VZCZCXRO5246
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHC #2597/01 0120013
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O P 120008Z JAN 10
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING IMMEDIATE 2379
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA IMMEDIATE 6211
RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI IMMEDIATE 0919
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA IMMEDIATE 6494
RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR IMMEDIATE 3653
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA IMMEDIATE 3838
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI IMMEDIATE 8694
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL IMMEDIATE 2750
RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE IMMEDIATE 2454
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO IMMEDIATE 1854
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON IMMEDIATE 0881
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUSBNDD/ARF NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0037
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
INFO ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 002597 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/11/2020 
TAGS: ECIN PREL XC XE XU ASEAN APECO ARF
SUBJECT: ENGAGING POSTS ON THE SECRETARY,S SPEECH ON 
ASIA-PACIFIC MULTILATERALISM 
 
REF: A. A. CANBERRA 1090 
     ¶B. B. PARTO 112706 
     ¶C. C. BANGKOK 2723 
     ¶D. D. TOKYO 2379 
 
Classified By: EAP Acting A/S Joseph Donovan, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (U) This is an ACTION REQUEST.  See paras 3, 4, and 7. 
 
¶2. (C) SUMMARY: The Secretary will deliver a January 12 
policy speech at Hawaii's East-West Center, articulating 
U.S. views toward multilateral cooperation in the 
Asia-Pacific.  The speech will focus on U.S. "principles" 
for multilateral cooperation and the importance of the 
U.S. role in regional institutions.  The Department wants 
to preview this speech for key countries.  END SUMMARY. 
 
--------------------------------- 
ACTION REQUEST AND KEY OBJECTIVES 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) The below is an action request for BANGKOK, BEIJING, 
CANBERRA, HANOI, JAKARTA, KUALA LUMPUR, MANILA, NEW DELHI, 
TOKYO, SEOUL, SINGAPORE, and WELLINGTON.  Action addressees 
should make the following points to appropriate officials: 
 
 
-- Underscore broad U.S. commitment to multilateral 
approaches to solving global and regional problems. 
 
-- Note the Secretary's January 12 policy 
speech on "principles" for multilateralism in the 
Asia-Pacific region. 
 
-- Suggest that the United States plans to consult further 
on the issue of strengthening multilateral cooperation in 
the Asia-Pacific region.  Note that the Department 
welcomes host country's views on the U.S. role in 
regional institutions. 
 
-- Avoid taking any U.S. position on current regional 
architecture reform proposals such as the Asia-Pacific 
Community and East Asia Community concepts. 
 
--------------------------- 
POINTS FOR HOST GOVERNMENTS 
--------------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) The following provides background for host 
governments on the Secretary's speech and subsequent U.S. 
policy review and planned regional consultations.  The 
points in this paragraph may be distributed as a non-paper: 
 
BEGIN POINTS FOR HOST GOVERNMENTS 
 
-- Secretary Clinton will deliver a policy speech on 
Asia-Pacific multilateralism at the East-West Center in 
Hawaii on January 12.  The speech will focus on 
"principles" for how the United States hopes regional 
cooperative institutions will evolve. 
 
-- These principles articulate the U.S. views that: 
 
- The United States' alliances are the cornerstone on 
which we build our engagement in the region. 
 
- Regional institutions should advance common 
objectives of security, broad-based prosperity, and 
political openness. 
 
STATE 00002597  002 OF 002 
 
 
- The United States will encourage regional institutions 
to pursue concrete goals, to be appropriately resourced, 
and will also seek to bolster existing regional institutions 
such as ASEAN and APEC. 
 
- Regional institutions should be inclusive, flexible 
and transparent. 
 
 
-- These principles and the intent expressed by President 
Obama in November during his speech at Tokyo's Suntory 
Hall form the basis for U.S. discussions of our policies 
toward multilateral institutions in the Asia-Pacific. 
 
-- The United States plans to continue to consult closely 
with key countries in the coming months. 
 
-- We would be interested in hearing your views on the 
U.S. role in regional institutions. 
 
END POINTS FOR HOST GOVERNMENTS. 
 
---------- 
BACKGROUND 
---------- 
 
¶5. (C) The USG is discussing approaches to multilateral 
cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. Regional 
attention to this issue, efforts to strengthen existing 
institutions, and regional ideas for new groupings have 
all spurred this inquiry.  As a first step, the United 
States is interested in hearing views from regional 
powers, allies, and friends. 
 
¶6. (C) While still asserting strong U.S. engagement on 
this issue, we plan on taking a less prescriptive approach 
to this issue than others currently developing concepts 
and proposals.  There has been mixed, and at times 
negative, reaction to Australia's Asia-Pacific Community 
idea and Japan's East Asia Community concept.  Although 
these ideas emanate from key allies, and highlight 
regional attention to this issue, Embassies should be 
careful to avoid taking any U.S. position on current 
regional architecture reform proposals such as the 
Asia-Pacific community and East Asia Community concepts. 
In regards to the President's comments in November while 
in Japan on more formally engaging ASEAN on EAS, the 
implications of this are still being discussed by USG 
officials. 
 
¶7. (U) Department requests posts report back host 
government reactions prior to January 22, 2010. 
Department welcomes continued reporting on host 
governments' broad views toward multilateral institutions 
in the Asia-Pacific region.  POCs for this action are 
EAP's David Rodriguez, Nirav Patel, and Kevin Sheives and 
S/P's James Green. 
 
¶8. (U) Department appreciates posts' assistance in this 
matter. 
CLINTON