PRC/LEBANON: CHINA CONSIDERING SENDING

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 016876 SIPDIS SIPDIS USUN FOR PHEE E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/15/2016 TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS LE UNSC CH SUBJECT: PRC/LEBANON: CHINA CONSIDERING SENDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO UNIFIL REF: A. SECSTATE 134133 ¶B. BEIJING 16822 CLASSIFIED BY: DCM DAVID SEDNEY. REASONS 1.4 (B/D). ¶1. (U) THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST. SEE PARAGRAPH 6. ¶2. (C) SUMMARY. BEIJING IS CAREFULLY CONSIDERING REQUESTS FOR CHINESE CONTRIBUTIONS TO AN EXPANDED UNIFIL UNDER UNSCR 1701, SAID MFA INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR GENERAL WU HAI LONG AT A MEETING WITH THE DCM ON AUGUST 16. PASSING THE POINTS IN REFTEL, THE DCM STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF A CAPABLE, ENHANCED UNIFIL TO MAINTAINING STABILITY IN SOUTHERN LEBANON, AND THE REGION AS A WHOLE. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (C) DELIVERING REFTEL POINTS, THE DCM SAID CHINA HAS GOOD RELATIONS WITH THE COUNTRIES IN THE REGION AND UNIFIL CONTRIBUTIONS FROM CHINA WOULD BE VIEWED POSITIVELY. HE EMPHASIZED THAT SIGNIFICANT UNIFIL TROOPS ON THE GROUND ARE NECESSARY TO MAKE UNSCR 1701 AN EFFECTIVE REALITY. ¶4. (C) WU NOTED THAT TO DATE OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE ONLY PLEDGED 2,000 OF THE REQUIRED 15,000 TROOPS FOR THE NEW UNIFIL. HE ASKED IF THE UNITED STATES HAD LATER FIGURES THAN THAT " AND IF WE KNEW WHICH COUNTRIES HAD ALREADY CONTRIBUTED TROOPS AND WHICH COUNTRIES MIGHT BE CONSIDERING MAKING TROOP CONTRIBUTIONS. WU SAID CHINA WAS SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING CONTRIBUTING TROOPS TO THE NEW UNIFIL, BUT THAT THERE WERE DIFFERENT VIEWS IN THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT REGARDING THE ISSUE. WU STATED THAT AFTER THE DEATH OF THE CHINESE PEACEKEEPER "CHINESE MILITARY AGENCIES ARE VERY RELUCTANT TO SEND MORE TROOPS. ACCORDING TO WU, CHINA HAS TO ALSO CONSIDER THE MANDATE OF THE ENHANCED UNIFIL. EXPRESSING RENEWED CONDOLENCES ON THE DEATH OF THE CHINESE UNTSO OBSERVER AND THE INJURY OF SEVERAL OTHERS, THE DCM SAID IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE THAT CHINA WANTS TO CAREFULLY CONSIDER INCREASING ITS CONTRIBUTION TO UNIFIL. ¶5. (C) NOTING THAT CHINA CONTRIBUTES APPROXIMATELY 200 TROOPS TO THE EXISTING UNIFIL FORCE, WU SAID THOSE TROOPS WERE FAR FROM "ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN PEACE." HOWEVER, HE REITERATED THAT BEIJING WAS CAREFULLY CONSIDERING THE ISSUE OF INCREASING ITS UNIFIL CONTRIBUTION. ¶6. (U) ACTION REQUEST. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY AVAILABLE INFORMATION TO RESPOND TO DIRECTOR GENERAL WU'S REQUEST REGARDING OTHER COUNTRIES' TROOP COMMITMENTS. END OF ACTION REQUEST. RANDT