GOVERNMENT TIGHT-LIPPED AS RUMORS OF WHA OBSERVER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 000467

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP, IO; GENEVA FOR HOHMAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV WHO TW CH
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT TIGHT-LIPPED AS RUMORS OF WHA OBSERVER
DEAL SWIRL

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

Summary
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1. (C) Despite widespread media speculation, Taiwan
officials have been tight-lipped, both publicly and in
private, about possible talks with China on Taipei's bid for
WHA observer status. Although there are a number of
sensitive political issues to be resolved, public statements
by President Ma and other Taiwan officials suggest that they
will accept arrangements that should be unobjectionable to
Beijing. End Summary.


2. (C) Despite the rapidly approaching date for the World
Health Assembly (WHA) annual meeting in Geneva and widespread
media speculation, Taiwan officials are cagey about a
possible deal that would grant Taiwan observer status at the
May 18-27 meeting. Both publicly and in private meetings
with visiting U.S. officials, President Ma Ying-jeou and his
closest advisors have expressed optimism that Taiwan and
China will work out an arrangement. They have declined to
say, however, whether or how they are communicating with
Beijing or what a deal might look like. In an April 14
conversation with AIT Pol Chief, MOFA IO Division Deputy
Director General Lily Hsu was similarly cagey, but hinted
that negotiations are underway and that her office is
providing advice on technical issues.


3. (C) Among the issues Taiwan and the PRC need to work out
are nomenclature, who would lead Taiwan's delegation, how an
invitation would be issued, and whether such an invitation
would be annual or open-ended. Based on public comments made
by President Ma and other senior Taiwan officials, none of
these seem to present insuperable obstacles. The following
are the projections of Taipei-based academics, analysts and
officials of how these questions will be resolved.

What Name Would Taiwan Use?
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4. (C) At a March 21 press conference, Ma indicated that
Taiwan would prefer to participate under the title "the
Republic of China" or "Taiwan," but would accept the name
"Chinese Taipei." Academic contacts and other local analysts
are confident the PRC would accept this nomenclature.

How Long Would the Invitation Be Valid?
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5. (C) Aware that the PRC might balk at granting his
government a "benefit" that could also accrue to a future
pro-independence DDP administration, President Ma and
National Security Advisor Su Chi have told U.S. officials
that Taiwan will accept observer status on an annual basis.
MOFA IO DG Paul Chang made essentially this same point in an
April 14 news conference, during which he described without
objection the WHO Secretariat's annual practice of notifying
observers of the time and place of that year's WHA meeting.

Who Would Issue the Invitation?
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6. (C) How Taiwan is invited will have some bearing on how
its participation is portrayed. Local contacts see three
possible sources of an invitation to Taiwan: a direct
invitation from WHO Director General Margaret Chan, an
invitation extended as the result of a specific resolution of
the WHA, or an invitation from Beijing to attend as a part of
its delegation. Of these, the first is clearly the simplest
and least politically objectionable to both sides. We expect
Taiwan would be asked to participate simply as an "Observer."
While Taipei would find itself in somewhat odd company in
the that group - the Order of Malta (i.e., the successor to
the Knights of Malta) and two Red Cross groups are the other
organizations who included in that category - this should not
be a significant concern to Ma. (Note: The PRC would
presumably object to including Taiwan in either of the other
two categories of observers, those from a non-member state
and those invited in accordance with a WHA resolution.)

Who Would Lead Taiwan's Delegation?
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7. (C) On April 14, citing unnamed Taiwan government sources,
local media reported that Health Minister Yeh Chin-chuan will
lead Taiwan's delegation. In a conversation with Pol Chief,
MOFA IO DDG Hsu declined to speculate on the composition of a
possible Taiwan delegation. Eric Teo, the well-informed
deputy in Singapore's representative office in Taipei,
suggested that Yeh would likely be acceptable to the PRC were
he to do so in a capacity other than government Minister.
YOUNG