FRENCH DEMARCHE ON CHINA POUCH ISSUE

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 002654

SIPDIS

PLEASE PASS AMCONSULATE PUSAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2016
TAGS: PREL AMGT KREC CVIS ADPM CH FR GM JA UK EUN
SUBJECT: FRENCH DEMARCHE ON CHINA POUCH ISSUE

REF: A. BEIJING 5539

B. BEIJING 3477

C. BEIJING 1789

D. BEIJING 4680

E. BEIJING 3012

F. BEIJING 2539

Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt for reaso
ns 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (U) THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST. SEE PARAS 6 & 7.


2. (SBU) French A/S-equivalent for Asia Herve Ladsous called
in U.S. and UK Embassy representatives April 19 to share
French thinking on next steps in dealing with the Beijing
pouch problems. Political and Tri-Mission Management M-Cs
attended for the U.S., along with First Secretary Tom
Fletcher for the UK. Ladsous was joined by DAS Jean-Noel
Poirier and a representative from French customs.


3. (C) Ladsous stated that his purpose was to inform the USG
and HMG that Mr. Sillard, the Deputy Director for the Pouch,
French Customs, would travel to Beijing, arriving May 1.
Sillard would be bringing in a diplomatic pouch, in an
attempt to return to the status quo ante Chinese treatment of
accompanied pouch items contained in the hold of the
aircraft. He would seek to have immediate access, not by
having direct access to the hold, but rather by having the
pouch treated as priority luggage. His goal would be to have
the pouch put on the first transport vehicle from the hold to
the baggage carousel. The French hoped that success would
establish a precedent, allowing them to restore regular
accompanied (in the hold) pouch traffic. The MFA would
inform the U.S. and UK embassies of the result of their
experiment. Ladsous said he would call another trilateral
meeting thereafter to consider follow-on handling of the
issue. (Comment: During the course of the discussion,
Ladsous reminded us that at Dulles, the USG does not/not
allow tarmac access. Ladsous did not ask, and
Minister-Counselors -- lacking sufficient background and
instructions -- did not comment on, whether the potential
solution being tested by the GOF would also be acceptable to
the U.S. End comment.)


4. (C) Ladsous specified that the French effort would be
undertaken in the hope that the joint letter from the
Secretary and the French and British FMs will lead to greater

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flexibility on the part of the Chinese. His understanding
was that the letter had taken Beijing by surprise, raising
the consciousness of at least some as to the seriousness of
the problem.


5. (C) Ladsous said that, whatever the outcome on May 1, the
GOF would like to reach a common approach with the U.S. and
UK on a related issue, the use of diplomatic cargo planes
that will be needed in connection with the construction of
France's new Beijing embassy. This, he said, was a matter
presumably of equal interest to the U.S.


6. (C) ACTION REQUEST: Ladsous asked that we let our Embassy
know that Sillard would like to meet, separately or in a
trilateral format, with appropriate U.S. and UK officials
while in Beijing May 1. Embassy Beijing may wish to be in
touch with French and UK embassies.


7. (C) ACTION REQUEST: Embassy would appreciate background
and guidance on diplomatic pouch and cargo aircraft issues
raised by the GOF.

Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm

Stapleton