CHINESE VICE PREMIER WU YI TO VISIT THAILAND IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 005443 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/CM PACOM FOR FPA HUSO E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/22/2015 TAGS: PGOV PREL CH TH SUBJECT: CHINESE VICE PREMIER WU YI TO VISIT THAILAND IN SEPTEMBER REF: BANGKOK 5393 Classified By: Ambassador Ralph L. Boyce. Reason 1.4 (a and d) ¶1. (C) At a dinner he hosted for the Ambassador on August 22, Chinese Ambassador to Thailand Zhang Jiuhuan confirmed information contained in reftel that PRC Vice Premier Wu Yi is scheduled to visit Thailand in September. Zhang explained that Wu would spend three or four days in either Bangkok or PM Thaksin's hometown of Chiang Mai during which time she would meet with Thaksin and other Thai officials. Zhang indicated that the purpose of Wu's visit was to discuss bilateral economic and commercial issues and that the commercial/economic section of the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok was arranging details of the visit. PRC Political Officer Zhang Ying suggested that PRC Commerce Minister Bo Xilai might also accompany Wu on the visit. Ambassador Zhang said that Wu's visit was the first visit to Thailand by a Politburo member since he arrived in the Kingdom a year ago. ¶2. (C) During the dinner, Political Section Director Tao Yihong confirmed that Thai Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon would be stopping in Beijing in late August on his way to Pyongyang to discuss North Korean issues generally and the Six-Party talks with Chinese officials. ¶3. (C) Embassy Bangkok stands ready to debrief Chinese Embassy officials about the Wu visit or other matters and would welcome any suggested lines of inquiry from Embassy Beijing. Point of contact is PolOff Mark Lambert. BOYCE