MFA VIEWS ON SHOOTING OF JAPANESE FISHERMAN, RIVER

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 018752

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

MOSCOW FOR VLADIVOSTOCK

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/06/2016
TAGS: PREL ENRG SENV RU JA CH
SUBJECT: MFA VIEWS ON SHOOTING OF JAPANESE FISHERMAN, RIVER
POLLUTION IN RUSSIAN FAR EAST

REF: BEIJING 17778

CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL EXTERNAL UNIT CHIEF EDGARD KAGAN. REASONS 1.4
(B/D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: THE SHOOTING OF A JAPANESE FISHERMAN IN
DISPUTED WATERS BY A RUSSIAN COASTAL PATROL BOAT REFLECTS
LONG-STANDING TENSIONS, INCLUDING RUSSIAN FRUSTRATION AT THE
QUALITY AND SPEED OF JAPANESE FISHING BOATS, ACCORDING TO A
CHINESE DIPLOMAT EXPERIENCED IN THE RUSSIAN FAR EAST. THE
MFA OFFICIAL TOLD US THAT SINO-RUSSIAN COOPERATION OVER THE
AUGUST CHEMICAL SPILL FROM A CHINESE CHEMICAL PLANT THAT
THREATENED TO POLLUTE A SIBERIAN RIVER WAS QUITE GOOD AND WAS
DISCUSSED FAVORABLY DURING RUSSIAN FIRST DEPUTY PRIME
MINISTER MEDVEDEV'S AUGUST 29 VISIT. A RUSSIAN DIPLOMAT
NOTED THAT THE ISSUE OF CROSS-BORDER POLLUTION WAS AMONG
EXAMPLES USED TO ILLUSTRATE THE IMPORTANCE OF COORDINATING
FOREIGN AFFAIRS AT A RECENT HIGH-LEVEL CONFERENCE. END
SUMMARY.


2. (C) CHINA OBSERVED CLOSELY THE AUGUST 16 SHOOTING DEATH OF
A JAPANESE FISHERMAN BY A RUSSIAN PATROL BOAT NEAR THE
DISPUTED KURILE ISLANDS, ACCORDING TO MFA EURASIAN AFFAIRS
DEPARTMENT COUNSELOR AND DIRECTOR OF RUSSIAN AFFAIRS WU
XIAOYING, WHO PREVIOUSLY SERVED AT THE PRC CONSULATE IN
VLADIVOSTOCK. RUSSIAN COASTAL POLICE HAVE OFTEN COMPLAINED
ABOUT THE SUPERIOR QUALITY OF THE EQUIPMENT AND VESSELS USED
BY JAPANESE FISHERMEN AND EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION THAT THEY
HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME CATCHING JAPANESE BOATS THAT CROSS INTO
RUSSIAN TERRITORIAL WATERS, SHE TOLD US AUGUST 30. DESPITE
HAVING NO DIRECT INTEREST IN THE INCIDENT, THE PRC OBSERVED
IT CLOSELY BECAUSE CHINA SOMETIMES FACES DISPUTES OVER
FISHING RIGHTS WITH RUSSIA ON THE AMUR RIVER BETWEEN SIBERIA
AND CHINA'S HEILONGJIANG PROVINCE, SHE SAID. (NOTE: THE
MEETING OCCURRED BEFORE THE REPORTED SEPTEMBER 1 DETENTION ON
THE AMUR RIVER OF TWO RUSSIAN HYDROGRAPHERS BY CHINESE BORDER
OFFICIALS. END NOTE).


3. (C) SEPARATELY, WU CLAIMED THAT RUSSIAN OFFICIALS
EXPRESSED THEIR APPRECIATION FOR CHINESE EFFORTS TO CONTAIN
POLLUTION ON A TRIBUTARY OF THE SONGHUA RIVER AUGUST 20.
UNLIKE THE DECEMBER 2005 BENZENE SPILL INTO THE SONGHUA RIVER
THAT FLOWED INTO RUSSIA'S AMUR RIVER AND INTERFERED WITH
DRINKING WATER, CHINA MOVED QUICKLY TO CONTROL THE POLLUTION
BEFORE IT SPREAD TO THE SONGHUA AND THREATENED RUSSIAN
CITIZENS, WU SAID.


4. (C) THE SPILL WAS DISCUSSED DURING RUSSIAN FIRST DEPUTY
PRIME MINISTER DIMITRI MEDVEDEV'S AUGUST 29 MEETING WITH
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER WU YI, ACCORDING TO RUSSIAN EMBASSY
SECOND SECRETARY DENIS AGAFONOV, WHO NOTED THAT THE VISITS
FOCUS WAS ON CULTURAL EXCHANGES RELATED TO THE 2006 YEAR OF
RUSSIA IN CHINA AND THE 2007 YEAR OF CHINA IN RUSSIA. WHILE
EXPRESSING CONCERN FOR THE RESIDENTS OF SIBERIA, THE RUSSIANS
SHOWED "UNDERSTANDING" FOR CHINA'S EFFORTS TO STOP THE
POLLUTION AND CHINESE LEADERS PLEDGED THAT SUCH INCIDENTS
WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN, MFA'S WU SAID.


5. (C) THE IMPACT OF POLLUTION ON CHINESE FOREIGN POLICY WAS
AMONG THE TOPICS DISCUSSED AT AN AUGUST 21 MINISTERIAL-LEVEL
FOREIGN AFFAIRS WORK CONFERENCE, ACCORDING TO AGAFONOV
(REFTEL). THE POLLUTION INCIDENTS AFFECTING THE SONGHUA
RIVER WERE AMONG SPECIFIC EXAMPLES USED TO ILLUSTRATE THE
NEED FOR CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS ENTITIES OUTSIDE OF
THE MFA TO HARMONIZE THEIR ACTIVITIES AFFECTING CHINESE
FOREIGN POLICY, HE SAID.
RANDT