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DE RUEHIN #1668/01 3360813
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O 010813Z DEC 08
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0474
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE 1867
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 001668 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2018 
TAGS: PREL TW CH
SUBJECT: TAIWAN APEC REPRESENTATIVE ON HU JINTAO MEETING, 
CROSS-STRAIT TIES 
 
Classified By: The Director for reasons 1.4 (b/d) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary.  Although APEC is primarily an economic, and 
not political institution, Taiwan's representation at this 
year's summit by a former Vice President was a 
&breakthrough,8 Lien Chan told the Director December 1. 
Lien described his meeting with Hu Jintao as another step 
forward in a gradual relaxation of cross-Strait tensions, and 
projected movement on Taiwan,s bid for participation in the 
WHO or WHA ahead of the May 2009 meeting.  While Lien appears 
not to enjoy the full confidence of Taiwan President Ma 
Ying-jeou, circumstances will compel the two to continue to 
work together to ensure their legacies.  End Summary. 
 
Lien: Third Hu Jintao Meeting in 2008 a &Breakthrough8 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶2. (C) KMT Honorary Chairman Lien Chan, who returned to 
Taiwan November 28, met with the Director December 1 to give 
a readout of his participation in the November APEC summit. 
Lien, who served as Vice President from 1996-2000, noted that 
he was far and away the highest-ranking former government 
official to represent Taiwan at an APEC summit.  China 
approved his participation because of the improvement in 
cross-Strait ties, but also due to his personal relationships 
with PRC leaders, Lien suggested.  While noting that it was 
possible to exaggerate the importance of such high-level 
participation in an organization which is primarily economic 
(i.e., not political) in nature, Lien said it was 
nevertheless a "breakthrough.8 
 
¶3. (C) Lien described his participation in the APEC summit as 
one more step in the gradual improvement in cross-Strait ties 
which began in 2005 as dialogue between the KMT and the 
Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and which had accelerated since 
President Ma took office in May 2008.  Since Ma took office, 
for the first time in 60 years the two sides had reached 
agreements aimed at reaching very practical results that 
would benefit ordinary citizens on both sides of the Taiwan 
strait.  Lien was &pleasantly surprised8 that he was able 
to meet bilaterally with PRC President Hu Jintao during the 
APEC summit, and used the opportunity to compliment Hu on his 
role in pushing forward cross-Strait rapprochement.  That 
said, it was important not to expect too much, too quickly. 
 
WHO: Encouragement, but No Specifics 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (C) The Director noted that many saw Taiwan,s efforts to 
gain some form of meaningful participation in the WHO and/or 
WHA as the next milestone in cross-Strait ties.  Lien 
confirmed that he raised the issue with Hu, but only in very 
general terms.  (Note: This squares with a read-out of the 
Lien-Hu meeting Taiwan National Security Advisor Su Chi 
provided the Director on November 28.)  In his meeting with 
Hu, Lien described Taiwan,s interest in the WHO as 
transcending politics.  East Asia is ¬ at peace with 
nature,8 he said, noting the floods, earthquakes, plagues 
and other natural disasters that had ravaged the region in 
recent years.  Including Taiwan in regional and global 
prevention and response systems is, thus, a matter of 
survival. 
 
¶5. (C) Hu,s response was encouraging but ultimately 
non-committal.  For now, the PRC President said, it was 
important to focus on completing work on agreements reaching 
during the November visit to Taiwan of ARATS Chairman Chen 
Yunlin.  Once that work is complete, "many other issues" 
could be discussed.  While he made clear that neither he nor 
Hu discussed specifics, Lien interpreted Hu,s comment as a 
sign that the PRC would offer some form of progress on 
WHO/WHA ahead of the May 2009 WHA meeting. 
 
No Messages for Other APEC Leaders 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Lien reviewed his conversations with other APEC 
leaders, including President Bush, during the summit.  The 
major issue on regional leaders, minds was the financial 
crisis and its likely impact on regional economies.  For his 
part, Lien expressed concern about the impact the economic 
downturn would have on progress towards trade liberalization. 
 Already, the Doha round had bogged down and countries were 
turning instead to bilateral agreements that worked against 
broader free trade efforts.  Lien,s responses to numerous 
questions from the Director suggested that President Ma had 
 
TAIPEI 00001668  002 OF 002 
 
 
not given Lien specific messages to deliver to other leaders 
at the meeting. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶7. (C) We take Lien at his word that President Ma did not 
charge him to deliver messages to other APEC leaders.  There 
has been reported friction between the two KMT leaders, and 
Lien likely still regards President Ma as serving in an 
office that, by rights, should have been his.  Nevertheless, 
few on Taiwan enjoy Lien,s access to China,s senior leaders 
and his selection as APEC representative is one of the 
clearest signs that Ma,s policy of engagement is bearing 
fruit.  Both realize that their legacies depend, to some 
extent, on putting aside personal differences in pursuit of 
their ) and what they see as Taiwan,s ) larger interests. 
Indeed, Lien's special role in the cross-Strait relationship 
will be highlighted again later this month, when he travels 
to Shanghai to represent the KMT in the third KMT-CCP forum. 
SYOUNG