VZCZCXRO7489
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHIN #1496/01 3500930
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 160930Z DEC 09
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2962
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHHMUNA/USPACOM HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 001496 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MARR MAS PREL TW CH
SUBJECT: FORMER USPACOM COMMANDER KEATING'S OFFICE CALL 
WITH PRESIDENT MA YING-JEOU 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  President Ma and Admiral (Retired) Keating 
discussed cross-strait relations, confidence building 
measures, US-Taiwan relations, PRC military development, and 
arms sales during a December 15 meeting.  Improved 
cross-Strait ties bolstered regional security, Ma said, but 
needed to be balanced with improvements in Taiwan's 
relationship with the United States.  In that respect, the 
President said, continued U.S. arms sales were particularly 
important.  Although economics were his priority in 
cross-Strait discussions, PRC military activities might 
require him to engage the PRC on political topics as well, Ma 
said.  Both Keating and Ma stressed the importance of good 
U.S.-Taiwan relations.  End Summary. 
 
Cross-Strait Relations 
---------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) During a December 15 meeting with ADM(R) Keating, 
Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou outlined his effort to reach a 
consensus with Beijing on the need to reduce tension in the 
Taiwan Strait and improve regional security.  Ma noted that, 
four days after the March 2008 Taiwan presidential election, 
PRC President Hu Jintao told then-U.S. President Bush that he 
could accept "one China, different interpretations" (the 1992 
Consensus) as a basis for cross-Strait discussions.  This, Ma 
said, gave both sides the flexibility to make progress on 
practical matters.  There was mainstream consensus on Taiwan, 
Ma emphasized, on the need to maintain the status quo and on 
the sense that a Taiwan identity did not mean an independent 
Taiwan.  Taiwan had no need to declare independence, Ma 
stressed.  The Republic of China had been a sovereign state 
for 98 years and would not declare independence again. 
ADM(R) Keating commended President Ma for his efforts to 
decrease cross-Strait tension and improve stability in the 
Pacific region and noted these efforts had had profound and 
measurable effects. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Ma noted that the Mutual Judicial Assistance 
Agreement stood out amongst the nine agreements recently 
signed between Taiwan and the PRC.  Since the signing of this 
agreement, he said, PRC authorities had made over 3,000 
requests for repatriation of criminals who have committed 
crimes on the mainland. 
 
¶4. (SBU) In 2009, more than 700,000 PRC tourists visited 
Taiwan, Ma said, and the number of PRC tourists was expected 
to surpass that for Japan in 2010.  Ma expressed the hope 
that Beijing would allow individual tourist to travel to 
Taiwan in the future, since the current policy only allowed 
visits in tour groups.  Individual tourist travels would 
allow more time for travelers to gain a deeper understanding 
of Taiwan, Ma reasoned.  A large number of PRC students would 
also attend universities in Taiwan next year, Ma noted, 
commenting that these students would bring back different 
perspectives to the mainland and affect future developments 
there. 
 
Cross-Strait Confidence Building Measures 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Despite warming economic ties, Ma said, the PRC 
military posture across the Strait remained unchanged.  PLA 
activities in recent months demonstrated that Taiwan may need 
to move beyond economic discussions into political 
discussions with the mainland.  However, Ma noted, Taiwan had 
told Beijing it needed to remove the missiles across the 
Strait before any such military or security issues could be 
discussed. 
 
U.S.-Taiwan Relations 
--------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Ma stressed that Taiwan would maintain good 
relations with the United States and asked for U.S. support 
as he worked to reach a peace agreement with the PRC. 
Keating assured President Ma that U.S. policy called for a 
credible defense for Taiwan and supported democracy, human 
rights, and economic progress.  On all of these, he noted, 
Taiwan was a beacon of light in the Asia Pacific region. 
Keating noted the importance of giving senior U.S. officials 
the benefit of first-hand impressions of Taiwan's situation. 
 
PRC Military Development 
------------------------- 
 
TAIPEI 00001496  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) Increasingly, Ma commented, Taiwan needed to rely on 
its own defense efforts, given the PRC's growing power and 
the difficulty of gaining outside support.  Consequently, he 
said, Taiwan's defense relied on both military means and 
soft power.  Because Taiwan could not afford to enter into an 
arms race with the PRC, it needed to have a viable defense 
with an effective deterrence.  Taiwan's defense force should 
be "Superb, Strong, and Smart," the President said. 
 
¶8. (SBU) ADM(R) Keating said the U.S. had observed PRC 
military improvement in both capabilities and capacities. 
PRC computer network attacks, space developments, expanding 
reach of PRC submarines, and advanced PRC electronic warfare 
capabilities had given the United States cause to question 
the PRC's true intentions.  The U.S. would like China to be 
more transparent and candid about its intentions.  Every day, 
through the combined efforts of responsible nations in the 
region, Keating said, the PRC received the message that it 
should not consider the use of force. 
 
U.S. Arms Sales 
--------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) President Ma told ADM(R) Keating that he understood 
the U.S. would announce further arms sales to Taiwan in the 
next couple of months.  U.S. arms sales were very important 
to Taiwan, Ma said, noting that he hoped the U.S. would 
support procurement of submarines to replace the Taiwan 
Navy's four aging submarines, of which two were over 60 years 
old.  Taiwan's opposition party had accused him of selling 
out Taiwan by pursuing ECFA negotiations, Ma said.  There 
were pitfalls of having a closer relationship with an 
authoritarian PRC, the President admitted, but a visible sign 
of U.S. support would allow him to rebut the opposition's 
charges. 
 
Participants 
------------ 
 
¶10. (U) Other Taiwan attendees included National Security 
Council Secretary General Dr. Su Chi, Minister of National 
Defense Kao Hua-chu, Chief of General Staff, ADM Lin Jan-yi 
Executive Deputy of the Deputy Chief of General Staff for 
Intelligence, MG Jing Yen-yuan.  Other U.S. attendees 
included the Director, Mrs. Wandalee Keating, COL Tony Chow, 
Chief of LAS Section, Mr. Tony Hu, Deputy Chief of TECH 
Section, and LTC Roger Cavazos, Taiwan Desk Officer, USPACOM 
J51. 
STANTON