VZCZCXYZ0008
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0869 0750819
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 160819Z MAR 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9124
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 4879
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6070
RUEHC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000869 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS USTR 
STATE FOR EAP/TC, 
 
 
USTR FOR WINTER AND WINELAND, 
USDOC FOR 4431/ITA/MAC/AP/OPB/TAIWAN/JDUTTON 
USDA/FAS FOR WETZEL, MIRELES 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD TW
SUBJECT: TAIWAN WELCOMES TIFA MEETING 
 
REF: STATE 41597 
 
¶1. AIT Econ Chief delivered reftel talking points proposing a 
US-Taiwan TIFA Joint Council meeting to Vice Minister of 
Economic Affairs Steve Chen (Ruey-long) on March 16.  Chen 
immediately agreed to the conditions of coordinating and 
agreeing on the substance of any public announcement/press 
points and not characterizing it as an FTA meeting.  Chen 
said he would very much welcome Deputy USTR Karan Bhatia and 
AUSTR Tim Stratford to Taiwan along with other US 
representatives. 
 
¶2.  Chen further agreed to Taiwan participating in pre-TIFA 
meetings in order to work towards ensuring concrete 
deliverables during the TIFA meeting.  Chen clearly preferred 
to hold any pre-TIFA meetings in Taipei, saying that he would 
not be able to commit to him personally traveling to 
Washington for pre-TIFA meetings.  Noting there are only two 
months until the meeting, Chen requested that the US side 
provide a detailed agenda item as soon as possible.  He 
emphasized that he would need to undertake interagency 
meetings to reach consensus on any issues that the US would 
like to raise.  To ensure a successful meeting, he said that 
he would need to have a comprehensive list of issues that the 
US would like to resolve.  When asked what issues Taiwan 
would like to place on the table, Chen said Taiwan's list is 
very short:  FTA. 
 
¶3.  Comment:  AIT will send a separate message with 
suggestions for issues to be included on the US agenda.  End 
Comment. 
KEEGAN