Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06USUNNEWYORK2299
2006-12-28 20:51:00
CONFIDENTIAL
USUN New York
Cable title:  

HAITI: CHINESE UN MISSION WARNS TIME MAY HAVE RUN

Tags:  PREL UNSC KPKO HA CH TW 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO5944
OO RUEHQU
DE RUCNDT #2299/01 3622051
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 282051Z DEC 06
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1076
INFO RUEHZH/HAITI COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING IMMEDIATE 0921
RUEHKG/AMEMBASSY KINGSTON IMMEDIATE 0179
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI IMMEDIATE 0049
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 002299 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2016
TAGS: PREL UNSC KPKO HA CH TW
SUBJECT: HAITI: CHINESE UN MISSION WARNS TIME MAY HAVE RUN
OUT ON MINUSTAH

REF: A. A. STATE 202035 (NOTAL)

B. B. PORT AU PRINCE 2247

C. C. BEIJING 24811

Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor Kirk McBride, per 1.4 (b) and
(d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 002299

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2016
TAGS: PREL UNSC KPKO HA CH TW
SUBJECT: HAITI: CHINESE UN MISSION WARNS TIME MAY HAVE RUN
OUT ON MINUSTAH

REF: A. A. STATE 202035 (NOTAL)

B. B. PORT AU PRINCE 2247

C. C. BEIJING 24811

Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor Kirk McBride, per 1.4 (b) and
(d).


1. (C) Summary. Delivering ref A points to PRC UN Mission
PolMinCouns Li Junhua on December 22, USUN PolMinCouns and
Poloff (notetaker) emphasized that ensuring stability in
Haiti remains a vital interest of the USG and therefore urged
China to support the renewal of the mandate of the UN
Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). Recognizing the
importance of MINUSTAH to the USG and Latin American
countries, Li expressed regret that Haiti had "insulted" the
PRC by reneging on an alleged pledge not to support Taiwan's
membership in the UN in September 2006 (ref B). Warning that
"it might already be too late" to save the UN Mission in
Haiti, Li reported that Beijing wanted the PRC Mission to
"bury" or "finish" MINUSTAH. Arguing that Chinese PermRep
Wang had been personally offended by Preval's alleged
betrayal, Li suggested that a goodwill gesture to Wang
followed by some sort of apology might lead the PRC Mission
to recommend that Beijing reconsider its stance. But he
lamented that no such signal of Haiti's good faith had been
forthcoming in the PRC's discussions with various GOH
officials. In subsequent conversations on December 22,
Peruvian diplomats at the UN and DPKO officials confirmed
that they had heard the same message from China regarding
MINUSTAH. The Peruvians suggested that a ceremony in
Port-au-Prince recognizing the contribution of the Chinese
Formed Police Unit (FPU) to MINUSTAH might serve as a
goodwill gesture to the PRC. After checking with SRSG Mulet,
the DPKO officers said they planned to see if Cuba would urge
Preval -- during his visit to Havana in the next few days --
to make amends with the PRC. End Summary.

Urging China to Support MINUSTAH
--------------


2. (C) Per ref A, PolMinCouns and Poloff (notetaker) met
Chinese Mission to UN Political MinCouns Li Junhua on
December 22 to underscore the importance to the USG of the

continued presence of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti
(MINUSTAH) and to urge the PRC to support the renewal of
MINUSTAH's UNSC mandate in February 2007. Referring to
instructions from Washington that would also be conveyed in
Beijing, PolMinCouns recalled the two USG military
interventions in Haiti over the past 15 years to emphasize
that ensuring stability in that country is a vital interest
of the United States. Given the limited capabilities of the
Government of Haiti (GOH),MINUSTAH's presence is essential
to maintain peace and security. Troop and police
contributors to MINUSTAH, including China, as well as
international donors, had made an enormous investment in
returning stability and democracy to Haiti. Noting that the
Friends of Haiti had worked well with China in the past on
Haiti, including by agreeing to six-month mandates instead of
the Secretary-General's recommendation for one year,
PolMinCouns explained that we wished to consult with the PRC
early in the renewal process to ensure the Council could
maintain its unanimous support for Haiti. Expressing our
desire to remain in touch with China as UNSC discussions on
Haiti begin in January 2007, PolMinCouns urged the PRC to
engage constructively with the GOH and the Friends of Haiti
to support the renewal of MINUSTAH's mandate.

PRC UN Mission Warns It Might Be "Too Late"
--------------


3. (C) While expressing appreciation for USG willingness to
consult China early on in the renewal process, Li warned that
it "might already be too late" for China to support extending
MINUSTAH's mission. Recalling how the USG had called an
emergency UNSC session in early 2004 to authorize an imminent
deployment of paratroopers to Haiti after Aristide's
departure, Li said he knew well how important stability in
Haiti is to both Latin American countries and to the USG.
China had never demanded that Haiti break its relations with
Taiwan, he said, so the PRC could not understand why the GOH
had chosen to "insult" China at the UN. Reviewing events
from the preparatory UNGA meetings in September 2006 (ref B),
Li described how Haiti had supported Taiwan's entry into the
UN despite an alleged personal pledge from President Preval
to Chinese PermRep Wang Guangya that the GOH would do no such
thing. In the ensuing weeks and months, the Chinese attache
in Port-au-Prince had sought an explanation from a variety of
Haitian officials -- including the President, Prime Minister,
and Foreign Minister -- but none had been forthcoming.

USUN NEW Y 00002299 002 OF 002


Noting that this is not the first time China has had such an
experience with Haiti, an allusion to a planned trip by
former Interim Government of Haiti President Alexandre to
Taiwan in 2004 that was called off at the last minute, Li
said Beijing and the Chinese Mission no longer saw any reason
to trust the GOH.

China Plans to "Bury" MINUSTAH Unless
Haiti Demonstrates Goodwill and Offers Apology
-------------- -


4. (C) Due to Haiti's behavior and its subsequent
indifference to Chinese concerns, Li said Beijing now wanted
the Chinese Mission to "bury" or "finish" MINUSTAH. PermRep
Wang had been personally offended by Preval's alleged
betrayal, a reaction Li suggested the Chinese Foreign
Minister shared. Li implied that after the Chinese attache
in Port-au-Prince's last meeting with Preval two weeks ago,
in which the GOH President reportedly said there is no need
for an "apology" between "brotherly countries," that China no
longer saw any need to engage the GOH to resolve the current
situation. The Chinese Mission would not engage Haitian
PermRep Merores because it no longer had any faith in him.
Perhaps, Li suggested, if the GOH could make a gesture of
goodwill to China, such as a phone call from Preval to
PermRep Wang, the Chinese Mission might be able to recommend
that Beijing reconsider its stance on MINUSTAH's future. He
added that the Chinese Mission had engaged the Latin American
troop contributors to MINUSTAH, France, Canada, and now the
USG, but so far the Haitians had not given China any signal
that it was interested in finding a solution.

Latins and UN Say They've Heard the Same Message
-------------- ---


5. (C) After the meeting with Li, Poloff compared notes on
China's views on MINUSTAH during a meeting with Peruvian
diplomats at the UN (Note: Peru is scheduled to assume the
informal chairmanship of the Friends of Haiti group once
Argentina leaves the UNSC in January 2007. End Note.). The
Peruvians confirmed that they and the other Latin American
countries participating in MINUSTAH had heard the same
message from the Chinese and had subsequently urged Preval to
make amends with the PRC. Preval had so far brushed off all
such entreaties, however. While sounding a pessimistic note
about MINUSTAH's prospects come February 2007, the Peruvians
suggested that arranging a ceremony in Port-au-Prince for the
GOH to commend the Chinese Formed Police Unit (FPU) for its
service to MINUSTAH (perhaps as part of a broader ceremony
commending all contributors to UNPOL) might serve as a
goodwill gesture to China.


6. (C) Poloff also compared notes on China's position
regarding MINUSTAH with counterparts from the UN Department
of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO). They noted that Special
Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) Mulet had
heard the same message from the Chinese representative in
Port-au-Prince and had begun drafting a statement of
clarification -- expressing regret over the
"misunderstanding" in September 2006 -- for the GOH to
consider. After checking with Mulet a few hours later on
December 22, the DPKO officers called back to advise that
they also planned to ask certain member states to urge Cuba
to lobby Preval -- during his trip to Havana in the next few
days for medical treatment -- to make amends with China in
order to save MINUSTAH. Noting that Preval would also stop
over in Jamaica on January 3, they suggested that the USG
urge the Jamaican Government to pass the same message to
Preval. Poloff undertook to convey the request to Washington
but expressed skepticism that Jamaica could succeed where
other Friends of Haiti had so far failed.
WOLFF