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