VZCZCXRO1231
OO RUEHQU
DE RUCNDT #2220 3402208
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 062208Z DEC 06 ZDK
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0882
INFO RUEHZH/HAITI COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING IMMEDIATE 0899
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI IMMEDIATE 0044

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 002220 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL UNSC KPKO CH TW HA
SUBJECT: HAITIAN PERMREP ANTICIPATES "SERIOUS PROBLEMS" 
WITH CHINA ON MINUSTAH MANDATE RENEWAL 
 
REF: A. TAIPEI 2784 (NOTAL) 
     ¶B. PORT-AU-PRINCE 2247 
     ¶C. 1997 USUN 96 (NOTAL) 
     ¶D. 1999 USUN 489 (NOTAL) 
 
¶1. (SBU) USUN Senior WHA Area Advisor Ambassador Godard and 
poloff (notetaker) approached Haitian PermRep to the UN Leo 
Merores on December 4 to discuss China's stance on the 
renewal of the mandate of the UN Stabilization Mission in 
Haiti (MINUSTAH) in February 2007, given Haiti's support for 
two Taiwan-related UNGA resolutions in September 2006 (ref A) 
and China's subsequent complaints in Port-au-Prince about 
Haiti's behavior at the UN (ref B).  Recalling China's veto 
of a UN peacekeeping operation in Guatemala in 1997 (ref C) 
because of an official visit by the Taiwanese Foreign 
Minister as well as China's veto of a UNSC mission in 
Macedonia in 1999 (ref D) due to that country's relationship 
with Taiwan, Ambassador Godard expressed concern about 
reports that the GOH Minister of Health might soon visit 
Taiwan.  The USG attaches great importance to MINUSTAH's 
support for Haiti's reconstruction, Ambassador Godard 
observed, and wants to ensure that the Security Council can 
act to extend the mission's mandate when it comes up for 
review in February 2007. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Noting that he had warned his government all along 
of China's possible reaction to Haiti's support for Taiwan 
based on the Guatemalan and Macedonian precedents, Merores 
glumly said he "anticipated the worst" reaction from China 
during discussions on MINUSTAH's mandate.  Chinese diplomats 
in New York had said they would "see him in February" after 
Haiti supported Taiwan during the UNGA debate, Merores 
reported.  He added that the French Mission in New York had 
recently called him to express concern about the Taiwan 
situation.  Agreeing that a trip by the Haitian Health 
Minister to Taiwan now would be counter-productive, he said 
that several GOH officials were trying to "chase the minister 
down" to dissuade him from traveling, but that he was not yet 
sure whether a trip had taken place.  Merores told Ambassador 
Godard he had called PM Alexis the weekend of December 2-3 to 
convey his concerns about the Taiwan issue and expressed hope 
that GOH Finance Minister Dorsanvil's recent visit to China 
may have helped improve the bilateral relationship.  He also 
said he planned to raise the Taiwan issue with Haitian 
Foreign Minister Clerisme during the minister's private trip 
to New York December 9-10 and urge that Clerisme meet with 
the Chinese Mission to the UN while in New York. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Asked about his strategy to deal with the issue in 
the coming weeks, Merores said he had heard that Chinese 
representatives might demand an "apology" from Haiti for its 
actions during the UNGA debate.  Such an apology had already 
been deemed unacceptable by the GOH, Merores maintained, but 
a "clarification" of Haiti's position might be possible. 
However, noting China's past concerns about Haiti's 
relationship with Taiwan -- including an April 2005 reception 
for a visiting UNSC delegation in Port-au-Prince to which 
both the Taiwanese and PRC representatives were invited, a 
trip that Merores himself took to Taiwan, and Haiti's support 
for observer status for Taiwan in the World Health 
Organization -- he admitted that this issue now constituted a 
"serious problem" which would not be easily resolved. 
BOLTON