2) continued PRC
efforts to limit Taiwan's participation in international
organizations. Both of these issues have the potential to
TAIPEI 00001420 002 OF 002
detract from successful management of regional fisheries and
negatively affect U.S. environmental and economic interests.
--------------
COMMENT: A PRAGMATIC WAY FORWARD
--------------
4. (C) We believe the USG should continue to support
Taiwan's meaningful participation in all international
organizations where statehood is not a prerequisite, but also
draw a distinction between such participation and Taiwan's
arguments asserting "sovereignty" and "equal rights." We
should continue to stress the importance of pragmatic
fisheries cooperation with the Taiwan authorities and refrain
from engaging in sovereignty/equal rights debates with Taiwan
fisheries officials.
5. (C) Taiwan and the PRC will have to work out a pragmatic
modus vivendi, but the lack of formal Taiwan-PRC discussions
on fisheries issue makes this difficult. Encouraging Taiwan
and the PRC to enhance cross-Strait fisheries cooperation is
in the U.S. interest. Closer cross-Strait fisheries
engagement could help bolster confidence-building and
dialogue between the two sides, and help defuse conflicts
before they happen. Finally, in our view, the U.S. should
only respond to formal PRC fisheries demarches, rather than
preemptively anticipate and concede to PRC objections to our
support for Taiwan's meaningful participation in
international organizations.
STANTON