C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 010339

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/12/11
TAGS: PREL, PTER, AF, PK
SUBJECT: PRC POSITION ON AFGHANISTAN'S FUTURE

REF: (A)STATE 176853, (B)BEIJING 10287

(U) CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR JON
ALOISI. REASONS 1.5 (B), (D).

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SUMMARY
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1. (C) AN MFA OFFICIAL ON OCTOBER 12 REPORTED THAT
CHINA'S POSITION ON THE FUTURE OF AFGHANISTAN WAS
SIMILAR TO OURS, AS DESCRIBED IN REF A DEMARCHE.
BEIJING BELIEVED THE NEXT GOVERNMENT OF AFGHANISTAN
SHOULD BE BROADLY BASED, REPRESENT ALL ETHNIC GROUPS,
PURSUE FRIENDLY RELATIONS WITH ALL OTHER COUNTRIES, AND,
OF COURSE, OPPOSE TERRORISM. THE OFFICIAL ALSO STRESSED
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ROLE OF THE UNITED NATIONS IN
DETERMINING AFGHANISTAN'S FUTURE. END SUMMARY.

2. (C) EMBOFFS MET OCTOBER 12 WITH LI JUNHUA, DIRECTOR
OF THE MFA INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION DEPARTMENT'S
POLITICAL DIVISION, TO DISCUSS REFTEL DEMARCHE ON
AFGHANISTAN'S POLITICAL FUTURE. WE LEFT THE TALKING
POINTS BEHIND AS A NONPAPER.

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CHINA'S POSITION SIMILAR TO OURS
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3. (C) AFTER LISTENING TO OUR PRESENTATION, LI
RESPONDED THAT CHINA SHARED MOST OF OUR VIEWS. BEIJING
BELIEVED THE NEXT AFGHAN GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE BROADLY
BASED, INCLUDE REPRESENTATIVES OF ALL ETHNIC GROUPS, AND
BE FRIENDLY TO ALL COUNTRIES. LI REPEATED THE LAST
POINT, EMPHASIZING THAT AFGHANISTAN SHOULD NOT BE
HOSTILE TO ANY OTHER COUNTRY. FINALLY, OF COURSE, IT
SHOULD OPPOSE TERRORISM.

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IMPORTANT ROLE OF UN
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4. (C) LI CONTINUED THAT CHINA ATTACHED GREAT
IMPORTANCE TO THE ROLE OF THE UN IN DETERMINING
AFGHANISTAN'S FUTURE. THE PRC WELCOMED THE APPOINTMENT
OF LAKHDAR BRAHIMI AS THE SECRETARY GENERAL'S SPECIAL
ENVOY TO AFGHANISTAN. CHINA WOULD WORK CLOSELY WITH
BRAHIMI AND HOPED THAT THE UN, PARTICULARLY THE
SECRETARY GENERAL HIMSELF, WOULD TAKE A MORE ACTIVE ROLE
IN AFGHANISTAN.

5. (C) "LAST BUT NOT LEAST," SAID LI, THE NEXT AFGHAN
GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE DETERMINED BY THE AFGHAN PEOPLE.
IT WAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
TO CREATE A FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE AFGHAN PEOPLE
TO ACCOMPLISH THIS. CHINA WAS READY TO WORK WITH THE
U.S., PAKISTAN, IRAN, AND OTHERS TO WORK OUT A SOLUTION
TO THE AFGHANISTAN ISSUE.

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COMMENT
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6. (C) LI'S REMARKS AND VFM WANG YI'S EARLIER COMMENTS
ON THE SAME SUBJECT TO A/S KELLY (REF B) REFLECT AN
INITIAL CONSENSUS WITHIN THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT ON THE
FUTURE OF AFGHANISTAN. WE KNOW FROM OTHER SOURCES THAT
THE PRC HAS BEEN WORKING OVERTIME TO FORMULATE A
POSITION ON THE ISSUE (ONE SOUTH ASIA SCHOLAR SAID HE
HAD BEEN ATTENDING MEETINGS WITH THE MFA EVERY DAY).
BEIJING'S FIRST PRIORITY IS A STABLE AFGHANISTAN, WHICH
THE PRC WILL DEFINE AS ONE THAT IS ACCEPTABLE TO
PAKISTAN, ABLE TO MAINTAIN STABILITY ON THE CHINESE-
AFGHAN BORDER, AND DOES NOT CONTRIBUTE TO SEPARATISM IN
CHINA'S WEST. THE PRC WILL ALSO BE ALERT TO ANY HINT
THAT THE U.S. MIGHT EXPLOIT THE CURRENT CRISIS TO
UNDERMINE CHINESE INFLUENCE IN CENTRAL ASIA.

RANDT