FM MUSTAFAJ ON MEETING WITH CHINESE AMBASSADOR ON

S E C R E T TIRANA 000467 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/SCE (BENEDICT, SAINZ, ENGLISH),S/WCI E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/08/2021 TAGS: PREF PTER PHUM PREL PINR AL CH SUBJECT: FM MUSTAFAJ ON MEETING WITH CHINESE AMBASSADOR ON UIGHURS REF: A. BEIJING 8334 ¶B. TIRANA 461 Classified By: Ambassador Marcie B. Ries, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) Ambassador met with Albanian Foreign Minister Besnik Mustafaj on the afternoon of May 8, following Mustafaj's meeting with Chinese Ambassador Tian Changchun and the release of a statement by Tian to News24, an Albanian television news channel. ¶2. (S) Mustafaj said Tian was "very tough" in their meeting. According to Mustafaj, Tian first chastised him for not informing China about the Uighurs, noting the U.S. had fully informed the Chinese government after their arrival in Albania. Tian noted the Chinese were aware of a "secret agreement" between the Albanian Minister of Interior and the U.S. (Note: We assume Tian was referring to the Minister of Interior's written statement promising that the Uighurs would not be sent back against their will. End Note.) Mustafaj responded that Albania would in any case act in accordance with its international obligations. ¶3. (S) According to Mustafaj, Tian said the Uighurs were terrorists and that the GoA's acceptance of them would affect relations with China. Mustafaj said he rejected this argument, calling this an issue between China and the U.S., not between China and Albania. He said the GoA was aware that the Uighurs had been detained at Guantanamo Bay but had no information on the details of the circumstances. ¶4. (S) Mustafaj added that, with regard to the Uighurs' asylum applications, Albanian authorities would proceed according to Albanian laws and regulations and inform the Chinese government of the outcome. When Tian argued that the "East Turkistan" movement sought to divide China, Mustafaj noted that the Uighurs had been accepted into Albania on an individual basis, not as an organization or movement, adding that the GoA acknowledged China's territorial integrity and had no knowledge of the Uighurs' seeking the territorial division of China. Tian expressed the hope that Albania would return the Uighurs to China; perhaps this could be a "gift" of the GoA to China. Mustafaj replied that he hoped to give China a more valuable gift than "terrorists." ¶5. (U) The MFA released on its website a statement on Mustafaj's meeting with Tian: BEGIN MFA STATEMENT The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Besnik Mustafaj, received today in a meeting the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China in Tirana, Mr. Tian Changchun, upon the request of the latter. The Chinese Ambassador presented to Minister Mustafaj the verbal request for the extradition of five Chinese citiZens, who entered on May 5, 2006, the Albanian border check-point at Rinas Airport, where they sought political asylum. According to the Chinese Ambassador, these five Chinese citizens are members of the "Eastern Turkistan" organization. Minister Mustafaj informed the Chinese Ambassador about the arrival details of these persons at Rinas Airport. He assured the Chinese Ambassador that the relevant competent authorities of Albania will investigate seriously on their previous activities. In addition, Minister Mustafaj guaranteed the Ambassador Changchun (sic) that the Albanian state is fully committed to deal with this issue in accordance with the Albanian legislation and international conventions where Albania is a state party. The policy of the Republic of Albania is based on its well-known position made public that it recognizes one China only, and this position is unalterable. Upon this position are based all the close relations existing between our two countries. END MFA STATEMENT ¶6. (U) The translated text of Tian's statement, which was sent by fax to News24 (an all-news TV channel),follows: BEGIN CHINESE STATEMENT The five defendant Chinese citizens, detained at Guantanamo for terrorism, who were accepted by the Albanian Government in recent days, are in no way refugees, but members of the terrorist organization "Eastern Turkistan." These defendants supported the Taliban in the Afghan war, which clarifies the issue in question very well. The terrorist group "Eastern Turkistan" is closely related to the Al-Qaeda organization and the Taliban and is also a member of international terrorist forces. Their respective organizations were listed in the sanctions list of Resolution 1267 of the UNSC. According to international law, the above-mentioned defendants should be returned to China. We contacted Albanian authorities today and hope that Albania will return to China as soon as possible the five terrorists of Chinese citizenship mentioned above. END CHINESE STATEMENT