Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BRUSSELS899
2006-03-15 17:18:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Brussels
Cable title:
EU PUSHING FOR MORE DIALOGUE ON ASIA
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 000899
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/12/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR XE EUN USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: EU PUSHING FOR MORE DIALOGUE ON ASIA
Classified By: USEU POLMINCOUNS EARLE D. LITZENBERGER
FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 000899
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/12/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR XE EUN USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: EU PUSHING FOR MORE DIALOGUE ON ASIA
Classified By: USEU POLMINCOUNS EARLE D. LITZENBERGER
FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia
and Pacific Affairs Chris Hill met with EU Foreign Policy
Advisor Robert Cooper during a brief stop-over in Brussels
February 17. Hill's perspective on key developments in DPRK,
China, Burma and Indonesia were well-received by a
fully-engaged Cooper. EU is now pushing to confirm dates for
the next Asia (COASI) Troika and East Asia Strategic Dialogue
to be held in Brussels. Participants listed paragraph 17.
END SUMMARY.
DPRK and the Six-Party Talks: What,s Next?
--------------
2. (C) Cooper noted EU interest in current Six-Party Talk
developments. Cooper expressed strong EU support for Hill,s
efforts to resolve the problem of DPRK,s nuclear program and
added the efforts are especially welcome because &no one
else has a strategy.8 Hill pointed out the necessity for
collaboration amongst parties to the Talks and emphasized
that it was up to the DPRK to genuinely demonstrate its
accord with the negotiated deal offered in September 2005.
3. (C) Cooper wondered whether DPRK counterfeiting was
"really a big deal8 and questioned its impact on Six-Party
negotiations. Hill responded that nuclear proliferation in
general was a great concern and potential DPRK proliferation
was particularly problematic. Even given delicate DPRK
negotiations, Hill said the U.S. could not &look the other
way8 on counterfeiting. Hill pointed out that one positive
development on the North Korean counterfeiting issue was
China,s action to freeze certain assets of the Macau bank
accused of acting as an intermediary. Hill added the issue
highlighted the importance of regular China-U.S. engagement,
which was complemented by Deputy Secretary Zoellick,s
initiative on a U.S.-China Senior Dialogue.
4. (C) The North Korea - South Korea dynamic was of interest
to Cooper who assessed that the ROK feels it must make a
long-term effort to assist the DPRK. He maintained the ROK
believed it would eventually inherit the DPRK -- a country
with "malnourished, non-competitive citizens." Cooper added
that China,s acquisition of raw materials in the DPRK
concerned the ROK as the latter believed the DPRK would
&sell all8 to China -- this actuality was an incentive for
ROK support to DPRK, he surmised.
China: A Responsible Stakeholder, or Not?
--------------
5. (C) Cooper asked for Hill's assessment of developments in
China in the areas of raw materials acquisition (including
oil) and rural stability and questioned whether China is
acting in a manner consistent with that of a responsible
global stakeholder. Cooper wondered whether the U.S. was
expressly concerned about China's dearth of natural resources
and if the U.S. worried that Chinese behavior would distort
international markets.
6. (C) Hill assessed that China was quite nervous about slow
growth, hence its aggression in securing economic deals. He
noted that Chinese foreign policy appeared driven by domestic
weaknesses and added that there exist concerns about China's
economic behavior by various publics in the U.S., including
the small business, human rights and light industrial
sectors. Hill assessed that China was a "symbol of
structural transformation," and noted the manner in which
China had exploited the U.S. market -- including the loss of
jobs in certain sectors -- contributed to negative U.S.
perceptions.
Burma: Getting Worse
--------------
7. (C) Hill noted China had not been helpful on Burma and
believed the situation in that country was deteriorating.
Cooper agreed and said the EU was very concerned about Suu
Kyi's incarceration. He mentioned the EU would allow Burmese
to come to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN)- EU meetings because ASEAN members indicated they
would not appear unless the Burmese were represented. Cooper
added the EU was "not very good at relating to Asia right
now," and suggested that the visa ban had not helped the EU
position with ASEAN countries.
Indonesia: Positive Movement
--------------
8. (C) Both Hill and Cooper agreed Indonesia had made
progress. Cooper indicated he recently traveled to Indonesia
and received an impressive level of cooperation. He added
that Indonesia's abstention at the recent IAEA Board meeting
on Iran's nuclear program was an indication that Indonesia
saw itself as a "mediator," a welcome sign. Cooper indicated
EU HiRep Solana plans to visit Indonesia in April.
Comment
--------------
Dialogue Dates:
9. (C) EU representatives are anxious to confirm dates for
the next COASI and East Asia Strategic Dialogue -- currently
proposed by the EU for June 8 and June 9 in Brussels.
Cooper's staff contacted USEU subsequent to the Hill/Cooper
meeting to request assistance in setting firm dates. We
should expect EU Asia representatives to continue pressing
for confirmation as Austria is looking to host the meetings
before the end of its presidency on June 30.
Expert-level Working Groups on DPRK:
10. (C) In the meeting with Hill, Cooper noted the Austrian
Presidency had expressed an interest in developing
expert-level working groups, including on North Korea. EU
representatives have expressed interest in lending more
concrete support to the Six-Party Talks. European Council
and European Commission Asia staff have asked how the EU can
"do more to help." Specific interest in a future long-term
development assistance role at the conclusion of Six-Party
negotiations has been informally advocated as an option.
Participants
--------------
11. (U) Participants
United States
--------------
Christopher Hill, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia
and Pacific Affairs
Kamala Lakhdhir, EAP Special Assistant
Michael McKinley, USEU Deputy Chief of Mission
Margaret B. Diop, USEU Poloff
European Union
--------------
Robert Cooper, Director General for External Economic
Relations and Common Foreign and Security Policy
Tomasz Kozlowski, Council Secretariat Head of Task Force Asia
Chris Holtby, Asia and Pacific Policy Unit
13. (U) Assistant Secretary Hill has cleared on this cable.
GRAY
.
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/12/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR XE EUN USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: EU PUSHING FOR MORE DIALOGUE ON ASIA
Classified By: USEU POLMINCOUNS EARLE D. LITZENBERGER
FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia
and Pacific Affairs Chris Hill met with EU Foreign Policy
Advisor Robert Cooper during a brief stop-over in Brussels
February 17. Hill's perspective on key developments in DPRK,
China, Burma and Indonesia were well-received by a
fully-engaged Cooper. EU is now pushing to confirm dates for
the next Asia (COASI) Troika and East Asia Strategic Dialogue
to be held in Brussels. Participants listed paragraph 17.
END SUMMARY.
DPRK and the Six-Party Talks: What,s Next?
--------------
2. (C) Cooper noted EU interest in current Six-Party Talk
developments. Cooper expressed strong EU support for Hill,s
efforts to resolve the problem of DPRK,s nuclear program and
added the efforts are especially welcome because &no one
else has a strategy.8 Hill pointed out the necessity for
collaboration amongst parties to the Talks and emphasized
that it was up to the DPRK to genuinely demonstrate its
accord with the negotiated deal offered in September 2005.
3. (C) Cooper wondered whether DPRK counterfeiting was
"really a big deal8 and questioned its impact on Six-Party
negotiations. Hill responded that nuclear proliferation in
general was a great concern and potential DPRK proliferation
was particularly problematic. Even given delicate DPRK
negotiations, Hill said the U.S. could not &look the other
way8 on counterfeiting. Hill pointed out that one positive
development on the North Korean counterfeiting issue was
China,s action to freeze certain assets of the Macau bank
accused of acting as an intermediary. Hill added the issue
highlighted the importance of regular China-U.S. engagement,
which was complemented by Deputy Secretary Zoellick,s
initiative on a U.S.-China Senior Dialogue.
4. (C) The North Korea - South Korea dynamic was of interest
to Cooper who assessed that the ROK feels it must make a
long-term effort to assist the DPRK. He maintained the ROK
believed it would eventually inherit the DPRK -- a country
with "malnourished, non-competitive citizens." Cooper added
that China,s acquisition of raw materials in the DPRK
concerned the ROK as the latter believed the DPRK would
&sell all8 to China -- this actuality was an incentive for
ROK support to DPRK, he surmised.
China: A Responsible Stakeholder, or Not?
--------------
5. (C) Cooper asked for Hill's assessment of developments in
China in the areas of raw materials acquisition (including
oil) and rural stability and questioned whether China is
acting in a manner consistent with that of a responsible
global stakeholder. Cooper wondered whether the U.S. was
expressly concerned about China's dearth of natural resources
and if the U.S. worried that Chinese behavior would distort
international markets.
6. (C) Hill assessed that China was quite nervous about slow
growth, hence its aggression in securing economic deals. He
noted that Chinese foreign policy appeared driven by domestic
weaknesses and added that there exist concerns about China's
economic behavior by various publics in the U.S., including
the small business, human rights and light industrial
sectors. Hill assessed that China was a "symbol of
structural transformation," and noted the manner in which
China had exploited the U.S. market -- including the loss of
jobs in certain sectors -- contributed to negative U.S.
perceptions.
Burma: Getting Worse
--------------
7. (C) Hill noted China had not been helpful on Burma and
believed the situation in that country was deteriorating.
Cooper agreed and said the EU was very concerned about Suu
Kyi's incarceration. He mentioned the EU would allow Burmese
to come to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN)- EU meetings because ASEAN members indicated they
would not appear unless the Burmese were represented. Cooper
added the EU was "not very good at relating to Asia right
now," and suggested that the visa ban had not helped the EU
position with ASEAN countries.
Indonesia: Positive Movement
--------------
8. (C) Both Hill and Cooper agreed Indonesia had made
progress. Cooper indicated he recently traveled to Indonesia
and received an impressive level of cooperation. He added
that Indonesia's abstention at the recent IAEA Board meeting
on Iran's nuclear program was an indication that Indonesia
saw itself as a "mediator," a welcome sign. Cooper indicated
EU HiRep Solana plans to visit Indonesia in April.
Comment
--------------
Dialogue Dates:
9. (C) EU representatives are anxious to confirm dates for
the next COASI and East Asia Strategic Dialogue -- currently
proposed by the EU for June 8 and June 9 in Brussels.
Cooper's staff contacted USEU subsequent to the Hill/Cooper
meeting to request assistance in setting firm dates. We
should expect EU Asia representatives to continue pressing
for confirmation as Austria is looking to host the meetings
before the end of its presidency on June 30.
Expert-level Working Groups on DPRK:
10. (C) In the meeting with Hill, Cooper noted the Austrian
Presidency had expressed an interest in developing
expert-level working groups, including on North Korea. EU
representatives have expressed interest in lending more
concrete support to the Six-Party Talks. European Council
and European Commission Asia staff have asked how the EU can
"do more to help." Specific interest in a future long-term
development assistance role at the conclusion of Six-Party
negotiations has been informally advocated as an option.
Participants
--------------
11. (U) Participants
United States
--------------
Christopher Hill, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia
and Pacific Affairs
Kamala Lakhdhir, EAP Special Assistant
Michael McKinley, USEU Deputy Chief of Mission
Margaret B. Diop, USEU Poloff
European Union
--------------
Robert Cooper, Director General for External Economic
Relations and Common Foreign and Security Policy
Tomasz Kozlowski, Council Secretariat Head of Task Force Asia
Chris Holtby, Asia and Pacific Policy Unit
13. (U) Assistant Secretary Hill has cleared on this cable.
GRAY
.