ENGAGING POSTS ON THE SECRETARY'S SPEECH ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 002965 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2020 TAGS: ECIN PREL XC XE XU ASEAN APECO ARF SUBJECT: ENGAGING POSTS ON THE SECRETARY'S SPEECH ON ASIA-PACIFIC MULTILATERALISM REF: A. STATE 2597 ¶B. CANBERRA 1090 ¶C. PARTO 112706 ¶D. BANGKOK 2723 ¶E. TOKYO 2379 Classified By: EAP Acting A/S Joseph Donovan, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) This is an ACTION REQUEST. See paras 3, 4, and 7. ¶2. (U) This telegram is a correction of reftel A and includes an updated addresee list. ¶3. (C) SUMMARY: The Secretary delivered a January 12 policy speech at Hawaii's East-West Center, articulating U.S. views toward multilateral cooperation in the Asia-Pacific. The speech focused on U.S. "principles" for multilateral cooperation and the importance of the U.S. role in regional institutions. The Department wants to highlight the main points from this speech for key countries. END SUMMARY. -------------- ACTION REQUEST AND KEY OBJECTIVES -------------- ¶4. (U) The below is an action request for BANGKOK, BEIJING, CANBERRA, HANOI, JAKARTA, KUALA LUMPUR, MANILA, NEW DELHI, TOKYO, SEOUL, SINGAPORE, and WELLINGTON. Action addressees should make the following points to appropriate officials: -- Underscore broad U.S. commitment to multilateral approaches to solving global and regional problems. -- Note the Secretary's January 12 policy speech on "principles" for multilateralism in the Asia-Pacific region. -- Suggest that the United States plans to consult further on the issue of strengthening multilateral cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. Note that the Department welcomes host country's views on the U.S. role in regional institutions. STATE 00002965 002 OF 003 -- Avoid taking any U.S. position on current regional architecture reform proposals such as the Asia-Pacific Community and East Asia Community concepts. -------------- POINTS FOR HOST GOVERNMENTS -------------- ¶5. (U) The following provides background for host governments on the Secretary's speech and subsequent U.S. policy review and planned regional consultations. The points in this paragraph may be distributed as a non-paper: BEGIN POINTS FOR HOST GOVERNMENTS -- Secretary Clinton delivered a policy speech on Asia-Pacific multilateralism at the East-West Center in Hawaii on January 12. The speech focused on "principles" for how the United States hopes regional cooperative institutions will evolve. -- These principles articulate the U.S. views that: - The United States' alliances are the cornerstone on which we build our engagement in the region. - Regional institutions should advance common objectives of security, broad-based prosperity, and political openness. - The United States will encourage regional institutions to pursue concrete goals, to be appropriately resourced, and will also seek to bolster existing regional institutions such as ASEAN and APEC. - Regional institutions should be inclusive, flexible and transparent. -- These principles and the intent expressed by President Obama in November during his speech at Tokyo's Suntory Hall form the basis for U.S. discussions of our policies toward multilateral institutions in the Asia-Pacific. -- The United States plans to continue to consult closely STATE 00002965 003 OF 003 with key countries in the coming months. -- We would be interested in hearing your views on the U.S. role in regional institutions. END POINTS FOR HOST GOVERNMENTS. -------------- BACKGROUND -------------- ¶6. (C) The USG is discussing approaches to multilateral cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. Regional attention to this issue, efforts to strengthen existing institutions, and regional ideas for new groupings have all spurred this inquiry. As a first step, the United States is interested in hearing views from regional powers, allies, and friends. ¶7. (C) While still asserting strong U.S. engagement on this issue, we plan on taking a less prescriptive approach to this issue than others currently developing concepts and proposals. There has been mixed, and at times negative, reaction to Australia's Asia-Pacific Community idea and Japan's East Asia Community concept. Although these ideas emanate from key allies, and highlight regional attention to this issue, Embassies should be careful to avoid taking any U.S. position on current regional architecture reform proposals such as the Asia-Pacific community and East Asia Community concepts. In regards to the President's comments in November while in Japan on more formally engaging ASEAN on EAS, the implications of this are still being discussed by USG officials. ¶8. (U) Department requests posts report back host government reactions prior to January 22, 2010. Department welcomes continued reporting on host governments' broad views toward multilateral institutions in the Asia-Pacific region. POCs for this action are EAP's David Rodriguez, Nirav Patel, and Kevin Sheives and S/P's James Green. ¶9. (U) Department appreciates posts' assistance in this matter. CLINTON