Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BEIJING8801
2006-05-11 10:52:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Beijing
Cable title:  

DDG QIU ON JAPAN-CHINA DIALOGUE

Tags:  PREL ENRG JA CH 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO1053
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH
DE RUEHBJ #8801/01 1311052
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 111052Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5006
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHMFISS/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 0920
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 008801 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2021
TAGS: PREL ENRG JA CH
SUBJECT: DDG QIU ON JAPAN-CHINA DIALOGUE

REF: TOKYO 2571

Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Daniel
Shields. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).

Summary
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 008801

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2021
TAGS: PREL ENRG JA CH
SUBJECT: DDG QIU ON JAPAN-CHINA DIALOGUE

REF: TOKYO 2571

Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Daniel
Shields. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).

Summary
--------------


1. (C) China and Japan agreed to hold the fifth round
of talks on the East China Sea dispute next week and
to discuss dates and venues for a possible Foreign
Minister-level meeting, according to MFA Asian Affairs
Deputy Director General Qiu Guohong. During the May
7-9 Japan-China Comprehensive Policy Dialogue
(reftel),Japanese Senior Vice Foreign Minister
Shotaro Yachi suggested to PRC Executive Vice Foreign
Minister Dai Bingguo that a meeting between Foreign
Minister Taro Aso and Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing be
held on the sidelines of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue
to be held in Qatar, May 23-24. Beijing is
considering the proposal. Yachi and Dai also
discussed the Yasukuni Shrine visits, which Qiu called
the crux of the bilateral deadlock that is preventing
the proper resolution of all other bilateral issues.
End Summary.


2. (C) MFA Asian Affairs Department Deputy Director
General (DDG) Qiu Guohong briefed Polmincouns May 10
on the May 7-9 Comprehensive Policy Dialogue between
Executive Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo and Senior
Vice Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi. The two met
first in Beijing for a day of talks and then moved to
Dai's home town of Guiyang in Guizhou Province for
another day of talks. This arrangement was in return
for Yachi hosting Dai in Niigata Prefecture in
February. The two sides exchanged views on sensitive
and important issues to both countries, according to
Qiu, who called the talks friendly, in-depth and
constructive.

Yasukuni Remains the Core of the Cold Political
Relations
-------------- --


3. (C) Qiu said the visitsto the Yasukuni Shrine
stand at the core of the Sino-Japan relationship and
are the crux of the bilateral deadlock. No other
problems in the bilateral relationship can be solved
properly until the Yasukuni Shrine issue is resolved.
The Japanese side is well aware of the centrality and
the ramifications of the Yasukuni Shrine visits, but
they "cannot find a solution," according to Qiu.

PRC and Japan Agree to Talks on East China Sea Dispute
-------------- --------------


4. (C) Qiu reported that Dai and Yachi agreed to hold
the fifth round of talks on the East China Sea dispute
during the week of May 15 in Tokyo. Both Beijing and
Tokyo have the common goal of solving the issue
through dialogue and cooperation in order to turn the
East China Sea into a "sea of friendship and peace."
The two sides agreed that the momentum of the talks
needs to be maintained and that joint development in
the disputed area will yield mutual benefit, even
before the final resolution of the Exclusive Economic
Zones (EEZ) demarcation line. However, Japan and
China have different ideas about how to realize joint
development. Japan is seeking to include long-
established Chinese gas fields. Qiu stated that China
will never accept this.


5. (C) Stating that China first suggested to Japan
the idea of joint development of the disputed areas,
Qiu said China is looking to draw on its experiences
in joint development with the Philippines, Vietnam and
the DRPK. China hopes to ease tensions with Japan and
realize benefits for both sides, even if the
underlying dispute remains unsolved. Qiu placed the
blame for the current row on Japan, saying China has
been developing the disputed gas fields for twenty
years. It was only recently that Japan linked these
fields to the larger discussion of demarcating the two
countries EEZs.

Doubtful About a Foreign Ministers Meeting
--------------


6. (C) Qiu confirmed that Senior VFM Yachi proposed

BEIJING 00008801 002 OF 002


that Foreign Minister Aso and Foreign Minister Li meet
on the sidelines of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue
(ACD) that will be held in Qatar, May 23-24. China is
seriously considering the idea, with the view that
because a FM-level meeting is very important, both
sides need to create a favorable atmosphere for the
meeting to take place. This will largely depend on
Japan's attitude. While there is still time before
the ACD and the related departments in Tokyo and
Beijing will stay in touch, Qiu said that he is
personally not optimistic that the meeting will happen
because FM Aso "always says something about China."
RANDT