US embassy cable - 04TAIPEI3899

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TAIPEI 003899 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS AIT/W 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, TW 
SUBJECT: TIEN HUNG-MAO: PARTING SHOTS 
 
 
Classified By: AIT Director Douglas Paal, Reason: 1.4 (B/D) 
 
1. (C) Summary: Upon his return to Taipei from London, former 
Representative to the UK Tien Hung-mao defended himself and 
his staff on the passport case of the fugitive Andrew Wang's 
wife.  He foresaw difficult times ahead for Taiwan in Europe 
as China expands its trade with EU nations and successfully 
lobbies for the lifting of the arms sales embargo.  Tien 
criticized the Taiwan foreign ministry for its recent 
mishandling of Vanuatu.  Commenting on Chen Shui-bian's 
recent rhetoric on using Taiwan instead of the "ROC" for the 
next United Nations General Assembly bid and representative 
offices worldwide, Tien said he can only assume Chen did so 
to counter the political inroads of former president Lee 
Teng-hui and his pro-independence Taiwan Solidarity Union. 
Now no longer a public official, Tien said he will probably 
be spending as much time in the US as he does in Taiwan.  End 
Summary. 
 
Passport Scandal Blemishes UK Tour 
---------------------------------- 
 
2. (C) Tien Hung-mao, former Taiwan Representative to the UK 
and before that Foreign Minister, defended himself and his 
staff on the passport case that led to his resignation -- 
fugitive Andrew Wang's wife, Yeh Hsiu-chen.  Tien told AIT 
that he resigned in anger because he felt Taiwan Premier Yu 
Shyi-kun "blew the case out of proportion" and mistreated him 
and his staff.  Tien explained that the Representative Office 
in London has no authority to approve or deny passports, and 
that Yeh's passport application was actually approved by the 
foreign ministry in Taipei.  Tien also claimed that, by 
notarizing documents for Yeh, his office merely confirmed the 
identity of the person who presented the documents.  He said 
that his office had alerted Taipei to the existence of the 
documents as soon as the consular officer notarized the 
documents.  Tien pointed out that it was beyond his control 
that Yeh was able to use the notarized documents to conduct 
questionable real estate transactions in Taipei. 
 
3. (C) Tien told AIT that, other than the passport scandal, 
he is quite proud of his UK tour.  He said that perhaps 
because of his academic reputation he was warmly received by 
British officials.  Tien commented that he was meeting 
officials at the US-equivalent Assistant Secretary level, and 
that even in formal settings, members of Parliament referred 
to him as "ambassador" and "your excellency." 
 
Bad Moon Rising in EU for Taiwan 
-------------------------------- 
 
4. (C) Despite the warmth and friendliness Tien said he found 
on a personal level, he said that his successor Edgar Lin 
(former Taiwan ambassador to Gambia) will face difficult 
challenges as the PRC continues to expand its trade relations 
with the UK and other European nations and seeks to lift the 
EU embargo on arms sales to China.  Tien said that he 
appreciated the effort the US exerted to maintain the ban, 
and said the US and UK position was crucial in the November 
17 European Parliament decision to uphold the embargo. 
However, Tien asserted that although the European Parliament 
is currently reviewing its arms sales code of conduct, he 
foresees the EU lifting the embargo in early 2005.  Tien said 
that the EU will use the review as an excuse to say that it 
closed all the loopholes for potential abuse. 
 
5. (C) Tien warned that the US might not receive as much 
support from the UK as it previously did on this and other 
issues.  Tien said that, because of his support for the US 
position on Iraq, Tony Blair had frequently stood alone, 
against political opponents, against public opinion, and even 
against his own party.  Tien said that in the new year 
Britain "will be looking to repair its relations with the 
French and Germans," and might not so readily support US 
positions. 
 
Vanuatu: Here you come again 
---------------------------- 
 
6. (C) Regarding the recent flap over Vanuatu, Tien told AIT 
that the entire affair has been mishandled by Deputy Minister 
Michael Kau.  He said that during his own tenure as foreign 
minister (2000-2002), he had also secured a signed promise 
from then-Foreign Minister Serge Vohor to switch diplomatic 
recognition from PRC to Taiwan.  Tien said that he had not 
been sure Vohor could deliver on his promise and insisted 
that Taiwan wait until the agreement was adopted and 
confirmed by the Vanuatu cabinet before announcing it 
publicly.  Tien recalled that at the time he was under 
enormous pressure by senior level foreign ministry officials 
in Taipei to go public on the agreement in order to "force 
the reality" on the Vanuatu cabinet.  Tien said that he had 
to exert all of his influence in order to overrule his 
foreign ministry advisers.  Tien said as soon as he heard 
news about Vanuatu and Vohor, he thought to himself, "here we 
go again." 
 
Baffled by Lee Teng-hui 
----------------------- 
 
7. (C) Commenting on Chen Shui-bian's recent rhetoric on 
using Taiwan instead of the "ROC" for the next United Nations 
General Assembly bid and representative offices worldwide, 
Tien said that he guessed Chen did so to counter the 
political inroads of Tien's mentor Lee Teng-hui and his 
pro-independence Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU).  Tien said 
that he has not seen Lee lately and he could not begin to 
guess what is on Lee's mind.  Tien said he could not 
determine whether or not Lee was satisfied with Chen 
Shui-bian's performance, whether Lee thought Chen was moving 
too slowly with "normalizing" Taiwan's international status, 
whether Lee thought Chen was moving Taiwan in the right 
direction or if Lee believed Chen has compromised too much. 
Tien also worried about what Lee might say or do if Lee were 
not satisfied with Chen's performance. 
 
8. (C) Tien said he wondered what might have happened to Lee 
after he left the presidency that caused him to change so 
radically.  Tien explained that Lee was fully aware of the 
constraints on Taiwan in the international arena and moved 
extremely cautiously when dealing with the PRC.  Tien said 
when Lee appointed him to the National Unification Council 
Lee told him that he opposed Taiwan independence.  In fact, 
Tien asserted, during his tenure as president, Lee stated 
over 200 times that he opposed Taiwan independence.  Tien 
asked rhetorically, whether it was possible for a person to 
have concealed his true beliefs so well. 
 
Comment: Frustrated Professionals 
--------------------------------- 
 
9. (C) Tien's views are not atypical of the group of Lee 
Teng-hui holdovers who have fallen out with the Chen 
administration over the past two years.  These figures have 
often expressed frustration to AIT over the direction Taiwan 
is heading.  Tien and his peers have said they are 
increasingly exasperated by the DPP's amateur, 
election-obsessed approach to policy making, puzzled over Lee 
Teng-hui's transformation into a pro-independence 
fundamentalist, and disenchanted by the Pan-Blue leadership's 
willful refusal to face up to Taiwan's current political 
realities.  While this group played a critical role in 
Taiwan's democratization in the 1990s and later during the 
transition to DPP rule, most are now detaching themselves 
from the political discourse. 
 
Biographical note 
----------------- 
 
10. (C) Tien Hung-mao returned to Taipei from London in late 
November 2004.  Now without a government position, he resumed 
his position as chairman of the Institute for National Policy 
Research.  During this November 30 meeting, Tien repeatedly 
said that he had been in Taipei for only a few days, had not 
really contacted anyone yet, and not thought about what he 
might do next.  Tien might be surveying his options in 
Taiwan, but with an eye to returning to the US as soon as a 
"respectable" period of time has passed. 
PAAL