HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA: ITALIANS EQUALLY

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003825

SIPDIS


DEPT FOR DRL/MLA, EAP/CM, EUR/ERA AND EUR/WE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2013
TAGS: PHUM IT EU UNHRC
SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA: ITALIANS EQUALLY
PESSIMISTIC BUT AWAIT RESULTS OF FALL EU-CHINA DIALOGUE

REF: STATE 240681

CLASSIFIED BY: ACTING POL M/C GARY ROBBINS, REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) THE ITALIAN MFA SHARED OUR PESSIMISTIC ASSESSMENT OF
CHINA'S HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD THIS YEAR, HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE
DIRECTOR CALVETTA TOLD US AUGUST 21 (CHINA OFFICE DIRECTOR
AND STAFF ARE STILL ON VACATION). SOME OTHER EU
MEMBER-STATES WERE STILL WEARING ROSE-TINTED SHADES, AND IT
WAS TOO SOON TO BEGIN DISCUSSING A TOUGHER LINE ON CHINA NEXT
YEAR. EU MEMBERS WOULD WANT TO SEE HOW THE UNION'S DIALOGUE
WITH THE CHINESE UNFOLDED THIS FALL, ESPECIALLY DURING A
TROIKA EXCHANGE IN ROME IN NOVEMBER. BEIJING WAS UNLIKELY TO
DEMONSTRATE THE KIND OF QUALITATIVE IMPROVEMENT IN THE
DIALOGUE, AND THE PARALLEL CONCRETE ACTIONS, TO SATISFY THE
ITALIAN GOVERNMENT. MOREOVER, THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT WOULD
BE INCREASINGLY INCLINED TO PURSUE A TOUGHER LINE WITH
BEIJING, CALVETTA OBSERVED, REFERRING TO FINANCE MINISTER
TREMONTI'S RECENT PUBLIC COMMENTS CRITICIZING THE WAVE OF
CHINESE EXPORTS FLOODING ITALY.


2. (C) COMMENT: WE WOULD BE WELL-SERVED TO PROVIDE AS MUCH
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON CHINESE BACKSLIDING ON HUMAN RIGHTS
TO EU MEMBER-STATES AS POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY IN ADVANCE OF THE
LATE FALL EU-CHINA DIALOGUE. A RELEASABLE VERSION OF THE
BACKGROUND PORTION OF REFTEL, DESCRIBING CHINA'S FAILURE TO
DELIVER ON COMMITMENTS TO THE U.S. THIS YEAR, WOULD BE AN
EXCELLENT PLACE TO START.

BUT BELIEVES ADDITIONAL CHINESE PERFIDY DURING THIS
FALL'S EU-CHINA DIALOGUE WILL BE NEEDED TO CONVINCE SOME
OTHER EU MEMBER-STATES TO SUPPORT A TOUGH RESOLUTION AT NEXT
YEAR'S UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION.
SKODON

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2003ROME03825 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL