Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BEIJING1886
2007-03-20 10:54:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Beijing
Cable title:  

CO-SPONSORHIP OF ARF INTERSESSIONAL SIGNALS

Tags:  PREL KNNP ARF APEC CH 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO0052
OO RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHGH RUEHPB RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #1886 0791054
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 201054Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5960
INFO RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI 0792
C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 001886 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/RSP (SHEIVES),EAP/CM AND ISN/RA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2017
TAGS: PREL KNNP ARF APEC CH
SUBJECT: CO-SPONSORHIP OF ARF INTERSESSIONAL SIGNALS
BEIJING'S DESIRE TO TALK SECURITY IN ARF, NOT APEC

REF: A. STATE 33907


B. BEIJING 1314

Classified By: Daniel Shields, Political Minister
Counselor. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).

Summary
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 001886

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/RSP (SHEIVES),EAP/CM AND ISN/RA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2017
TAGS: PREL KNNP ARF APEC CH
SUBJECT: CO-SPONSORHIP OF ARF INTERSESSIONAL SIGNALS
BEIJING'S DESIRE TO TALK SECURITY IN ARF, NOT APEC

REF: A. STATE 33907


B. BEIJING 1314

Classified By: Daniel Shields, Political Minister
Counselor. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).

Summary
--------------


1. (C) China's agreement to co-sponsor with the
United States an ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF)
Intersessional Meeting (ISM) on Nonproliferation
exemplifies China's desire to increase its emphasis on
security cooperation through ARF, rather than APEC,
MFA Asia Department Regional Security Division Deputy
Director He Xiangqi told poloff in response to ref A
demarche. China supports the United States' call for
an ISM and will advise promptly of any objection to
the proposed Working Groups, about which she had some
questions. China's new MFA Asia Department DDG for
Multilateral Affairs would like to have an informal
discussion with the United States' head of delegation
on the margins of the March 28 Support Group meeting
in Helsinki to learn details about the United States'
future plans for ARF. End Summary.


2. (C) China is pleased that the United States is
conducting outreach to ARF members to build consensus
on the proposal to hold a regular nonproliferation ISM
within ARF, MFA Asia Department Regional Security
Division Deputy Director He Xiangqi told poloff March
20 in response to ref A demarche. As noted ref B,
China will co-sponsor the ARF ISM and a proposed
statement on UNSCR 1540 Implementation, she said.
Poloff asked for China's support and advocacy in favor
of the intersessional working groups identified ref A.
Ms. He asked whether the three proposed working groups
would all cover nonproliferation, or whether the
United States was proposing one working group for each
of the three intersessional topics that would exist
within ARF.


3. (C) Building on points made ref B, He emphasized
that China's interest in focusing on more security
cooperation with ARF is the result of a strategic
decision that China would prefer Asia-Pacific security
themes be discussed in ARF and not in APEC. Beijing
has some problem with discussing security issues in
APEC because of Taiwan's membership in APEC, He
stated. But Beijing values Asia-Pacific security
cooperation, especially cooperation that includes the
United States. These were significant factors behind
China's decision to co-sponsor the United States'
initiative for a non-proliferation ISM, she said.

New DDG Would Like Informal Bilat In Helsinki
--------------


4. (C) China's lead official for ARF, newly arrived
MFA Asia Department Deputy Director General Yang
Yanyi, would like to have an informal discussion with
the United States' head of delegation on the margins
of the March 28 ARF Intersessional Support Group
meeting in Helsinki, He noted. China would like to
hear more from the United States about American
thinking on the formation of Working Groups and plans
for security cooperation in ARF and the Asia-Pacific
region in general.


5. (C) Bio Note: DDG Yang took up her post in March
after returning from Brunei, where she served as
China's Ambassador. She previously served in China's
Asia Department Multilateral Security Affairs Division
in the mid-1990s and is familiar with ARF, He said.
RANDT