JANUARY 17 MFA PRESS BRIEFING: KIM JONG-IL VISIT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 001061 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PARM CH IR EU KN SUBJECT: JANUARY 17 MFA PRESS BRIEFING: KIM JONG-IL VISIT SPECULATION, IRAN NUCLEAR CRISIS, SIX-PARTY TALKS, HU JINTAO U.S. VISIT, SAUDI KING ABDULLAH VISIT Summary -------------- ¶1. MFA Spokesperson Kong Quan stated that President Hu Jintao will "meet a foreign leader" on Tuesday, January 17, in response to repeated questioning about the unconfirmed visit of Kim Jong-Il to China. Kong refused to be drawn into specific comment about a possible Kim visit, saying he had no authorized information to share. China seeks a peaceful resolution of the Iran nuclear crisis. As one of the "London Six," China is concerned about Iran's position and urges Iran to return to the negotiating table. Kong would not specifically respond to questions about referring Iran to the UNSC. The United States and China have begun discussing the agenda for President Hu Jintao's 2006 visit to the United States. The Six- Party Talks should not be held up by complicating factors and China is in contact with all the Parties. The investigation of the Banco Delta Asia, under the "one country, two systems" policy, is primarily the responsibility of Macau authorities. King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia will visit China January 22-24. Bahamas Foreign Minister Frederick Mitchell will visit China January 19-22. Luxembourg Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn will visit China January 22- ¶24. Chinese Justice Minister Wu Aiying will visit La Paz, Bolivia, as China's Special Envoy to the inauguration of Evo Morales on January 22. Chinese Deputy Premier Zeng Peiyan will attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 25-29. End Summary. A Foreign Leader Visits Beijing -------------- ¶2. Asked if by NHK Japanese TV if President Hu Jintao was meeting any foreign leaders today, MFA Spokesman Kong Quan affirmed at the regular January 17 MFA Press Briefing that Hu "will meet a foreign leader today." Kong brushed aside numerous media requests for specific confirmation of the much-reported Kim Jong-Il visit to China, saying he had "no authorized information to share." Iran Nuclear Crisis -------------- ¶3. Asked about China's position on the Iran nuclear crisis, Kong said it is very important to resolve the issue diplomatically and peacefully while respecting the interests of all parties. Kong did not specifically respond to questions about whether China would support referring Iran to the UNSC. He said China would make the utmost effort for talks to resume at an early date and reach a proper solution. China's UN Ambassador Wang Guangya's remarks proposed ways to address the problem and urged parties to restart negotiations. Regarding the latest Russian proposal to provide enriched uranium to Iran, Kong said the key is for Iran to resume negotiations with the EU 3. China had "very interesting" contact and consultations during Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Mehdi Safari's January 9-10 visit to Beijing, which included meeting with Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing. Hu Jintao's U.S. Visit in Planning Stages -------------- ¶4. Kong stated that President Hu Jintao will visit the United States early this year. China and the United States are holding consultations on the timing and agenda for the visit. The Six-Party Talks: Complicated -------------- ¶5. Asked about the status of the Six-Party Talks, Kong said that the Talks should not be held up by complicating factors. China is in contact with the BEIJING 00001061 002 OF 002 Parties and hopes all countries will make efforts to resume the Talks. Banco Delta Asia -------------- ¶6. Asked how China views the U.S. sanctions on Banco Delta Asia, Kong stated that under the "one country, two systems" policy, the investigation is primarily the responsibility of Macau authorities. Saudi King Abdullah's Visit to China Announced -------------- - ¶7. King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia will visit China January 22-24. This is the first visit by a Saudi monarch to China since the countries established relations in 1991. Kong noted that this will be King Abdullah's first foreign visit since assuming the throne. Political and energy cooperation will be among topics discussed. China-Saudi trade volume in 2005 totaled 14 billion USD, an increase of 53 percent over the previous year's trade volume. Other Visits To China -------------- ¶8. Bahamas Minister of Foreign Affairs and Public Service Frederick Mitchell will visit China January 19-22. Luxembourg Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn will visit China January 22-24. Chinese Visits Abroad -------------- ¶9. Chinese Justice Minister Wu Aiying will visit La Paz, Bolivia, as China's Special Envoy to the inauguration of Evo Morales on January 22. Chinese Deputy Premier Zeng Peiyan will attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 25-29. Zeng will speak about China's economic and social development at the Forum. Randt