SPAIN: CHINESE AMBASSADOR ON NORTH KOREA

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 002831 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/02/2016 TAGS: PREL SP SUBJECT: SPAIN: CHINESE AMBASSADOR ON NORTH KOREA Classified By: A/DCM Josie Shumake; reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) Chinese Ambassador to Spain Qiu Xiaoqi called on the Ambassador on October 31 for what Ambassador Xiaoqi described as a courtesy call. The main purpose of his visit was to call for increased cooperation and dialogue between the USG and the Chinese Government on issues of mutual interest, particularly on North Korea. Xiaoqi said that China was against nuclear weapons proliferation involving any country, whether it be North Korea or Iran. He said that the fact that North Korea was hearing the same message from all UNSC members for the first time would likely have a major impact on Pyongyang. The Ambassador asked for Xiaoqi's view as to whether North Korea fully comprehended the gravity of its actions. Ambassador Xiaoqi expressed confidence that North Korea had heard the unified message. He complained that the international community overestimated China's influence with North Korea, saying that while China had moved towards open markets and greater openness, North Korea had remained stuck in "another world." ¶2. (C) Ambassador Xiaoqi noted that he had spent most of his career in Latin America, including four years in Cuba from 1982 to 1986. He noted that Cuba was still wedded to its particular version of socialism and tended to blame the U.S. for all of its problems, contrasting this with China's embrace of free markets. He said that Cuba enjoyed natural resources that would be economically important in the post-Castro era. The Ambassador said that Cuba was a very important issue for the U.S. and one that we frequently discussed with Spain and other key partners. He noted that the formula employed by China - free markets with a closed political system - would be unacceptable in post-Castro Cuba from the USG's perspective. Our view was that a rapid transition to democracy would be critical to the revitalization of Cuba. //COMMENT// ¶3. (C) This visit marks the first time Ambassador Xiaoqi has reached out to the Embassy since his arrival in 2003. We assume that this indicates a broader instruction by the Chinese Government to engage the USG in capitals worldwide. AGUIRRE