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