PRC/AFRICA: MUBARAK IN CHINA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIJING 024004 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF, EAP, EAP/CM INR FOR GILLES, KNIGHT AND HOOKER CAIRO FOR HILL-HERNDON, HEGADORN USUN FOR PHEE E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/22/2026 TAGS: PREL PGOV AGOA ECON EAID EG CH SUBJECT: PRC/AFRICA: MUBARAK IN CHINA REF: A. BEIJING 22370 ¶B. BEIJING 23169 ¶C. OSC GMP20061105950051 Classified By: Political External Unit Chief Edgard Kagan. Reasons 1.4 (b/d). Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) President Mubarak's November 6-7 State Visit immediately following the Beijing Summit of the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC)(Ref A) included separate meetings with President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and National People's Congress (NPC) Chairman Wu Bangguo as well as with executives of six leading Chinese companies, according to and MFA official who works on Egyptian affairs. Egypt granted China Market Economy Status (MES). President Mubarak generally discussed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and made a pitch for PRC investment in Egypt in his discussions with PRC leaders, according to Zhou. An Egyptian Embassy contact told us that PRC aid and development assistance pledged during the Beijing Summit was not generous and lacked specifics. Zhou and an Egyptian Embassy contact separately insisted President Mubarak did not discuss Sino-Egyptian nuclear cooperation despite Chinese press reports to the contrary. A French diplomat claimed that President Mubarak did raise Sino-Egyptian nuclear cooperation at the highest levels in Beijing. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Poloffs discussed Egypt's participation at the FOCAC Beijing Summit separately with MFA West Asia and North African Department Deputy Division Director Zhou Biao, Egyptian Political Officer Yasser El-Shemy (protect), Egyptian Commercial Minister Ahmed Abady (protect) and Egyptian Commercial Officer Fadel Yacoub (protect). Egypt: Not Much Aid -------------- ¶3. (C) From Egypt's perspective, Chinese trade and development assistance pledges to Africa during FOCAC's Beijing Summit (Ref B) were not generous and lacked specifics, El-Shemy complained. He commented that many of the benefits from China's more general commitments to Africa announced at the summit may not be available to Egypt. Referring to PRC promises to provide USD 3 billion in preferential loans and USD 2 billion of preferential buyer's credits to Africa over the next three years, El-Shemy noted that very few African countries have the ability to export to China. Chinese companies may be the real winners. Similarly, the PRC provided no specifics on its proposed USD 5 billion China-Africa development fund or the criteria for accessing the fund, El-Shemy added, noting that USD 5 billion is a small sum against the needs of 48 African countries. Septel will report other issues surrounding the PRC trade and development assistance proposal and the Beijing Action Plan and Beijing Declaration. Mubarak Talks Palestine -------------- ¶4. (C) MFA West Asia and North African Department Deputy Division Director Zhou said President Mubarak's November 6-7 State Visit immediately following the Beijing Summit included separate meetings with President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and National People's Congress (NPC) Chairman Wu Bangguo as well as with executives from six major Chinese companies. According to Zhou, President Mubarak discussed with President Hu Egypt's efforts to encourage the Palestinians to form a unity government. President Mubarak seemed to be deeply engaged in the Palestinian issue, Zhou commented. El-Shemy separately said President Mubarak asked President Hu to urge Israel to show flexibility and restraint in order to give Palestinian Authority Chairman Abbas room to maneuver. President Mubarak spent much of the bilateral meeting describing Egyptian efforts at shuttle diplomacy between Cairo and Tel Aviv. Egyptian Intelligence Chief Suleiman attended and passed Mubarak handwritten talking points throughout, according to Zhou, adding that President Hu listened to President Mubarak's concerns but did not make any commitments. The meeting lasted more than an hour. In the final fifteen minutes, Egyptian Minister of Trade and BEIJING 00024004 002 OF 003 Industry Rachid expressed Egypt's desire to more than double bilateral trade by 2010 to USD 5.5 billion, El-Shemy said. Zhou and El-Shemy separately noted that President Hu and President Mubarak did not discuss other regional issues such as Iran, Iraq or Sudan/Darfur. Nuclear Cooperation Discussions? -------------- ¶5. (C) Zhou said President Mubarak did not discuss nuclear cooperation during his meetings with President Hu, Premier Wen or NPC Chairman Wu and that the PRC leaders also did not raise the issue. China supports in principle Egypt's development of a civilian nuclear program per a 2002 agreement, Zhou said. When Poloff showed Zhou a China Daily report from the internet entitled "China, Egypt Agree on Nuke Co-Operation" and describing a "joint communique" to that effect (Ref C),Zhou said the report simply restated common understandings between China and Egypt. El-Shemy likewise insisted that Mubarak did not seek PRC support for an Egyptian nuclear program during any of his official meetings in China. El-Shemy added the caveat that he personally could not say what might have happened under the table. In contrast, a French diplomat in Beijing reported that an Egyptian embassy source told him that Sino-Egyptian nuclear technology was discussed "at the highest levels." Mubarak Makes Investment Pitch -------------- ¶6. (C) Zhou said Mubarak also raised the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with Premier Wen, but largely pressed for general economic cooperation. The bilateral with NPC Chairman Wu was largely a courtesy call, Zhou added. El-Shemy said Premier Wen surprised the Egyptians by announcing to Mubarak that the PRC granted RMB 50 million (approximately USD 6.3 million) to Egypt to build a school in President Mubarak's hometown and establish a fishery project in Egypt (Note: Zhou said that Premier Wen previously announced the school-building project during his visit to Egypt in April. End Note.) ¶7. (C) Meeting with Chinese firms, President Mubarak underscored that Egypt needs Chinese investment and technology transfers and will provide all necessary assistance to facilitate Chinese firms' entry into the Egyptian market, according to El-Shemy. China International Trade and Investment Corporation (CITIC),China Aviation Technology Import-Export Corporation (CATIC) and ZTE (a telecommunications vendor) were among the participants. No Egyptian companies were present. The meeting covered information technology, communications, transportation (especially rail),chemicals, petro-chemicals, financial services and recycling, El-Shemy said. Egypt Has Little To Sell Us -------------- ¶8. (C) Deputy Division Director Zhou said Egypt is generally dissatisfied with its trade deficit with China and seeks more Chinese investment. Bilateral trade is approximately USD 3 billion. Egypt particularly seeks assistance in infrastructure development, including roads, ports and railroads. The problem, Zhou said, is Egypt "has very little to sell us," adding that Chinese exports to Egypt consist mainly of clothes and consumer electronics. Abady told us China's current investment in Egypt totals between USD 50-60 million, although Chinese statistics tout three times that amount. Abady said Chinese companies are hesitant to transfer capital to Egypt and are slow to make investment decisions. Egypt wants to attract large investments by reputable Chinese companies in iron-ore, gold, zinc and phosphates. Commenting that Chinese companies are still gaining international experience, Abady said Egyptian attempts to attract Chinese investment in a refinery are encountering problems as the Chinese seek to contract for the work rather than transfer capital and technology. Egyptian labor laws prohibit the import of Chinese labor, Abady added. PRC Gets MES -------------- ¶9. (C) Egypt granted China Market Economy Status (MES) during the Beijing Summit, both Zhou and El-Shemy told us. Zhou BEIJING 00024004 003 OF 003 said the Minister of Trade and Industry Rachid and PRC Minister of Commerce signed the MES agreement. China is pleased with MES, Zhou said, noting that China considers MES designation a political decision. While the press reported that Minister Rachid signed nine economic cooperation agreements with China totaling approximately USD 250 million during the Beijing Summit (Ref C),Zhou was only willing to confirm two other bilateral agreements: a "small" PRC aid grant in excess of USD 1 million, which Zhou described as "symbolic" and a cooperation agreement between the two countries' health ministries. Both El-Shemy and Abady mentioned that the Bank of China and Egypt's Social Fund signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) designed to provide loans for Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). El-Shemy said the Egyptian Cabinet Information Decision and Support Center and the PRC State Council's Development Research Center also reached agreement on technical support. ¶10. (C) The Beijing Summit provided an opportunity for African businessmen to interact with each other and with Chinese counterparts, our Egyptian contacts told us. Members of the Cleopatra Group, the Kato Group, the MAG Group and the Egyptian Cotton Company attended the Beijing Summit. An Egyptian-owned textile company agreed to invest up to USD 20 million in weaving facilities in Tianjin and Egyptian and Chinese companies signed a telecommunications agreement worth USD 500 million (El-Shemy said Chinese companies will build a mobile-phone assembly in Egypt). El-Shemy told us that the China-Africa Joint Chamber of Commerce (JCC) established during the Beijing Summit represents a significant development for promoting Sino-African trade. JCC headquarters will be in Cairo and the Egyptian government will provide the building and security and extend diplomatic privileges to the staff, El-Shemy noted. Egypt's Priorities -------------- ¶11. (C) As FOCAC Co-Host for the 2009 Ministerial, Egypt's priorities will be to strengthen "trilateral" cooperation between Egypt, China and Africa, press the Chinese to provide specifics on key PRC proposals (such as establishing African trade zones) and obtain greater African participation in the FOCAC mechanism, El-Shemy said. PRC Reflecting On Mubarak Succession? -------------- ¶12. (C) Deputy Division Director Zhou said that President Mubarak's meetings with Chinese leaders went quite well because President Mubarak is "one of China's oldest friends" and the last foreign dignitary that Chairman Mao received before his death (Mubarak was Egypt's Vice President at the time). Remarking that President Mubarak is getting on in years, Zhou wondered aloud what might happen in Egypt when it comes time for succession. Randt