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RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 9962
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RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 6676
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 000758 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR TW
SUBJECT: TAIWAN FOREIGN MINISTER FRANCISCO OU:  A PROFILE 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.  PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary: Taiwan's new Foreign Minister Francisco H. 
¶L. Ou (Hung-lien) is a strong proponent of President Ma 
Ying-jeou's proposal to "call a diplomatic truce" with 
Beijing over competition for recognition from small countries 
in the Americas, South Pacific, and Africa.  A distinguished 
career diplomat whose most recent assignment was Ambassador 
to Guatemala (2003-2008), Ou brings extensive experience in 
Latin American affairs to the Ma administration.  He has 
spent the majority of his career serving in the region, the 
location of 12 of the 23 countries that maintain diplomatic 
relations with Taipei.  Ou enjoys a long history of close 
ties to top KMT leaders, and Taichung Mayor Jason Hu, a 
former foreign minister, reportedly strongly backed Ou for 
his new assignment.  End Summary. 
 
Why Ou? 
------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Francisco Ou has a distinguished record as a Taiwan 
career diplomat.  After joining Taiwan's foreign service in 
1964, he attained fluency in Spanish and subsequently served 
in the Foreign Ministry, five different countries in South 
and Central America, and as Taiwan's representative to Spain 
(2000-2003).  Ou has cultivated warm personal relations with 
the leaders in some countries where he has served, and his 
skill and effectiveness as a diplomat is credited with saving 
some of Taiwan's diplomatic relationships.  His experience 
and expertise on Latin America will be an important asset to 
the new administration as it works to retain ties with 
Taiwan's 23 remaining diplomatic partners, 12 of which are 
concentrated in the region. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Early in his career, Ou caught the eye of top KMT 
leaders while serving as Spanish language interpreter for 
late Presidents Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo.  Chiang 
Ching-kuo was so impressed that he had the Foreign Ministry 
set up a second Director General position specially for Ou in 
the Department of Central and South American Affairs.  Ou was 
a classmate of Vincent Siew at National Chengchi University 
and he has worked both with Siew and Ma Ying-jeou in the 
past.  Ou has close relations with Taichung Mayor Jason Hu, a 
former foreign minister.  Once, when Ou was medevaced back to 
Taipei after having been felled by hepatitis while working 
too hard at his post in Central America, Hu went specially to 
the airport to receive the ailing diplomat.  Reportedly, Hu 
strongly recommended Ou for the foreign minister position. 
Some have suggested that Ou's Hakka ethnicity may have also 
factored into his appointment as Ma sought to diversify the 
ethnic makeup of his cabinet. 
 
A New Foreign Policy Path 
------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) In line with Ma's foreign policy platform, Ou has 
said Taiwan should end its past reliance on "checkbook 
diplomacy" as a means of securing diplomatic allies.  Rather, 
Taiwan should seek to enhance its profile on the 
international stage through meaningful participation in 
international organizations and by strengthening informal 
relations with important partners such as the U.S.  While 
downplaying the potential for further attrition of Taiwan's 
diplomatic partners, Ou has rejected the idea that Taiwan 
must maintain a certain minimum number of formal diplomatic 
ties and argued that the competition for recognition has 
contributed to cross-Strait tension. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Ou has repeatedly made the case that Taiwan and 
China should pursue a "diplomatic truce" to limit the waste 
of financial and other resources and minimize the ability of 
third countries to exploit the Taipei-Beijing rivalry for 
their own gain.  However, Ou has cautioned that effective 
cooperation between the two sides is predicated on Beijing's 
willingness to allow Taiwan more international space. 
According to Ou, dignity and pragmatism remain the key 
principles for upholding national interests. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Although he has pledged to move away from using 
 
TAIPEI 00000758  002 OF 002 
 
 
"checkbook diplomacy" to "buy" new diplomatic recognitions, 
Ou has made clear that Taiwan will continue to provide aid to 
its existing less developed diplomatic allies.  Ou has argued 
that such aid is justified, fulfilling the responsibility 
that more developed countries have to assist developing 
countries.  In addition, Ou contends that Taiwan should 
demonstrate a certain degree of reciprocity to express 
gratitude to allies that have continued to provide vocal 
support for Taiwan in the international community, 
 
Biographic Data 
--------------- 
 
¶5.  (U) Present Position:  Minister of Foreign Affairs, May 
2008-present. 
 
¶6.  (U) Previous Positions:  Ambassador of the Republic of 
China to Guatemala, 2003-2008; Representative, Taipei 
Economic and Cultural Office in Spain, 2000-2003; Vice 
Minister of Foreign Affairs, 1996-2000; Ambassador of the 
Republic of China to Guatemala, 1990-1996; Director, Taiwan 
Commercial Office in Argentina, 1986-1990; Ambassador of the 
Republic of China to Nicaragua, 1984-1985; Director General, 
Department of Central and South American Affairs, MOFA, 
1981-1984; Director, Far East Commercial Office in Santiago, 
Chile, 1975-1981; Deputy Director General, Department of 
Central and South American Affairs, MOFA, 1973-1975; Section 
Chief, Department of Central and South American Affairs, 
MOFA, 1971-1973; Second Secretary, Embassy of the Republic of 
China in Peru, 1971; Third Secretary, Embassy of the Republic 
of China in Peru, 1967-1971; Officer, Department of Central 
and South American Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 
1964-1967. 
 
¶7.  (U) Education: B.A., Department of Diplomacy, National 
Chengchi University, Taiwan, 1962. 
 
¶8.  (U) DPOB:  January 5, 1940, Hualien County, Taiwan. 
Language proficiencies:  Spanish, fluent; English, highly 
proficient. 
WANG