ARF: CHINA SUPPORTS MOST U.S. INITIATIVES FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 003245 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/RSP, EAP/CM AND ISN/RA E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/15/2017 TAGS: PREL KNNP ARF CH SUBJECT: ARF: CHINA SUPPORTS MOST U.S. INITIATIVES FOR UPCOMING SOM REF: STATE 64134 Classified By: Pol External Unit Chief Edgard Kagan. Reasons 1.4 (b/d) . ¶1. (C) China's Foreign Ministry will consider carefully the United States' proposals for the May 25 ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) in Manila, Asia Department Regional Security Division official Yang Shichao told poloff May 14 in response to delivery of reftel demarche. As co-chair of the proposal for a nonproliferation intersessional meeting, China definitely supports the U.S. draft statement and agrees that the focus of nonproliferation efforts should remain on capacity building, Yang said. ¶2. (C) China supports all structures that are consistent with the ARF's purpose and capacity-building, he said, noting that China urges the United States to work with Indonesia to reach consensus over areas of difference. Consistent with those principles, China supports the creation of working groups and the modifications that the United States has made to that draft paper. It will provide comments promptly by the requested deadline. ¶3. (C) China continues to await American responses on its third draft of the General Disaster Relief guidelines, a Chinese priority item for the upcoming meeting, Yang said, noting that Beijing's May 11 deadline passed without American comment. China will also seek to follow up with American officials about the possibility of shifting discussion of political and security topics away from APEC and into the ARF, a venue China considers more appropriate for non-economic themes. ¶4. (C) China will be represented at the SOM by AFM Cui Tiankai, Yang said, although he noted that there is a "one-third" likelihood that Cui will be unable to attend due to the press of other business in Beijing. RANDT