VZCZCXRO4064
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH
DE RUEHIN #2162/01 2640951
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 210951Z SEP 07
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6884
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 7284
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 8911
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 9088
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 2105
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 0552
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 8546
RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 1366
RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 6074
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0037
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHHJJAA/JICPAC HONOLULU HI
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHHMUNA/USPACOM HONOLULU HI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 002162 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 9/19/2032 
TAGS: AALC PREL UNGA AORG CH TW
SUBJECT: TAIWAN REQUESTS US SUPPORT FOR "LIMITED" DEBATE IN 
UNGA 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 133171 
     ¶B. NEW YORK 00773 
     ¶C. TAIPEI 02139 
     ¶D. SECSTATE 131494 
 
Classified By: AIT Director Stephen M. Young, Reason 1.4 (b/d) 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary:  Taiwan Acting Foreign Minister Yang Tzu-pao 
called in the Director on September 21 to request U.S. 
support for a "limited" debate on the Taiwan issue in UNGA. 
Yang asserted that "closing" the debate to a two-plus-two 
format during the September 18 GC meeting was not "friendly" 
to Taiwan.  He asked if the U.S. would support a two-plus-two 
or three-plus-three open debate in the General Assembly, 
suggesting that Taiwan's allies were likely to press such an 
issue at the opening of the plenary on September 21.  The 
Director said he would convey the request to Washington but 
noted that the U.S. voted for the two-plus-two format in the 
General Committee and would be very unlikely to support 
proposals to expand discussion of the Taiwan issue at UNGA. 
End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (C)  Taiwan Acting Foreign Minister Yang Tzu-pao, who was 
scheduled to lead a delegation to the UN but canceled his 
travel at the last minute, called in the Director on 
September 21 to request U.S. support for a "limited" debate 
on the Taiwan issue in the UN General Assembly.  Yang said 
Foreign Minister James Huang (Chih-fang) called this morning 
from the Caribbean and instructed him to raise the issue with 
AIT because the U.S. and Taiwan are "close friends" and 
Taiwan's voice needs to be heard in the UN.  Huang expressed 
concern about the limitation of the Taiwan discussion on 
September 18 to a two-plus-two, closed format in the General 
Committee meeting.  Yang asserted that "closing" the debate 
on Taiwan's status was not "friendly" to Taiwan.  He asked if 
the U.S. would support a two-plus-two or three-plus-three 
open debate in the General Assembly, suggesting that Taiwan's 
allies were likely to press such an issue at the open of the 
plenary on September 21.  "If not," Yang asked "are there any 
arrangements that the U.S. can support?" 
 
¶3.  (C)  The Director responded that the U.S. seeks to follow 
past practices in handling the Taiwan issue.  The U.S. agreed 
to the two-plus-two format in the General Committee and would 
be very unlikely to support proposals to expand discussion of 
the Taiwan issue at UNGA.  The Director emphasized that the 
U.S. prefers not to take a prominent role on the question of 
Taiwan's application to the UN, but AIT would convey the 
request to Washington. 
 
¶4.  (C)  IO Acting Director-General Lily Hsu elaborated on 
"potential" moves by Taiwan's allies in the UN, saying Taiwan 
supporters are likely to push for a two-plus-two or similar 
"limited" format for holding a debate during the UNGA 
session.  She suggested that Taiwan wants to avoid a 
repetition of the "open, heated" debate during last year's 
UNGA proceedings.  The goal is to keep the debate "limited," 
Hsu emphasized, because Taiwan does not want to be a 
"troublemaker."  Lily said that Taiwan is more concerned 
about what the U.S. may say, rather than do, at the upcoming 
Plenary in response to any proposals tabled by Taiwan's 
allies. 
 
¶5.  (C)  The Director emphasized that the U.S. would prefer 
not to take an active role on behalf of Taiwan during any of 
the UN proceedings and wants to keep to the practices used 
over the past two years.  He said the U.S. in the end will 
look at the context and the situation and respond according 
to our long-standing policy, which does not support Taiwan 
membership in international organizations where sovereignty 
is a prerequisite.  He said that by pushing on the UN issue, 
Taiwan leaders were making it more difficult to expand 
Taiwan's international space as China would work even harder 
to oppose Taiwan in international organizations.  Yang 
replied that Taiwan's leaders are well aware of the potential 
downside, but added that even some "small, symbolic" gesture 
at UNGA is important for the ruling party. 
 
TAIPEI 00002162  002 OF 002 
 
 
YOUNG