Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BEIJING4844
2007-07-24 09:12:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Beijing
Cable title:  

AMBASSADOR'S JULY 23 MEETING WITH AFM HE YAFEI:

Tags:  PREL PGOV PARM PHUM PNUC MARR IR IZ SU CH 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO0674
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #4844/01 2050912
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 240912Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0101
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0133
RUEHGO/AMEMBASSY RANGOON 4586
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1785
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 BEIJING 004844 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/24/2032
TAGS: PREL PGOV PARM PHUM PNUC MARR IR IZ SU CH
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S JULY 23 MEETING WITH AFM HE YAFEI:
TAIWAN, DARFUR, HUMAN RIGHTS, FOOD SAFETY AND MORE

REF: A. BEIJING 4827

B. BEIJING 4801

Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Aubrey Carlson.
Reasons 1.4 (b/d).

Summary
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 BEIJING 004844

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/24/2032
TAGS: PREL PGOV PARM PHUM PNUC MARR IR IZ SU CH
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S JULY 23 MEETING WITH AFM HE YAFEI:
TAIWAN, DARFUR, HUMAN RIGHTS, FOOD SAFETY AND MORE

REF: A. BEIJING 4827

B. BEIJING 4801

Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Aubrey Carlson.
Reasons 1.4 (b/d).

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


1. (C) The United States must make "firmer and clearer
warnings" to Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian not to hold the
"dangerous" UN referendum, and giving Chen a visa to transit
the United States would counter U.S. statements against the
referendum, Assistant Foreign Minister He Yafei told the
Ambassador on July 23. AFM He expressed concern that "some
U.S. officials" are "casting doubts" on the status of Taiwan
and also warned against U.S. weapons sales to the island.
AFM He commented on the need for a special "mechanism" to
allow Beijing and Washington to have instant communication in
the event of a crisis. On Darfur, AFM He said China does not
believe Chapter VII authority is necessary for deployment of
peacekeeping forces. A July resumption of the human rights
dialogue is unlikely because U.S. actions have "poisoned the
atmosphere," AFM He asserted. The execution of former State
Food and Drug Administration Director Zheng Xiaoyu shows that
China is serious about improving product safety, AFM He
claimed, while also saying that the U.S. media should tone
down its "sensational" coverage. AFM He proposed
working-level, diplomatic channel talks on establishing a
military-to-military communication link. On
counterterrorism, AFM He stated that China would like to
improve cooperation, but doing so is difficult because recent
U.S. actions give the impression that Washington is trying to
"undermine China's stability." The Ambassador and AFM He
also discussed Burma, the opening of AmConGen Wuhan, the
return of Chinese fugitives and upcoming visits. AFM He
thanked the United States for its help with the Hai Tong 7
rescue. (Note: Discussion on Iran reported Ref A.) End

summary.

Taiwan: PRC Concerns Over Referendum, Arms Sales
-------------- ---


2. (C) The United States, in public and in private, should
put forth a "firmer and clearer" message against (Taiwan
President) Chen Shui-bian's "dangerous" referendum on
membership in the UN under the name "Taiwan," Assistant
Foreign Minister (AFM) He Yafei told the Ambassador over
lunch on July 23. AFM He said China appreciates President
Bush's repeated statements about the one China policy of the
United States and Washington's opposition to Taiwan
independence, as well as U.S. warnings to Taiwan not to hold
the UN referendum. The Chinese government has concluded,
however, that Chen Shui-bian is going to hold the referendum,
regardless, in total disregard for Chinese, U.S. and regional
interests. The United States has sent Chen a clear message,
but Chen has not listened. Beijing therefore hopes
Washington will be even more firm and clear in stating its
opposition to the referendum, AFM He said.


3. (C) AFM He cautioned that allowing Chen Shui-bian to
transit the United States en route to South America would
counter previous U.S. statements against Taiwan's UN
referendum. Warning Chen Shui-bian on the referendum while
at the same time giving him a "comfortable transit" would be
"self defeating." AFM He said he was worried that allowing
Chen's transit would, in effect, give Chen tacit approval to
proceed with the referendum. China is also "not happy" with
the recent transit of the United States by Taiwan's
"so-called" Vice President Annette Lu and the visit by
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate
Frank Hsieh. China is particularly disturbed by reports that
Hsieh will have a meeting with Under Secretary Burns, AFM He
stated. Reiterating his concern over the referendum, AFM He
said he was "personally worried" about the consequences of
the referendum, which he equated with a "referendum on
reunification versus independence." In the face of this
provocation, the Chinese government will face "growing public
pressure" to take action. AFM He declared that the United
States keeps telling China to be calm, but the referendum
could have "serious consequences."


4. (C) AFM He complained that "some U.S. officials" in
Washington and New York are "casting doubts" on the status of
Taiwan by saying the United States never recognized Taiwan as
a part of the People's Republic of China. Acknowledging the
complexity of the issue and its history, AFM He asserted that
Taiwan's status as a part of China "is the basis of

BEIJING 00004844 002 OF 005


U.S.-China bilateral political relations." China understands
that the State Department sent a letter to the U General
Secretariat on this issue. China dos not want a public

SIPDIS
debate over this subject,AFM He said. Turning to
congressional actons on Taiwan, AFM He said he would spare
theAmbassador the MFA's complaints about every piece of
problematic legislation, but AFM He pointed to the "Tancredo
Bill" as being "particulary egregious."


5. (C) On the subject of arms sales, AFM He mentioned reports
that the United States is considering the sale of 30 Apache
helicopters and "offensive" F-16 C/D fighter aircraft to
Taiwan. China is under the impression that the United States
will hold off on a decision until after the Taiwan
presidential elections, but make the decision before the end
of the current U.S. Administration, AFM He said. The
Ambassador responded by reiterating our one China policy
based on the three joint communiques and the Taiwan Relations
Act. The Ambassador reminded AFM He that all parties have a
responsibility to maintain peace and stability in
cross-Strait relations. China's fast-paced military buildup
aimed at Taiwan has not helped the situation, nor has
Beijing's attempt to restrict Taiwan's participation in
international organizations.

"Communication Mechanism"
--------------


6. (C) A bilateral "communication mechanism" could be useful
in the event of a Taiwan crisis, especially with the Taiwan
elections approaching, AFM He stated, noting that Executive
Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo and Deputy Secretary
Negroponte had discussed creation of such a mechanism at the
recent Senior Dialogue. To make the case for the creation of
such a channel, AFM He said that scheduling "formal
consultations" can take too long. He recounted "rumors" that
Taiwan might use one of its own submarines, disguised as a
PLA vessel, to attack a U.S. warship in hopes of instigating
a conflict between the United States and China. The United
States already has a hot-line with Taiwan, AFM He noted. The
Ambassador replied that the United States is interested in
hearing more specifics about this idea. The Ambassador
reminded AFM He that the MFA already has several channels,
including the Ambassador's own telephone number, to raise
urgent concerns about any issue.

Upcoming Visit by TAO Director Chen Yunlin
--------------


7. (C) AFM He made a pitch for receiving the State Council's
Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) Director Chen Yunlin at a high
level during his upcoming visit to the United States, which
China hopes can take place in September. China was
"disappointed" at the level of Chen's meetings during his
last trip to Washington. Chen is a key player on
cross-Strait policy, AFM He counseled, and it is important
that the United States engage him.

Sudan/Darfur
--------------


8. (C) The Ambassador urged China to support the UK draft
resolution on Darfur before the UN Security Council. AFM He
(reiterating points made July 20 by Vice Foreign Minister
Zhang Yesui to EAP A/S Hill, see Ref B) said China supports a
concise, to-the-point resolution on Darfur that reflects the
consensus of Sudan, the UN and the African Union. Chapter
VII authority for the peacekeeping force is strongly opposed
by Khartoum. If a peacekeeping operation is to succeed, it
must have the support of the Government of Sudan. Explicit
Chapter VII authorization is not necessary for the safety of
the force as the troops would still be able to fire in self
defense, AFM He asserted. The Ambassador countered that
Chapter VII authority is necessary because peacekeeping
forces would need to intervene if they saw refugees come
under attack. Peacekeepers could not simply sit and watch
just because they themselves were not under fire, the
Ambassador said. MFA North American Affairs Director General
Liu Jieyi interjected that such matters could be dealt with
in the rules of engagement for the peacekeeping forces.

Human Rights
--------------


9. (C) The Ambassador pressed for the resumption of a
bilateral human rights dialogue at an appropriate level and
noted that Ambassador at Large for International Religious
Freedom John Hanford would like to visit China in 2007. AFM

BEIJING 00004844 003 OF 005


He responded that resumption of the human rights dialogue
depends very much on the "overall atmosphere of bilateral
relations." China was "seriously considering" resumption of
the dialogue before a series of events, particularly
President Bush's meeting with Rebiya Kadeer and the opening
of the Victims of Communism Memorial in Washington, poisoned
the atmosphere for such talks. These events may appear minor
to Washington, but to China this is "pretty serious stuff."
Resumption of a human rights dialogue by the end of July is
unlikely, AFM He said, but "we shall see." The Ambassador
urged China to decide quickly on a date for the dialogue. In
addition, the Ambassador urged China to allow Yang Jianli to
return to the United States and to parole American citizen
Jude Shao.

Food/Product Safety
--------------


10. (C) The Government of China is serious about food safety,
AFM He declared, pointing to the execution of former State
Food and Drug Administration Director Zheng Xiaoyu as proof.
China welcomes discussion of safety protocols with the United
States. There are 17 to 18 agencies involved on food safety
issues in China, AFM He said, which makes internal
coordination a "nightmare." Nevertheless, China has taken
"resolute measures" against problem exporters. These issues
are mainly confined to small and medium-sized enterprises,
not big companies. AFM He complained that the U.S. media is
feeding "protectionist sentiment" in the United States by
"sensationalizing" the story. China does not want to see
"Made In China" become synonymous with "dangerous goods."
The U.S. executive branch should "exercise its influence on
the media" to tone down the coverage, AFM He said. The
Ambassador reminded AFM He of the freedoms enjoyed by the
press in the United States. The Ambassador urged China to be
more candid about its problems instead of simply dismissing
U.S. safety concerns or defending faulty Chinese products.
The Ambassador emphasized that the Import Safety Working
Group formed by the White House is not specifically directed
at China.

Mil-to-Mil Channel
--------------


11. (C) The Ambassador and AFM He discussed the establishment
of a new military-to-military communication channel, another
issue discussed at the recent U.S.-China Senior Dialogue.
AFM He said the channel would be an important
confidence-building measure and would serve to enhance
"strategic trust." Such a channel would not necessarily be
restricted to military-to-military matters, but could serve
broader purposes. The two sides could use such a channel to
alert each other to missile tests or to discuss strategic
matters in other regions, such as Africa. AFM He suggested
the United States and China convene meetings on the working
level to discuss this further. Indicating it was too early
to involve the People's Liberation Army, AFM He recommended
that initial discussion of such a channel stay between the
MFA and the State Department for now.


12. (C) The Ambassador said the USG hopes to see more
reciprocity in mil-to-mil exchanges. The United States
Strategic Command has issued an invitation to Second
Artillery Corps Commander Jing Zhiyuan, but the Chinese side
continues to say General Jing is "too busy" to make the trip.
AFM He responded that China views "positively" exchanges on
nuclear policy and strategy, but claimed that legal
impediments remain on the U.S. side. Specifically, AFM He
said he understood that exchanges on nuclear strategy are
prohibited under the "DeLay Amendment" of the 2000 National
Defense Authorization Act.

Counterterrorism, Nonproliferation
--------------


13. (C) Many in the U.S. Government are dissatisfied with the
one-sided nature of U.S.-China counterterrorism (CT)
cooperation, the Ambassador told AFM He. The United States
frequently provides information to China but rarely hears
anything back. The information China does provide,
meanwhile, is frequently out-of-date. AFM He responded that
China is having difficulty moving ahead with CT cooperation
because of the widespread belief that the United States is
trying to undermine China's stability. Recent events raised
concerns the United States is supporting the "enemies of
China." USG contacts with Rebiya Kadeer, in particular,
reinforce this idea. The Ambassador made clear the United
States does not support East Turkestan independence and that

BEIJING 00004844 004 OF 005


meetings with Ms. Kadeer did not mean otherwise. While
saying that he personally does not believe the United States
is out to destabilize China, AFM He said the two sides must
build trust. To this end, AMF He suggested a November visit
to China by the new U.S. Counterterrorism Coordinator. AFM
He also suggested that the United States and China proceed
with Director General-level consultations on CT and
nonproliferation later this year. He said the lifting of
sanctions against individual Chinese companies such as China
Great Wall Industry Corporation would help create a good
atmosphere.

Export Control Regime
--------------


14. (C) AFM He said he had met recently with Assistant
Commerce Secretary Padilla to discuss the new U.S. export
control regime. AFM He said such controls reflect
"mistrust," and Chinese companies would be unlikely to sign
on. The Ambassador noted that China's January anti-satellite
(ASAT) test had undercut Beijing's arguments that such
controls should be lifted.

Burma
--------------


15. (C) The Ambassador urged China, in the wake of the recent
Beijing-facilitated U.S.-Burma talks, to press Burma to take
positive steps, such as acting on UN Special Envoy Gambari's
recommendations. AFM He said Burma is still interested in
continued talks with the United States. The Burmese, AFM He
stated, are annoyed over the public disclosure of the
dialogue yet still want to proceed.

ConGen Wuhan
--------------


16. (C) AFM He acknowledged that the United States can
proceed with opening a consulate general in Wuhan under
preexisting agreements but said the United States must give
the MFA more clarity on the staffing of ConGen Wuhan. A
"one-man" consulate general is "not serious," AFM He stated,
indicating that, in his view, the State Department should
request funds for a "larger operation." The Ambassador
pushed back, noting that on the basis of reciprocity, the
United States should be able to open an additional consulate
general regardless of its staffing level. AFM He said China
is interested in opening additional consulates, including in
Atlanta and Honolulu.

Extradition
--------------


17. (C) AFM He inquired about six fugitives whom China has
requested be returned to the PRC. China is serious about
fighting corruption and cannot let corrupt officials believe
they can escape to a safehaven in Canada or the United
States. AFM He urged the United States to accelerate the
removal of such individuals. The Ambassador noted that we
had in fact returned a fugitive to China in recent days.

Upcoming Visits: Wu Bangguo, FM Yang Jiechi
--------------


18. (C) AFM He said China attaches great importance to the
visit of National People's Congress Chairman Wu Bangguo to
the United States, noting it will be the most important
bilateral visit over the next 12 months. China was pleased
that Chairman Wu had received invitations from House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi and Senate President Pro Tempore Robert Byrd and
would be received at the White House. AFM He noted that
Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi plans to make his first visit to
Washington as Foreign Minister October 1-2 and hopes to see
President Bush, Secretary Rice and National Security Adviser
Hadley.

George H.W. Bush U.S.-China Relations Conference
-------------- ---


19. (SBU) China is sending a high-level official, either a
State Councilor or Vice Premier, to attend the 2007 George
H.W. Bush U.S.-China Relations Conference October 22-25 at
Texas A&M University. This official, He said, should also
make an official visit to Washington.

Thanks for Hai Tong 7 Rescue
--------------


BEIJING 00004844 005 OF 005



20. (SBU) AFM He expressed China's appreciation for U.S.
assistance in the rescue of survivors of the Hai Tong 7, a
Chinese vessel that sank 370 miles northwest of Guam.
Chinese consular officials already expressed thanks to Guam
authorities, AFM He said.
PICCUTA