MFA COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE PROTESTS U.S.-CHINA

C O N F I D E N T I A L HONG KONG 004535 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP AND EAP/CM NSC FOR WILDER E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/22/2031 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR PREL HK CH SUBJECT: MFA COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE PROTESTS U.S.-CHINA ECONOMIC AND SECURITY REVIEW COMMISSION'S ANNUAL REPORT Classified By: Acting E/P Chief Craig Reilly. Reasons: 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (C) Deputy Director General of the MFA Commissioner's Office Kuang Rongjian called Poloff (in the absence of the Economic/Political Chief) on November 21 to convey PRC "opposition" to statements pertaining to Hong Kong as detailed in the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission's 2006 report, which was released on November 16. Kuang told Poloff that the PRC Embassy in Washington, DC had already presented a formal demarche to the State Department on the portions of the report related to China, but that the MFA Commissioner's Office in Hong Kong also wanted to offer some comments directly to the U.S. Consulate. The Commission's report, said Kuang, was incomplete and was not based on the "actual situation" in Hong Kong. After almost ten years of Chinese rule, Hong Kong was running smoothly, people's freedoms were protected, and democracy was expanding, said Kuang. He concluded the low-key demarche, which was delivered in Chinese, by saying that this report constituted USG "interference" in Hong Kong affairs. Poloff agreed to convey PRC concerns to the appropriate officials. Cunningham