CHARGE PRESSES CHINA ON ARF NONPROLIFERATION ISM

UNCLAS BEIJING 004875 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PARM ARF CH SUBJECT: CHARGE PRESSES CHINA ON ARF NONPROLIFERATION ISM NAME CHANGE PROPOSAL REF: STATE 101525 ¶1. (SBU) Charge delivered reftel points to MFA Arms Control and Disarmament Department Director General Zhang Yan July 25, voicing U.S. concerns that the proposed name change for the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Inter-Sessional Meeting (ISM) on Nonproliferation would broaden the meeting's scope beyond the intended purpose of nonproliferation capacity building. ¶2. (SBU) DG Zhang said he is familiar with the issue, which he discussed with U.S. officials during the previous week's Six-Party Talks in Beijing. While insisting the issue should be raised directly with the Indonesians, Zhang pledged to work with his counterparts in the MFA's Department of Asian Affairs to ensure the MFA understands the issue and its importance. ¶3. (SBU) Charge reiterated that we look to China to partner with the United States and Singapore to strengthen security work in the ARF and to urge Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia towards a position that will yield substantial outcomes for the ARF's nonproliferation efforts. Charge left Reftel points as a nonpaper. PICCUTA