EAP A/S HILL'S DECEMBER 6 MEETING WITH VFM ZHANG:

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIJING 007386 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/06/2027 TAGS: PREL PARM PREF PHUM MARR ETRD AMGT CH IR SU TW, BM SUBJECT: EAP A/S HILL'S DECEMBER 6 MEETING WITH VFM ZHANG: IRAN, DARFUR, BURMA, NK REFUGEES, HUMAN RIGHTS, TAIWAN, SED/SD, REPATRIATION, PROPERTY SALE REF: 12/5/07 EAP/CM-EMBASSY BEIJING EMAIL Classified By: Ambassador Clark T. Randt, Jr. Reasons 1.4 (b/d). Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) EAP Assistant Secretary Hill, accompanied by the Ambassador, raised U.S. concerns on Iran, Darfur, North Korean refugees, HUMAN RIGHTS and Burma with PRC Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui on December 6. A/S Hill pressed the PRC to prevent further transfers of conventional weapons to Iran and support continued pressure on Iran, including in the form of a third UN Security COUNCIL resolution. VFM Zhang said the PRC is moving ahead with the deployment of the engineering unit to Darfur, citing technical difficulties for the delay. VFM Zhang said the situation in Burma was "moving toward stability," and the international community should encourage Burma to keep up the momentum. A/S Hill pressed China to expedite the departure of North Korean asylum seekers currently under UNHCR protection. A/S Hill urged China to resume our high-level bilateral HUMAN RIGHTS Dialogue, to which VFM Zhang responded the PRC is ready to resume the Dialogue but the United States must stop taking actions that make such dialogue impossile. VFM Zhang requested enhanced U.S. flexiblity at the Strategic Economic Dialogue regarding the joint statement on energy security and climate change and the Illegal Logging Memorandum of Understanding. VFM Zhang agreed to relay the U.S. request to sell Er Ban and would look into the matter of repatriation arrangements for deportable PRC citizens. VFM Zhang requested specific information regarding the arrest in the UK of a PRC citizen which he said appears to have been done at the request of the United States for extradition. VFM Zhang noted that the Kitty Hawk port visit denial "is in the past." End Summary. Iran -------------- ¶2. (C) Accompanied by the Ambassador, EAP Assistant Secretary Hill raised U.S. concerns on Iran, Darfur and Burma with PRC Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui on December 6. Describing the new National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) of the status of the Iranian nuclear weapons program as an honest reassessment, A/S Hill stressed the importance of remaining tough with Iran given the Iranians' demonstrated unwillingness to cooperate with the international community, given Iran's belligerent declaratory policy and given Iran's continued support for terrorists and other threats to the region. ¶3. (C) VFM Zhang noted that Secretary Rice briefed FM Yang on the phone earlier in the week on this issue. VFM Zhang said the new report shows international efforts have been effective. Still, the report raises two questions: Does the report mean the United States "will temporarily not consider military action against Iran," and what impact will the report have on U.S. views on the need for a third UN Security Council resolution on the Iranian nuclear issue? A/S Hill assured him the United States remains firmly focused on a diplomatic solution. Also, Iran continues to pose a serious threat to regional stability, and thus continued vigilance and further Security COUNCIL action is required. ¶4. (C) A/S Hill urged the PRC to take steps to stop arms transfers to Iran, noting Iran continues to transfer Chinese-origin weapons to terrorists and other third parties. Weapons of recent Chinese production are being used against Coalition forces in Iraq, bringing a whole new dimension of sensitivity and seriousness to this continued Iranian violation of Security COUNCIL resolution 1747. Retreating to standard talking points, VFM Zhang claimed the PRC implements the relevant UNSCRs more rigidly than required and has Tehran's assurance that Iran will not allow such violations of end-user agreements. The PRC will continue to discuss this matter with Iran to make clear China does not want to see these arms end up in the hands of terrorists. Darfur -------------- ¶5. (C) A/S Hill urged the Chinese to overcome obstacles to full deployment of the PRC engineering unit as soon as possible. The United States has condemned rebel threats against PRC forces and encouraged the rebels to participate in political dialogue. VFM Zhang said the deployment has unfortunately been "politicized and magnified," but is BEIJING 00007386 002 OF 003 actually delayed due to technical barriers, such as arranging clean water supplies, troop bivouac sites and airport access agreements. The PRC Ambassador to the Sudan has spoken with several Sudanese Government agencies in an effort to the overcome these challenges. Premier Wen recently told the UN Secretary General by phone that the PRC is moving forward SIPDIS with urgency on this matter. Burma -------------- ¶6. (C) Drawing upon Ref A talking points, A/S Hill said that UN Special Advisor Gambari's efforts to press the regime in Burma to establish a meaningful dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi (ASSK) have made little progress. Arrests continue, and opposition members are still allowed no role in drafting the constitution. The situation is not stable; rather, it is stagnant, and without regime action to engage ASSK, momentum will continue building for UN Security COUNCIL action. A/S Hill pressed the PRC to push Burma's regime to work with ASSK, cooperate with Gambari, and start real dialogue. VFM Zhang responded that the situation in Burma was "moving toward stability," and the international community should encourage Burma to keep up the momentum. Pressure and sanctions should be avoided, a position also shared by India and ASEAN, he said. Taiwan -------------- ¶7. (C) VFM Zhang said that FM Yang told President Bush and Secretary Rice last week in the United States of the SIPDIS "severity and danger" of Taiwan's proposed UN referendum. VFM Zhang said the President and Secretary said the United States would again make clear its opposition to the referendum. VFM Zhang also asked that the United States stop selling weapons to Taiwan, saying these sales send the wrong signals. A/S Hill assured VFM Zhang that the United States would continue to make clear its opposition to the referendum. He said our position on arms sales to Taiwan is very clear. Human RIGHTS Dialogue -------------- ¶8. (C) A/S Hill pressed the PRC to consider restarting a high-level HUMAN RIGHTS dialogue with the United States. VFM Zhang assured A/S Hill of PRC willingness to engage on this issue "on the basis of equality and mutual respect," saying the PRC hopes this issue can become a positive aspect of our bilateral relationship rather than a negative one. VFM Zhang said that in order to establish an atmosphere for meaningful dialogue, the United States should avoid taking action that "interferes in internal PRC affairs." North Korean Refugees -------------- ¶9. (C) A/S Hill said the United States appreciates PRC efforts to deal with the North Korean refugee issue in a quiet and humane manner. He urged China to act as soon as possible to facilitate the departure of the North Korean asylum seekers in Beijing, some of whom have been waiting over a year to depart for the United States and South Korea. VFM Zhang said the PRC will try to accelerate the processing of the "illegal border crossers," ascribing any delay to technical challenges of translation and identification. Repatriation of Deportable Chinese Citizens -------------- ¶10. (C) A/S Hill encouraged the PRC to make progress in its efforts to repatriate the over 40,000 deportable PRC citizens in the United States. China has only processed a few hundred so far this year, and thus should do more to speed the process and bring its citizens home. VFM Zhang said that he was not familiar with this issue and would relay A/S Hill's request to the relevant departments. Strategic Economic Dialogue and Senior Dialogue -------------- -- ¶11. (C) VFM Zhang, underscoring that the PRC greatly values our continued Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED),asked the United States to try to be "more flexible" in negotiations regarding the joint statement on energy security and climate change and the Illegal Logging Memorandum of Understanding. VFM Zhang, saying that he would also press PRC negotiators to BEIJING 00007386 003 OF 003 be fair and cooperative, added that U.S. negotiators were being overly demanding. Regarding the upcoming fifth round of the Senior Dialogue, the PRC is hoping to receive and answer soon from the United States regarding the proposed agenda. In order to provide additional opportunities to discuss bilateral issues, EVFM Dai Bingguo would like to invite Deputy Secretary Negroponte to Guizhou for to continue talks after meetings in Beijing. A/S Hill agreed to look into our SED negotiating positions on the issues raised by VFM Zhang and seek U.S. feedback on the proposed Senior Dialogue agenda. Sale of Embassy Property to the United Kingdom -------------- - ¶12. (C) Ambassador Randt voiced concern that the MFA has refused the UK's request to purchase the Embassy's "Er Ban" property from the United States on the grounds that the area would no longer be for diplomatic use. The Ambassador noted that there are still approximately 160 years remaining on the U.S. lease and most of the adjacent area is and clearly will remain for diplomatic use. VFM Zhang admitted that he had not heard of this issue but agreed to relay the Ambassador's request to the relevant departments. Chinese Citizen Arrested in the UK -------------- ¶13. (C) VFM Zhang requested U.S. assistance in clarifying the situation surrounding a PRC citizen, Yuan Hongwei (as heard), recently arrested in the UK as he deplaned for a business trip. VFM Zhang claimed the British Police arrested Yuan at the request of the United States for extradition, and said it looked like a "U.S. trick" to bypass PRC law and lure Yuan out of China. VFM Zhang said the PRC attaches great importance to law enforcement cooperation with the United States and requests specific information on Yuan's case, including the specifics of his alleged crime. Kitty Hawk -------------- ¶14. (C) VFM Zhang said the Chinese side noted President Bush's statement that the Kitty Hawk port visit denial issue is already in the past. China values cooperative U.S.-China mil-to-mil relations and is ready to boost exchanges as long as there is mutual respect for each side's core interests. ¶15. (U) The delegation cleared this message. RANDT