ITALIAN VIEWS ON CHINA RESOLUTION AT UNCHR

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001557 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/27/2012 TAGS: PHUM IT UNHRC HUMAN RIGHTS SUBJECT: ITALIAN VIEWS ON CHINA RESOLUTION AT UNCHR REF: STATE 53847 CLASSIFIED BY: POLMINCOUNSELOR TOM COUNTRYMAN. REASON 1.5 (B) (D). ¶1. (SBU) POLOFF DELIVERED REFTEL TALKING POINTS MARCH 21 TO MFA OFFICE OF HUMAN RIGHTS COUNSELOR ALBERTO CECCARELLI. DRAWING ON POINTS REFTEL, THE AMBASSADOR WROTE MFA SECRETARY GENERAL GIUSEPPE BALDOCCI MARCH 22, FOLLOWING-UP WITH A CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ROME 01557 271601Z PERSONAL CALL ON BALDOCCI MARCH 26. WE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF EACH OF THESE OCCASIONS TO SAY "THANK YOU" TO ITALY FOR THE GOI'S DECISION TO POSTPONE ITS CANDIDACY FOR A SEAT ON THE UN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS (UNCHR). AMBASSADOR BALDOCCI RESPONDED BY TELLING THE AMBASSADOR HE PERSONALLY CONSIDERED IT IMPORTANT FOR THE U.S. TO BE A MEMBER OF THE UNCHR. ¶2. (C) BALDOCCI SAID THERE ARE "NO EASY ANSWERS" REGARDING THE EU'S APPROACH TO A CHINA RESOLUTION. IN THE PAST, HE SAID, THE EU HAS NEITHER PRESENTED NOR CO-SPONSORED A RESOLUTION. WHAT IF, HE ASKED, THERE WERE NO CHINA RESOLUTION THIS YEAR? WOULD THAT NECESSARILY BE A BAD THING? WOULD THE ABSENCE OF A RESOLUTION HELP FURTHER OUR HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUE WITH THE CHINESE? WE COULD HAVE SERIOUS DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM, HE SAID, THEN ASSESS MATTERS AT YEAR'S END. BALDOCCI SAID THESE QUESTIONS WERE HIS OWN THINKING, NOT THOSE OF THE GOI -- WHICH HAS YET TO TAKE A POSITION. ¶3. (C) WE WELCOMED BALDOCCI'S INTEREST IN RETHINKING "TRADITIONAL" EU POSITIONS AND OFFERED SOME QUESTIONS OF OUR OWN. WERE THERE NO CHINA RESOLUTION PRESENTED AT THE 58TH UNCHR, OF WHICH THE U.S. IS NOT A MEMBER, WOULD THE CHINESE CONCLUDE THE ONE EVENT (NO RESOLUTION) WAS THE CONSEQUENCE OF THE OTHER (U.S. OFF THE COMMISSION)? WHAT WOULD BE THE IMPACT INSIDE CHINA? HOW WOULD CHINESE HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS INTERPRET THE ABSENCE OF A RESOLUTION? MIGHT THEY SEE THIS AS THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY "ABANDONING" THEM? ¶4. (C) COMMENT: THIS IS THE FIRST OCCASION ON WHICH THE CENTER-RIGHT BERLUSCONI GOVERNMENT HAS AN OPPORTUNITY (OR IS BEING REQUIRED) TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. MISSION WILL SEEK CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 ROME 01557 271601Z OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP TOP GOI OFFICIALS RETHINK "TRADITIONAL" ITALIAN GOVERNMENT VIEWS. SEMBLER CONFIDENTIAL > 2002ROME01557 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL