VZCZCXRO9433
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH
DE RUEHIN #1209/01 2261109
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 131109Z AUG 08
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9747
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 8534
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 9747
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0143
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 2806
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 1383
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 9741
RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 2203
RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 6764
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHHJJAA/JICPAC HONOLULU HI
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHHMUNA/USPACOM HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TAIPEI 001209 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS TO HOUSE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE FOR 
REPRESENTATIVE COSTELLO 
STATE PASS USTR FOR STRATFORD AND KATZ 
USDA FOR FAS/OCRA FOR RADLER, BEILLARD, FAS/OSTA FOR 
HAMILTON, BEAN, DAWSON, FAS/OFSO FOR BREHM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON EAGR MARR US TW
SUBJECT: CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION LED BY REPRESENTATIVE 
COSTELLO MEETS WITH PRESIDENT MA YING-JEOU 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.  PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary: The Congressional delegation led by 
Representative Jerry Costello (D-IL) met with President Ma 
Ying-jeou at the Presidential Office on August 11.  Ma noted 
the delegation was the largest to visit Taiwan in recent 
years, and said he hoped more Congressional and Staff 
delegations would visit Taiwan in the future.  Ma said the 
improvement of cross-Strait relations will not affect 
Taiwan's arms procurement from the U.S., and he expressed 
hope that the U.S. administration will soon notify pending 
arms sales to Congress.  Rep. Costello assured Ma that 
Congress will be prepared to act expeditiously on arms 
notifications sent over from the Executive branch.  Ma 
expressed appreciation for U.S. support for Taiwan's efforts 
to participate in international organizations, including WHO, 
explaining that Taiwan hopes to become an observer at the 
WHA.  He mentioned Taiwan's interest in an FTA, and told the 
delegation Taiwan is looking for a way to resolve the beef 
issue.  Members of the delegation expressed strong support 
for U.S.-Taiwan relations and told Ma they would encourage 
their colleagues to visit Taiwan.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The Congressional delegation from the House 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure led by 
Representative Jerry Costello (D-IL) met with President Ma 
Ying-jeou at the Presidential Office on August 11.  President 
Ma welcomed the group, observing it was the largest 
Congressional delegation to visit Taiwan in recent years. 
Noting the contribution of Congressional visits to improving 
mutual trust and U.S. understanding of Taiwan, Ma expressed 
hope more Congressional and staff delegations will visit in 
the future.  Noting the delegation's interest in Taiwan's 
airplane repair facilities and High Speed Rail (HSR), 
President Ma said these were two areas in which Taiwan has 
made notable achievements in recent years.  He suggested 
there might be a market for high speed rail in certain areas 
of the U.S., such as the northeast corridor between Boston 
and Washington. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Since taking office on May 20, Ma emphasized, the 
new government has been working to improve mutual trust 
between Taiwan and the U.S., which was damaged over the past 
eight years of the previous administration.  Ma said he was 
pleased to see President Bush's recent positive assessment of 
the ongoing improvement of cross-Strait relations in an 
interview with Asian journalists.  The improvement of 
cross-Strait relations, which has a positive effect on 
U.S.-Taiwan relations, will not affect arms procurement from 
the U.S., he stressed.  Taiwan is determined to strengthen 
its defense capability and to maintain defense spending at 3 
percent of GDP.  Taiwan sent a weapons procurement list to 
the U.S. last year, Ma recalled, and he hoped the U.S. 
administration would soon notify these sales to Congress.  Ma 
noted Taiwan's wish to sign an FTA with the U.S. in the 
future.  He told the delegation that Taiwan is looking for a 
way to solve the U.S. beef import issue that accords with the 
interests of both sides. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Thanking President Ma for taking time to meet with 
the delegation, Rep. Costello explained that their visit had 
two purposes: to show that the U.S. values and wants to 
continue strengthening the long-term U.S.-Taiwan 
relationship, and to learn about transportation in Taiwan. 
Noting the delegation had ridden Taiwan's world-class HSR the 
day before, he pointed out that his committee was working to 
promote HSR in the U.S., adding that he was interested in a 
potential route from Chicago to St. Louis.  Rep. Costello 
introduced the other members of his delegation and invited 
them to ask questions or offer comments.  Rep. Tim Holden 
 
TAIPEI 00001209  002 OF 003 
 
 
(D-PA), who explained he was also a member of the House 
Agriculture Committee, expressed hope Taiwan would lift the 
impediments to imports of U.S. pork and certain beef 
products.  He pointed out that beef and pork, which are 
important U.S. export commodities, fully meet requisite 
health standards.  Responding that he looked forward to 
cooperating on such issues, President Ma said that every 
product should be given a fair opportunity. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Rep. John Duncan (R-TN) underscored the close 
connections between Tennessee and Taiwan and the value of 
U.S.-Taiwan friendship.  Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-TX) stressed 
that it was important that such a large delegation had been 
able to visit Taiwan.  Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) 
noted her interest in HSR in Texas and said she was always 
pleased to be on record supporting Taiwan.  Rep. Michael 
Capuano (D-MA) expressed appreciation for the close 
relationship between Taiwan and Massachusetts.  Rep. Dan 
Lipinski (D-IL) emphasized the visit had given him an 
understanding of the critical importance of the U.S.-Taiwan 
relationship and said he looked forward to working to further 
enhance the relationship.  Rep. Mary Fallin (R-OK) recalled 
her previous visit to Taiwan as Lt. Governor of Oklahoma, 
noting that Oklahoma and Taiwan have close relations in 
science, technology, and business.  She expressed her support 
for Taiwan, pointing out that Taiwan and the U.S. share a 
love of liberty and freedom.  Rep. Henry Brown (R-SC) also 
emphasized the importance of U.S. Taiwan relations, and said 
he was pleased that four Kidd class destroyers provided to 
Taiwan had been refurbished in his state at Charleston. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Rep. Costello told President Ma that the intention 
of Congress is to act quickly once the administration submits 
notification requests to Congress for arms sales to Taiwan. 
On Taiwan's interest in an FTA, he explained that important 
new decisions like a possible FTA would be up to the next 
administration that will come into office after the U.S. 
presidential election.  No matter who is elected, the U.S. 
desire will be to maintain and continue to further develop 
the strong relationship we have had over the past 50 years, 
Rep. Costello assured Ma. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Making a point that there is no contradiction 
between arms procurement and the improvement of cross-Strait 
relations, President Ma recalled that Taiwan bought 160 F-16s 
from the U.S. and at the same time reached the 1992 consensus 
with the mainland during the early 1990s.  Taiwan accepted 
the "one China principle, but with different 
interpretations," under which the PRC and ROC coexist and do 
not challenge each other's different definitions of one 
China.  This position provided the basis for resuming 
cross-Strait negotiations in June and for opening weekend 
cross-Strait charter flights and bringing Chinese tourists to 
Taiwan.  Taiwan intends to pursue more negotiations on 
cross-Strait economic relations, including investment 
guarantees, taxation issues, high-tech specifications, and 
allowing Taiwan's financial service industry to enter the 
mainland.  The improvement of cross-Strait relations will 
contribute to peace and stability in the region, Ma stressed. 
 Taiwan, which hopes for U.S. support, wants to be a 
responsible stakeholder in the region, a peacemaker, and not 
a troublemaker. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) "International space" is another important issue 
for Taiwan, Ma continued.  Taiwan hopes to join or 
participate in the activities of various international 
organizations in the future.  The U.S., Japan, and EU have 
been very helpful in supporting Taiwan's efforts to 
participate in the WHO, and Taiwan hopes at least to become 
an observer at the WHA.  As attested by the SARS outbreak 
 
TAIPEI 00001209  003 OF 003 
 
 
five years ago, health is a human rights, not a political, 
issue, Ma observed.  The people of Taiwan would benefit from 
having more information on health issues, and Taiwan, with 
its high-quality health care system, can provide assistance 
to WHO members. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Explaining that the delegation he was leading was 
bipartisan, Rep. Costello said the group would work to 
strengthen U.S.-Taiwan relations and would also let the next 
administration understand that this was their wish.  He said 
he hoped to visit Taiwan again and would encourage other 
Congressional delegations to visit Taiwan.  President Ma and 
Rep. Costello commented on the important role played by AIT 
in the relationship.  Ma noted that France and Germany have 
copied the AIT model, and although AIT is an unusual 
institution, it has proven very effective. 
 
¶10.  (U) The delegation did not have an opportunity to clear 
this cable. 
YOUNG