BEIJING-BASED G-5 CHIEFS OF MISSION ON BURMA, THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 006637

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/12/2027
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PHSA CH FR GM JA UK BM
SUBJECT: BEIJING-BASED G-5 CHIEFS OF MISSION ON BURMA, THE
EAST CHINA SEA AND UPCOMING HIGH-LEVEL FRENCH VISITORS.


Classified By: Classified by Charge d'Affaires, a.i., Daniel Piccuta.
Reasons 1.4 (b/d).

Summary
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1. (C) At the October 12 bi-weekly G-5 Chiefs of Mission
gathering, UK Ambassador William Ehrman said that China's
concerns in Burma are driven by the long common border, the
2.5 million ethnic Chinese in Burma, the 150,000 PRC citizens
living there and the 3,000 Chinese companies active in the
country. French DCM Nicholas Chapuis argued that PRC support
for a UN Security Council Presidential Statement on Burma
marks a major policy shift for the Chinese. Japanese DCM
Umeda reported no progress on Sino-Japanese resource
cooperation in the East China Sea, citing the median line,
China's prior investment in the area and territorial concerns
as stumbling blocks. The French DCM reported that
preparations for French President Nicolas Sarkozy's November
25-27 visit to China are not yet finalized. End Summary.

Participants
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2. (C) UK Ambassador William Ehrman, German Ambassador Dr.
Michael Schaefer, Japanese DCM Kunio UMEDA, French DCM
Nicholas Chapuis and the Charge met October 12 for the
bi-weekly G-5 gathering of Beijing-based Chiefs of Mission.

Burma: Chinese Concerns and Policies
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3. (C) China's concerns about Burma are driven by the long
common border, the 2.5 million ethnic Chinese in Burma, the
150,000 PRC citizens living there, and the 3,000 Chinese
companies active in the country, UK Ambassador William Ehrman
said MFA Consular Affairs Department Director General Wei Wei
had told him. During a recent conversation on Burma with UK
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao
stated that "all parties must push for democracy." This
statement was not publicized by HMG. The Chinese, however,
released the comment in a public statement that described the
PRC as pushing for democracy. French DCM Nicholas Chapuis
noted that for decades China has stated that the UN Security
Council (UNSC) is not competent to address the concerns in
Burma; as such, PRC support for the UNSC Presidential
Statement marks a major shift, as it "obliterates" their
adherence to previous policy.

East China Sea Dialogue: No Progress
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4. (C) No progress was made on China-Japan resource
development cooperation in the East China Sea during October
11 talks, reported Japanese DCM Umeda. The two sides were
"stuck" on how to define the Joint Development Area. The
PRC's National Development and Reform Commission is
maintaining a "tough position" on the primary concerns of the
median line and China's prior investment in the area, as well
as the secondary concern of territorial issues. Despite a
lack of progress on the East China Sea, Japanese Prime
Minister Yasuo Fukuda would still like to visit China in
2008, following a visit to the United States.

French High-Level Visitors to China
--------------

5. (C) French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner's visit has
been finalized for October 31-November 1, according to the
French DCM. French President Nicolas Sarkozy's November
25-27 visit to Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai is "almost
official," but still has not been finalized. French
Diplomatic Advisor to the President Jean-David Levitte will
hold a French Strategic Dialogue session with Executive Vice
Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo November 9-10.
Piccuta