U.S.-China Bilateral on Margins of Seventh North Pacific

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GUANGZHOU 032146 SIPDIS USCG FOR ADMIRAL THAD ALLEN AND VICE ADMIRAL CHARLES WURSTER STATE FOR CHINA DESK NOAH ZARING SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHSA MARR CH SUBJECT: U.S.-China Bilateral on Margins of Seventh North Pacific Coast Guard Forum, Sanya, China, October 25: Commandant Thad Allen and PRC Vice Minister Meng Hongwei (U) This document is sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen and PRC Vice Minister of Public Security Meng Hongwei exchanged views October 25 on a variety of maritime safety and security topics, including `border security, search-and-rescue and disaster relief issues. The Admiral said that the U.S. was prepared to send another cutter for a visit in the near future and indicated the U.S. would be prepared to receive a Chinese vessel at an appropriate time. VM Meng asked the USCG to send experts to China to lecture on various aspects of maritime safety, security and disaster relief. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) In a cordial 45-minute discussion October 25, Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen and Chinese Vice Minister of Public Security Meng Hongwei reviewed the state of the bilateral relationship and the prospect of adding disaster responses as a new area of cooperation. VM Meng congratulated Admiral Allen, who was in Sanya for the Seventh North Pacific Coast Guard Forum, on recently assuming his position as Commandant and expressed his hope that cooperation between the two would be "deepened," and develop as well and as quickly as it had with Admiral Allen's predecessor Admiral Collins. VM Meng took note of the recent visit to the U.S. of Minister of Public Security Zhou Yongkang and of the good working relationships the Ministry had developed with the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the FBI, the USCG, the U.S. Secret Service and other USG agencies. He praised the June visit of the cutter "Rush" to Qingdao under the leadership of Vice Admiral Wurster. ¶3. (SBU) Admiral Allen congratulated VM Meng on hosting such a successful conference, and said that the Chinese side had set the bar quite high for the U.S. host two years hence. He told VM Meng that he agreed with the Vice Minister's observation at dinner the evening before about the diversity of MPS operations. The Coast Guard, he said, was a diverse service and it appreciated the willingness of MPS to help it in its dealings with other Chinese ministries. The Admiral thanked VM for the courtesies that had been �0A;extended to the "Rush" during its visit and said that the CG would make available another cutter next year; he also said that the CG was prepared for a port visit to the U.S. when MPS ships were ready. The Admiral offered his sympathies for the losses suffered during a recent typhoon off the southeast coast China. The CG and MPS had responsibility for disaster relief, which he called an important area for continuing and future cooperation. The Admiral asked VM Meng for Chinese views on potential areas of cooperation. ¶4. (SBU) VM Meng thanked the Admiral for his expression of sympathy and concern and took the opportunity to congratulate Admiral Allen for the key role he had played during the Katrina hurricane relief efforts, noting that it had left an "indelible" impression in the minds of Chinese. China, he said, also has many disasters each year, including typhoons, floods, and drought and was interested in working with the U.S. on national disaster response. He praised the Admiral's suggestion for another cutter visit and said that the two sides could work on an appropriate location for the call. China was building a thousand ton vessel and when it was completed, he hoped that a visit to the U.S. could be arranged. VM Meng also said that the Ministry of Communication was the lead for Search and Rescue operations. The PRC was investing resources in this area, but as yet did not have any "at-sea" (offshore) SAR resources. He said that learning from U.S. experience would be valuable to the Chinese side and he requested that U.S. experts come to China to lecture PRC officials and coast guard officers. ¶5. (SBU) Admiral Allen designated Captain Bernard Moreland of the U.S. Embassy in Beijing as the official contact for such requests, noting that decisions on exchanges of this sort were handled through the State Department. The Admiral suggested that China consider a cruise ship disaster as a realistic scenario for sharpening its disaster relief capabilities; an oil spill or a hazmat cleanup might also be useful. He offered to assist the MPS with access to other U.S. agencies. The Admiral also observed that there would be maritime challenges for China in preparation for the Olympics. ¶6. (SBU) VM Meng said that the bilateral and the Admiral's visit had established a good foundation for a future visit to China. He expressed appreciation for the U.S. support for a safe and secure Olympics. An offshore SAR and work on natural disaster responses would be key parts of China's ongoing maritime work and, he said, he would forward Admiral Allen's offers of cooperation to the GUANGZHOU 00032146 002 OF 002 appropriate Chinese agencies, especially those dealing with disaster response. In closing, VM Meng said that China was ready to raise levels of cooperation. ¶7. (U) Participants: U.S. Admiral Thad Allen Vice Admiral Charles Wurster, Commander, CG Pacific Area Guangzhou Consul General Robert Goldberg Captain Bernard Moreland, CG Liaison, Embassy Beijing Commander Manny Raras, CG Pacific Area, External Affairs Officer Patrick Markowitz, Regional Advisor for Asia Pacific, USCG Ronald Feng, U.S. Consulate General Guangzhou China Vice Minister of Public Affairs Meng Hongwei Director-General, Border Control Department, Chen Weiming Deputy Director-General, Border Control Department, Major General Guo Shun MPS Director, International Affairs, Zhang Jufeng MPS Deputy Director, International Affairs, Feng Lanchang ¶8. (U) This cable was cleared by Admiral Allen's staff. GOLDBERG