Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BEIJING19661
2006-09-15 10:11:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Beijing
Cable title:  

CHINA-JAPAN: BEIJING AWAITS ABE'S REMARKS BEFORE

Tags:  PREL ENRG JA CH 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ1505
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBJA #9661 2581011
ZNY CCCCC ZZH ZUI RUEWMCF4783 2581008
O 151011Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0000
INFO CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 019661 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2016
TAGS: PREL ENRG JA CH
SUBJECT: CHINA-JAPAN: BEIJING AWAITS ABE'S REMARKS BEFORE
CONSIDERING SUMMIT MEETING


REF: BEIJING 18543

CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR DANIEL
SHIELDS. REASONS 1.4 (B/D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 019661

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2016
TAGS: PREL ENRG JA CH
SUBJECT: CHINA-JAPAN: BEIJING AWAITS ABE'S REMARKS BEFORE
CONSIDERING SUMMIT MEETING


REF: BEIJING 18543

CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR DANIEL
SHIELDS. REASONS 1.4 (B/D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: CHINA HAD NO ROLE IN PUBLICIZING A
PHOTO OF PREMIER WEN JIABAO SHAKING HANDS WITH
JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER KOIZUMI AT THIS WEEK'S ASEM
SUMMIT, A FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIAL SAID. CHINA
REMAINS INTERESTED IN IMPROVING RELATIONS WITH JAPAN,
THE OFFICIAL SAID, BUT AWAITS PRESUMPTIVE NEXT PRIME
MINISTER SHINZO ABE'S COMMENTS ON HISTORICAL ISSUES
BEFORE IT IS PREPARED TO THINK CONCRETELY ABOUT A
MEETING BETWEEN ABE AND CHINESE LEADERS, INCLUDING AT
THE APEC LEADERS MEETING OR THE EAST ASIAN SUMMIT
LATER THIS YEAR. CHINA SAW THE RECENT VISIT BY A
JAPANESE VICE-MINISTER TO TAIWAN AS A "BAD SIGN" FOR
IMPROVING RELATIONS. CHINESE COMPANIES HAVE NOT BEGUN
DRILLING FOR OIL IN DISPUTED AREAS OF THE EAST CHINA
SEA, THE OFFICIAL SAID. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) CHINA HAD NO ROLE IN PUBLICATION OF A
PHOTOGRAPH OF WEN JIABAO SHAKING HANDS WITH JAPANESE
PM KOIZUMI ON THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE ASIA-EUROPE
MEETING SUMMIT, MFA JAPAN DIVISION DEPUTY DIRECTOR LU
GUIJUN TOLD POLOFF SEPTEMBER 15. JAPANESE MEDIA
REPORTS CLAIMING THAT THE CHINESE TOOK THE PHOTO AND
SUBMITTED IT TO THE FINNISH HOSTS TO SIGNAL A
WILLINGNESS TO IMPROVE RELATIONS ARE GROUNDLESS, LU
SAID. CHINA REMAINS INTERESTED AND WILLING TO IMPROVE
RELATIONS WITH TOKYO BUT ITS PREREQUISITE CONDITION,
NAMELY THAT JAPAN'S LEADER PROMISE NOT TO VISIT THE
YASAKUNI SHRINE, REMAINS UNCHANGED, HE SAID.


3. (C) CHINA AWAITS PRESUMPTIVE NEW PRIME MINISTER
SHINZO ABES FIRST SPEECH UPON TAKING OFFICE BEFORE IT
WILL MAKE ANY DECISION ON WHETHER CHINESE LEADERS
MIGHT MEET WITH ABE AT MULTILATERAL MEETINGS LATER
THIS YEAR, LU SAID. BOTH THE NOVEMBER APEC LEADERS
MEETING IN HANOI AND THE DECEMBER EAST ASIAN SUMMIT
WOULD BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR A CHINESE LEADER TO MEET
WITH ABE, LU SAID, BUT SUCH A MEETING COULD ONLY
HAPPEN IF ABE FIRST PROMISED NOT TO VISIT YASAKUNI.
SEPARATELY, JAPANESE EMBASSY COUNSELOR KAZUYA ENDO
TOLD POLOFF THAT HE FOUND IT LIKELY THAT BEIJING WOULD
PROTECT PRESIDENT HU JINTAO EARLY IN ABE'S
ADMINISTRATION AND AVOID PROPOSING THAT HE MEET WITH
ABE. ENDO SPECULATED THAT BEIJING "MIGHT" PROPOSE
THAT PREMIER WEN AND ABE MEET AT THE EAS IN DECEMBER.


4. (C) OFFICIALS FROM ACROSS CHINESE MINISTRIES
RECENTLY HAVE BEEN REQUESTING A LOT OF ANALYSIS FROM
THE MFA ABOUT THE LIKELY POLICIES OF AN ABE GOVERNMENT
LU SAID. HE WOULD NOT BE DRAWN ON THE CONTENT OF THE
ANALYSES HE HAS DRAFTED BUT LU SAID THAT HE PERSONALLY
BELIEVES ABE WILL TAKE A HARD LINE TOWARD CHINA AS PM
BUT WILL BE MORE TACTFUL THAN KOIZUMI WAS.

JAPANESE MINISTER TO TAIWAN; EAST CHINA SEA
--------------


5. (C) THE AUGUST 15 VISIT OF A JAPANESE VICE MINISTER
FOR FISHERIES TO TAIWAN STRUCK BEIJING AS A "BAD
SYMBOL" FOR THE FUTURE OF SINO-JAPANESE RELATIONS, LU
SAID. NOT ONLY DID THE VISIT VIOLATE JAPAN'S "ONE
CHINA PLEDGE," BUT IT ALSO INVOLVED DISCUSSIONS OF
TERRITORIAL AND MILITARY DIMENSIONS OF MARITIME ISSUES
IN THE EAST CHINA SEA, RAISING BEIJING'S LEVEL OF
CONCERN, HE ADDED.


6. (C) RESPONDING TO POLOFF'S QUESTION ABOUT A POSTING
ON THE WEBSITE OF A CHINESE OIL COMPANY THAT IT HAD
BEGUN PRODUCTION OF OIL AND GAS FROM A FIELD IN A
DISPUTED AREA OF THE EAST CHINA SEA, LU CATEGORICALLY
REJECTED THE NOTION. HE SAID NO DRILLING HAD YET
TAKEN PLACE. HE REPEATED POINTS REPORTED REFTEL THAT
BEIJING DOES NOT UNDERSTAND TOKYOS RECENT PROTESTS
ABOUT CONSTRUCTION OF DRILLING PLATFORMS IN THE
DISPUTED AREA, HOWEVER, SINCE ALL ARE ON CHINA'S SIDE
OF THE MEDIAN LINE BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES.

RANDT