US cool on mediating in WTO

Taiwan has asked the US to help facilitate dialogue between Taipei and Beijing in the WTO, but has encountered only a halting response for its efforts, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Michael Kau (高英茂) has said.

Kau made his comments in a presentation at a Washington symposium on the implications of the accession of Taiwan and China to the WTO on cross-strait relations, held in the US Capitol.

His comments are believed to be the first time a senior Taiwan official has said that Taiwan has spoken with the US about Washington's assuming some role in trying to arrange talks between Taipei and Beijing within the trading group. The US has consistently refused to assume any role in cross-strait dialogue, saying that the issues are up to both sides to work out on their own.

While US officials have expressed the expectation that the accession of the two nations to the WTO could result in talks that could eventually extend into the political realm, the US has made no public commitment whatever to get involved.

However, while noting US hesitation in assuming the go-between role, Kau said, "Our general feeling, on the basis of our contact with the AIT [American Institute in Taiwan] office in Taipei, [is that] we are very positive," he said.

Richard Bush, who until earlier this month was the head of the AIT in Washington, sat next to Kau at the panel table, but declined all comments on the issue, when asked.

"We have been in constant contact with the US Trade Representative's office and our economics ministry is in contact with various departments of the US government. As far as I know of the US attitude, it is very positive. The US would like to help encourage China" to deal with Taiwan, Kau said.

On the other hand, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs official noted, "We hope the US can help us more, but there are a lot of constraints."

"From the US perspective, we hope that the congressional side as well as the administration can encourage China to be more forthcoming within the WTO framework, and within that framework we can conduct bilateral interactions as well," Kau said.

"Hopefully, the US government can really emphasize to the Chinese the positive process for interaction, and we would be very grateful if Congress and the administration can help us in this regard," he said.

Kau said he wants such dialogue, and that any US efforts to encourage the dialogue would hopefully take place within the WTO mechanism, not, he emphasized, outside of it.

However, under questioning Kau conceded that Washington would have trouble committing to such a role.

"Our perception is that the US role is very controversial," he said. "We expect that the US will play a great role, since it is the only superpower."

But US government officials have tried to play down Washington's role in their discussions with Taiwan officials, he said.

"Don't exaggerate our role," Kau quoted US officials as saying when Taiwan broached the subject of a go-between role in the WTO. "We have a lot of trouble dealing with the international organizations, and so forth, including the World Health Organization," he quoted them as saying.