Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BEIJING483
2007-01-22 12:09:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Beijing
Cable title:  

U/S HUGHES URGES INCREASED EXCHANGES, MEDIA

Tags:  PREL SCUL PHUM KOLY KPAO KIRF CH 
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VZCZCXRO4327
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #0483/01 0221209
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 221209Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4021
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIJING 000483 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL SCUL PHUM KOLY KPAO KIRF CH
SUBJECT: U/S HUGHES URGES INCREASED EXCHANGES, MEDIA
OPENNESS IN BEIJING VISITS AND MEETINGS


Summary
-------

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIJING 000483

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL SCUL PHUM KOLY KPAO KIRF CH
SUBJECT: U/S HUGHES URGES INCREASED EXCHANGES, MEDIA
OPENNESS IN BEIJING VISITS AND MEETINGS


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


1. (SBU) During a packed two-day visit to Beijing,
Undersecretary Karen Hughes in concert with Public
Diplomacy Envoy Michelle Kwan visited a middle school
classroom, Beijing University's Women's Legal Aid
Center, a Special Olympics training facility, attended
a church service and met with State Councilor Chen
Zhili and State Council Information Office (SCIO)
Director Cai Wu. U/S Hughes advocated increased media
freedoms, transparency and stepped up exchanges in her
official meetings, noting the opportunity provided by
the 2008 Olympics to showcase China's culture,
dynamism and progress. Her comments urging increased
exchanges between the United States and China were
enthusiastically welcomed at all her public events and
media coverage of the visit was ample and positive.
End summary.

Focus on American Values, Equality
--------------


2. (SBU) U/S Hughes, accompanied by Public Diplomacy
Envoy Kwan, kicked off her packed two-day visit to
Beijing with a January 20 visit to a middle school
class taught by a former Fulbright grantee who is
introducing the work of Martin Luther King, Jr. to her
English classes. The combined American-Chinese class
recited "I Have a Dream" in Chinese and English and
welcomed U/S Hughes' and PD Envoy Kwan's remarks on
the importance of equality and diversity in America.
The students closed the program by singing "We Shall
Overcome" together with their visitors. At the
Beijing University Women's Legal Aid Center, Director
Guo Jianmei briefed U/S Hughes on the Center's work
and on the progress and problems in promoting gender
equality in China. Director Guo introduced a sexual
harassment victim that the Center had assisted and
detailed legal efforts on her behalf, which led to
administrative penalties against the perpetrator and
raised the profile of the issue. U/S Hughes voiced
U.S. support for the Center, stressed the important
and positive role of NGOs in improving public
awareness of issues like harassment and encouraged the
Center's volunteers to continue reaching out to

potential victims.

Church and Special Olympics Visits Extend Outreach
-------------- --------------


3. (SBU) On Sunday, January 21, U/S Hughes stopped by
a crowded Sunday School class prior to participating
in services at the Kuanjie Church in Beijing. Sunday
School students welcomed U/S Hughes and following a
short introduction by Minister Li (who spent two weeks
at the Dallas Theological Seminary in 2006),U/S
Hughes spoke briefly to the enthusiastic congregation,
focusing on the importance of family and the role of
women in society. A contact at the church later told
poloff that the local Religious Affairs Bureau had
opposed letting U/S Hughes speak at the church, but
relented when Minister Li told them that he would take
full responsibility. At a subsequent visit to the
Beijing Sports University, U/S Hughes and PD Envoy
Kwan awarded medals to several Special Olympics
athletes and their comments emphasizing the importance
of dedication and hard work were warmly received.

State Councilor Chen Stresses Educational Exchange
-------------- --------------


4. (SBU) During a January 21 call on State Councilor
Chen Zhili, also attended by Vice Minister of
Education Chen Xiaoya and MFA officials, U/S Hughes
cited the strength and importance of United States-
China relations, noting the close attention that
President Bush pays to the relationship. The United
States welcomes the emergence of a strong, dynamic and
vibrant China and needs China's support to address
challenges throughout the world. With improved
relations, we are increasing exchanges and
transparency and can be more frank about our
differences, while building a constructive and candid
bilateral partnership. U/S Hughes noted the important
opportunity presented by the Olympics for China to
showcase its culture and progress. She advocated
increased media freedoms, noting that a free press is
key to exposing problems that need to be resolved, and
urged increasing cultural, educational and sports

BEIJING 00000483 002 OF 003


exchanges to further strengthen ties.


5. (SBU) State Councilor Chen cited the importance of
the bilateral relationship for China and stated that
successful and ongoing top-level exchanges between the
leaders of the two countries have laid the foundation
for constructive, cooperative strategic bilateral
relations for the 21st century. China is working hard
to prepare for hosting a top tier Olympic Games,
including hosting more than 10,000 journalists. In
addition to the new regulations on foreign
journalists, China is committed to providing
journalists with excellent facilities and service, in
keeping with its commitments and international
standards. China will try to show its achievements
and spirit, but won't color its difficulties, State
Councilor Chen said. China remains a developing
country, it is natural that it has some problems, and
China hopes that foreign journalists will understand
this.


6. (SBU) Chen said China hoped to emulate successful
U.S. efforts to popularize sport for all its citizens
and agreed with U/S Hughes that continued educational
exchanges between the two countries are very
important. The United States remains the number one
destination for Chinese students, Chen noted, and
China is happy to welcome more American students to
study in China.

SCIO's Cai on Media Freedoms
--------------


7. (SBU) U/S Hughes, accompanied by PD Envoy Kwan,
complimented SCIO Director Cai Wu on the recently
implemented rules that loosen restrictions on foreign
journalists and urged China to extend them beyond the
2008 Beijing Olympic Games. U/S Hughes noted that
increasing freedom of the press in China will help
Americans and Chinese alike to better understand
China's role in the world, including, for example,
China's active partnership with the United States on
difficult issues like nuclear programs in North Korea
and Iran. Pointing out that the United States and
China share so many interests, like being the number
one and number two energy users in the world, U/S
Hughes stressed the need for increased transparency
between the two governments, even in areas where we do
not agree. Commenting that she had just visited a
Chinese school where students recited part of Martin
Luther King's "I have a dream" speech, U/S Hughes
emphasized that a free press can highlight social
problems, such as those in Dr. King's speech, and
bring about positive change.


8. (SBU) Minister Cai responded that the revised
media rules indicate a new open-mindedness in
welcoming the world to China and have been smoothly
implemented for the past twenty days. Admitting that
prior Chinese policies could be viewed as "regulating"
foreign journalists, Cai argued the new view is to
provide "good service" to journalists. If the revised
regulations promote better understanding of China and
facilitate China's reform and stability, they could be
extended beyond the expiration date of October 17,
2008, said Minister Cai. In fact, Beijing is
currently putting on a conference with officials from
various municipalities and provinces to discuss how to
implement the revised rules, provide better service to
journalists and ensure better cooperation with
international media. When pressed about the expiry of
the relaxed rules in October 2008, Cai responded that
if the revised rules promote understanding, encourage
honest reporting and facilitate China's reform and
stability, "why would we change them?"


9. (SBU) Chinese recognize that China is not perfect,
said Cai, voicing his opinion that Chinese society is
currently at a stage of more frequent internal
conflict. Shielding internal strife from foreign
journalists will not make it go away, but Cai said he
hoped journalists would not only report China's
problems, but also China's unremitting efforts to
solve them. If reporting is objective and truthful,
then China is not worried that foreign journalists
will observe and report on social problems in China,
according to Cai. Cai complained about those who
write negatively about China without having ever
visited, citing in particular a BBC report alleging
that Chinese government hospitals harvested organs

BEIJING 00000483 003 OF 003


from Falung Gong members. U/S Hughes responded that
in a society with free press, journalists must uphold
standards of truthfulness but that the public also has
free access to information with which to make up their
own minds.


10. (U) U/S Hughes did not have the opportunity to
clear this message.
RANDT