TFLE01: PRC/LEBANON: INTERNATIONAL FORCE MUST

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 015857

SIPDIS



NOFORN
SIPDIS

USUN FOR PHEE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/02/2026
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPKO CH UN LE IS
SUBJECT: TFLE01: PRC/LEBANON: INTERNATIONAL FORCE MUST
FOLLOW CEASEFIRE AND AGREEMENT ON HEZBOLLAH DISARMAMENT

REF: STATE 124162

CLASSIFIED BY: DCM DAVID SEDNEY. REASONS 1.4 (B/D).


1. (C) THE PRC SUPPORTS THE DEPLOYMENT OF AN INTERNATIONAL
FORCE TO SOUTHERN LEBANON WITH A STRONG MANDATE TO SUPPORT
EXTENSION OF THE LEBANESE GOVERNMENT'S AUTHORITY THROUGHOUT
THE COUNTRY. MFA IO DEPARTMENT UN AFFAIRS DIVISION DIRECTOR
YANG TAO TOLD POLOFFS AUGUST 2 THAT BEIJINGS POSITION IS
VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL TO THAT OF FRANCE. THERE SHOULD BE AN
IMMEDIATE CEASE-FIRE, FOLLOWED BY NEGOTIATION OF A "POLITICAL
FRAMEWORK" FOR THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE LEBANESE ARMY THROUGHOUT
THE COUNTRY AND THE DISARMAMENT OF HEZBOLLAH AND OTHER
MILITIAS.


2. (C) THE MANDATE AND COMPOSITION OF AN INTERNATIONAL FORCE
SHOULD BE DETERMINED AFTER SUCH A POLITICAL FRAMEWORK IS IN
PLACE, ACCORDING TO YANG. HE CAUTIONED AGAINST FOCUSING ON
DEPLOYMENT OF AN INTERNATIONAL FORCE POWERFUL ENOUGH TO BE
ABLE TO COMPEL HEZBOLLAH TO DISARM. ACKNOWLEDGING THAT ANY
INTERNATIONAL FORCE SHOULD BE CAPABLE AND HAVE A ROBUST
MANDATE, YANG ARGUED THAT NO FORCE OTHER THAN ONE LED BY THE
UNITED STATES WOULD BE STRONGER THAN THE ISRAELI DEFENSE
FORCES, WHICH ARE ALREADY SHOWING THEMSELVES INCAPABLE OF
DOING THE JOB THROUGH VIOLENCE ALONE.


3. (C) THE PROPER MISSION OF AN INTERNATIONAL FORCE SHOULD BE
TO SUPPORT THE LEBANESE GOVERNMENT EXTENDING ITS AUTHORITY
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING SUPERVISING THE LEBANESE
GOVERNMENTS DISARMING OF HEZBOLLAH, ACCORDING TO YANG.
SHOULD THE RIGHT POLITICAL CONDITIONS EXIST, THE PRC WOULD BE
WILLING TO SUPPORT EITHER A UN-MANDATED FORCE OR AN ACTUAL UN
FORCE BASED ON THE DESIRES OF CONTRIBUTING STATES AND OTHER
UNSC MEMBERS, ACCORDING TO YANG. IN RESPONSE TO POLOFF'S
DRAWING FROM REFTEL POINTS TO URGE THE PRC TO CONTRIBUTE TO A
POSSIBLE INTERNATIONAL FORCE, YANG SAID HIS PERSONAL VIEW IS
THAT AS A RESULT OF THE DEATHS OF THE UNTSO OBSERVERS,
BEIJING WILL NOT CONTRIBUTE TO ANY NEW FORCE AND IS LIKELY TO
CONSIDER WITHDRAWING ITS CURRENT UNIFIL CONTINGENT.


4. (C) POLOFFS STRESSED THAT AN IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE WOULD NOT
GUARANTEE THAT HEZBOLLAH WILL REALLY DISARM, NOTING THAT IT
WOULD BE FUTILE TO SIMPLY RECREATE AN UNTENABLE STATUS QUO
THAT WILL LEAD TO FURTHER CONFLICT IN THE NEAR FUTURE. YANG
ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HEZBOLLAH STARTED THE CONFLICT, "FOR WHICH
IT WAS COMPLETELY IN THE WRONG," AND EXPRESSED UNDERSTANDING
FOR WHY ISRAEL FELT COMPELLED TO RESPOND STRONGLY. HOWEVER,
HE ARGUED THAT THE ISRAELI MILITARY CAMPAIGN HAS NOW GONE TOO
FAR, PARTICULARLY FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF A CHINESE UN TRUCE
SUPERVISORY ORGANIZATION (UNTSO) OBSERVER, WHICH YANG CLAIMED
HAS INCREASED PRC AS WELL AS INTERNATIONAL OPPOSITION TO THE
ISRAELI CAMPAIGN.
RANDT