A/S SILVERBERG MEETING WITH MFA IO DG WU HAILONG

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIJING 006974 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2027 TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PREF SY LE BM YI IR IZ KN SUBJECT: A/S SILVERBERG MEETING WITH MFA IO DG WU HAILONG Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Aubrey Carlson. Reasons 1. 4 (b/d). Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) In an October 31 meeting, A/S Silverberg disagreed with her MFA counterpart's positive assessment of the situation in Burma; when MFA International Organizations Director General Wu Hailong called for the international community's patience, A/S Silverberg laid out specific steps the Burmese regime needs to take. On Sudan, A/S Silverberg expressed disappointment on the speed of deployment and urged the Chinese to do their best to move quickly in response to DG Wu's comments that deployment of Chinese engineers may not take place until late December, and China will not likely be able to provide helicopters for the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). On Iran, to Wu's statement that the United States must give due consideration to China's financial and energy interests, A/S Silverberg responded that sanctions required sacrifice. Regarding North Korean refugees, the next "two to three months" will show the Chinese answer to U.S. concerns regarding the lack of exit visas for North Korean asylum seekers, Wu said. On UN Security Council reform, Wu said resolving procedural matters in intergovernmental negotiations must precede substantive discussion. Discussion also covered Lebanon, Kosovo, an EU-sponsored death penalty resolution, UNSYG Ban Ki-moon, the Human Rights Council, and our bilateral human rights dialogue. End summary. ¶2. (U) MFA Director General for International Organizations Wu Hailong and Assistant Secretary for International Organizations Affairs Kristen Silverberg met November 1 in Beijing. Their discussion covered Burma, Sudan, Iran, Lebanon, DPRK refugees, Kosovo, UN Security Council reform and the Human Rights Council. BURMA -------------- ¶3. (C) Wu said progress has been made in Burma, including the regime's appointment of a liaison officer for dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi, the cancellation of the curfew and the release of political prisoners. The Burmese Government would like to have direct dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi, Wu said, but that is not currently possible. The liaison officer, however, might be able to make it happen. Wu said China signed the UNSC Presidential Statement on Burma because it supports the efforts of Special Envoy Gambari. Wu urged patience on the part of the international community, however, because problems in Burma are complicated. The international community should give Burma constructive support, but let it solve its own internal problems. Wu said problems in Burma are "not a threat to regional security" and expressed doubts on the efficacy of sanctions. ¶4. (C) A/S Silverberg said that the United States does not share Beijing's positive assessment of the situation in Burma. No progress has been made on dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese government still holds close to 1,000 political prisoners, there is no assurance of free movement for UN Special Envoy Gambari and the Burmese government has made no concessions on delivering humanitarian aid. In short, the on-the-ground situation has not appreciably improved. A/S Silverberg said the United States would not be satisfied with concessions only on the delivery of humanitarian aid and offered two benchmarks for real progress: direct and meaningful dialogue with democracy activists and ethnic minority groups and the release of political prisoners. A/S Silverberg said that dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi would not be meaningful unless she were able to consult freely with her advisors other opposition leaders. SUDAN -------------- ¶5. (C) The Chinese deployment of engineers to Darfur may not occur until the end of December, DG Wu said. Wu said that Chinese negotiations with the UN's Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) on an MOU governing the deployment had taken longer than expected. Weather conditions would now also delay the deployment. Wu said that he had not received a firm answer from the Chinese military, but the request that China provide helicopters to UNAMID would be difficult or impossible for China at this time. He called on all parties BEIJING 00006974 002 OF 003 to pressure all rebel factions to participate in peace talks. A/S Silverberg urged China to deploy its engineering contingent as quickly as possible, as delay would set back efforts to get UNAMID in place. She also asked China to try its best to send the requested helicopters. Iran -------------- ¶6. (C) DG Wu said that China's change in its chief negotiator reflected internal divisions in Iran. China is participating in discussions regarding a new UNSC resolution on Iran and understands the need to pressure Iran, Wu said. However, he said, the United States must give due consideration to China's economic interests in Iran, especially energy. Action should only be taken after EU foreign policy chief Solana and IAEA chief El Baradei present their respective reports. ¶7. (C) A/S Silverberg said the view of U.S. experts is that there is a consensus in Iran on a civilian nuclear program, but there are divisions on whether to weaponize and how quickly. Other countries have a responsibility to encourage the moderate factions. She reminded Wu that sanctions "require sacrifice." The United States has long sacrificed substantial economic interests in Iran. Moreover, since the deadline for UNSCR 1747 has long since passed, the time to wait is over, and actions must begin. President Bush has made clear that he is pursuing a diplomatic solution to this problem, she said. However, the key to a diplomatic solution is strong action by the council. Kosovo -------------- ¶8. (C) A/S Silverberg said that the United States fully supports the Troika mechanism on Kosovo, but that the Kosovars will not tolerate endless delays. Wu said that the international community should not set the timeline for Kosovo independence. North Korean Refugees -------------- ¶9. (C) The United States is concerned that China has not granted exit visas to North Korean asylum seekers under UN High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) care, Silverberg said. Wu said that China is "considering very seriously" how to proceed on the 30 "illegally immigrated persons." He said that China wants to solve the problem quietly, so as to discourage a flood of North Koreans. He said that each case requires individual attention, including a criminal check, and that we could expect to see how China addresses the situation within "two to three months." Syria/Lebanon -------------- ¶10. (C) DG Wu said that the situation in Lebanon is perhaps even more complicated than Burma, but is ultimately an internal issue. If the major political parties do not agree, problems will continue. A/S Silverberg responded that the elements who most oppose the tribunal are those who have the most to fear from its deliberations. Wu reiterated that China hopes all sides can solve their differences through negotiation. China supports UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL),he said, and he agreed that UNIFIL should play a role in stopping arms smuggling. Security Council Expansion -------------- ¶11. (C) DG Wu urged greater coordination among the P5 nations in upcoming intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform. He said that before discussing substance, the relevant parties must agree on procedural issues governing the intergovernmental negotiations. Given the disparity of various existing proposals (including varying numbers of new permanent members, non-permanent members, and an "intermediate approach" of long-term non-permanent seats), without prior agreement on procedures it will be difficult to reach consensus. Wu specifically cited the need to pay attention to Africa, which controls one-third of the votes and could vote as a block in favor of expansion. ¶12. (C) A/S Silverberg acknowledged that the diversity of approaches on the table made substantive negotiations difficult at this time. She said the United States is open-minded on "modest, criteria-based" proposals. She said BEIJING 00006974 003 OF 003 an intermediate approach might be a way out, but there seemed to be no consensus among the G4 on its negotiating position. The Japanese now insist on a clear path to permanent member status, for example, whereas Brazil and Germany might be more flexible. Silverberg said that President Bush has also indicated that UNSC reform must take place within the context of broader reforms of the UN. Reforms that aim to make the UNSC more representative must be coupled with reforms that aim to make the UN General Assembly more responsible. Silverberg said some nations currently have unreasonable expectations about the size of potential UNSC expansion, and China and the United States must strive to make those expectations more reasonable. Death Penalty at the UN -------------- ¶13. (C) DG Wu asked about the U.S. position regarding an EU resolution on the death penalty at the UN. Singapore is coordinating opposition to the resolution. While about 80 countries have the death penalty, most are keeping quiet. Silverberg responded that the United States will not support any resolutions that call for a moratorium on the death penalty or that assert that the death penalty is illegal under international law. UNSYG Ban Ki-moon -------------- ¶14. (C) When asked for his assessment of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's performance, Wu said that he thought Ban was "doing well" by taking a more active role in hot spots like Darfur and Burma. On a personal level, he assessed Ban as "nice, humble, not aggressive," and "easy to approach." Human Rights Council, Human Rights Dialogue -------------- ¶15. (C) A/S Silverberg said that if the UN Human Rights Council report, which she termed a "catastrophe," is called to a vote, the United States will vote no. She said that the Council's treatment of Israel had been egregious and crossed U.S. red lines. In general, the Council has been irresponsible and if the report comes to nothing, the United States will "not lose any sleep." In response to A/S Silverberg's suggestion that China and the United States resume the bilateral human rights dialogue, DG Wu said China remained interested in holding such talks, but the recent Dalai Lama visit to the United States made the current atmosphere inappropriate for resumption of the dialogue. Randt