LATEST ROUND OF CHINA-VIETNAM BORDER TALKS BREAK

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 000598

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/26/2017
TAGS: PREL ENRG CH VN PF
SUBJECT: LATEST ROUND OF CHINA-VIETNAM BORDER TALKS BREAK
DOWN

Classified By: Eric N. Richardson, Political Officer.
Reasons 1.4 (b/d).

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


1. (C) Chinese negotiators walked out of Sino-Vietnamese
border talks without agreement January 20, leaving the
Vietnamese delegation feeling disappointed and overlooked,
according to our contacts. "Golf diplomacy" by Chinese VFM
Wu Dawei and Vietnamese VFM Vu Dung could not overcome a
negative atmosphere that overshadowed the thirteenth round of
these talks, aimed at resolving disputes over land and
maritime borders. A Vietnamese Embassy officer told us China
seemed unprepared to discuss the difficult issues surrounding
the maritime border in the South China Sea near the Paracel
Islands. End Summary.


2. (C) Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei and Vietnamese
Vice Foreign Minister Vu Dung met January 18-20 in China's
Guangxi Province for the thirteenth round of Sino-Vietnam
border negotiations. MFA DDG Tong Xiaoling told us the
negotiations were conducted in a friendly, candid and earnest
atmosphere and the sides reviewed progress from past rounds
and made arrangements for the next phase of work.


3. (C) However, Vietnam Embassy Political Officer Thai Viet
Tranh told us the Vietnamese were extremely disappointed with
Chinese preparation for and conduct of the negotiations.
After much confusion among the Chinese delegation, the
Chinese "walked out" of the session, Thai said, and the
negotiations broke down.


4. (C) The heads of delegation engaged in some "golf
diplomacy," MFA's Tong and the Vietnam Embassy's Thai told us
separately. But Thai told us that the heads of delegation
participated little in the formal discussions and their
positive interactions on the margins could not overcome the
negative atmosphere that fouled the talks. Originally, the
parties had planned two separate negotiations, one on the
disputed land border and one on the maritime boundary. Due
to resource and personnel constraints, the negotiations were
combined and Thai said he fears that the bad blood resulting
from the Chinese "walk out" will now spillover and affect the
relatively straight-forward land border demarcation issue.

Maritime Border Remains Sticking Point
--------------


5. (C) The sticking point, Thai said, remains establishment
of a border in the part of the South China Sea outside of the
Gulf of Tonkin between the Chinese and Vietnamese mainlands
and the Paracel Islands. China brought no clear position to
the talks, he said, making the Vietnamese feel that China was
unprepared and distracted by regional issues, such as the
Six-Party Talks, which China feels "are more important than
resolving issues with its tiny southern neighbor." The
border must be resolved first, before joint exploration and
exploitation of possible oil and gas resources can be
discussed, Thai added.
SEDNEY