OCTOBER 9 MFA PRESS BRIEFING: BURMA UNREST,

UNCLAS BEIJING 006540

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV CH IN KN BM
SUBJECT: OCTOBER 9 MFA PRESS BRIEFING: BURMA UNREST,
SIX-PARTY TALKS, IAEA INDIA VISIT, CURRENCY EXCHANGE


1. Key points at the October 9 MFA Press Briefing:

-- Burma has "become calmer" through the efforts of both the
Burmese government and the international community. Any
action by the UN Security Council should be "cautious and
prudent" and calculated to promote "stability" within Burma.
The "pressure of sanctions" will not help. China has adopted
a "constructive" policy on Burma, and critics of China's
policy should not attempt "to reach ulterior motives" by
linking it to the 2008 Olympics.

-- China applauds cooperation achieved through the Six-Party
Talks and will play a "constructive, positive" role in
efforts in support of peace on the Korean Peninsula.

-- China believes countries may cooperate in the "peaceful"
development of nuclear energy, the spokesman said in response
to a question on IAEA Director General ElBaradei's visit to
India.

-- China will continue to adopt a "floating exchange rate"
policy; China's currency has already appreciated by nine
percent against the dollar.

Burma Unrest
--------------


2. At the October 9 regular MFA press briefing, the MFA
spokesman said that China, along with the rest of the
international community, "closely follows" events in Burma
(Note: the spokesman referred to Burma as Myanmar). Burma,
he said, has "become calmer" through the efforts of both the
government there and the international community. China
hopes the situation in Burma will continue to "develop
positively." Any action by the UN Security Council involving
Burma should be "cautious and prudent," and should be
calculated to promote "stability" within Burma. The
"pressure of sanctions," he said, will not help to resolve
issues in the country. China has adopted a "constructive"
policy on Burma, and critics of China's policy should not
attempt "to reach ulterior motives" by linking it to the 2008
Olympics.

Six-Party Talks
--------------


3. The MFA spokesman affirmed China's strong interest in
peace on the Korean Peninsula. China applauds cooperation
achieved through the Six-Party Talks. China will play a
"constructive, positive" role in the international
community's efforts to support peace on the Korean Peninsula.
"Relevant parties" are discussing steps required to
denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and move forward with a
"peace process" in Northeast Asia.

IAEA Visit to India
--------------


4. Asked about International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
Director General Mohamed ElBaradei's four-day visit now
underway in India, the spokesman said China holds the view
that countries may legitimately cooperate in the "peaceful"
development of nuclear energy.

Currency Exchange
--------------


5. The spokesman acknowledged that many countries have
expressed concerns over China's currency exchange policies.
But, he noted, the Yuan has already appreciated by nine
percent against the dollar. The spokesman said that China
will continue to adopt a "floating exchange rate" policyand
welcomes more dialogue on this topic.
Pccuta