LANZHOU: ISLAMIC LINKS, UNDERDEVELOPMENT KEEP

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIJING 007576 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/20/2027 TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL KIRF EINV CH TW SUBJECT: LANZHOU: ISLAMIC LINKS, UNDERDEVELOPMENT KEEP GATEWAY TO WESTERN CHINA FEELING FAR FROM BEIJING Classified By: Classified by Political Minister Counselor Aubrey Carlso n. Reasons 1.4 (b/d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Contacts in Lanzhou, capital of Gansu Province in western China, told EmbOffs that Gansu sees things differently from Beijing on a range of issues. They stressed that western provinces now believe it is their turn to enjoy the fruits of China's rapid economic development and expect new resources from Beijing in the name of "Scientific Development." An academic suggested that these high expectations create a challenge for Beijing, especially as the contrast between the poor interior and prosperous coast has grown. Many in Gansu also share cultural and religious affinities with Central Asian and Middle Eastern countries, further distancing them from Beijing. Local officials were quick to echo the party line on Taiwan, however. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) EmbOffs traveled to Lanzhou, Gansu Province, November 26-29 to launch the Lanzhou Virtual Presence Post (VPP). This cable reports on meetings with academics and provincial officials; EmbOffs' visit to Lanzhou-based "Duzhe," China's highest circulation magazine, will be reported septel. Gansu: Gateway to the West - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶3. (SBU) Stretching from the fertile plains of central China to the western deserts, Gansu Province links the ethnic Han area of China to the Muslim, Tibetan and Mongolian regions to the north and west. With per capita GDP barely topping USD 1000 per year, Gansu is China's second poorest province, and Lanzhou is one of the most polluted cities in the world. While Gansu hosts one of China's satellite launch centers and some high-profile joint ventures, including a tie-up between a local company and American oil rig producer National Oilwell, these projects translate into few tangible benefits for most local people. Approximately eight percent of Gansu's 26 million people are ethnic Hui Muslims, and smaller groups that follow Islam exist as well, such as the Dongxiang, Bohan and Sala minorities. Tibetans, Mongolians, and 40 other ethnic groups, most of which speak non-Chinese languages in addition to Mandarin, create a challenge for policy-makers trying to promulgate President Hu's "Harmonious Society" concept of social stability and integration. 
Lanzhou University Roundtable - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶4. (C) At a roundtable discussion, EmbOffs heard views on a range of domestic and international issues from professors at Lanzhou University. The school is the only national-level university in the province and enjoys a surprisingly strong academic reputation within China given its remoteness from the traditional centers of Chinese academic life. We had the chance to hear the ideas of Professors Zhang Xinping, Wang Jinguo, Meng Hui and Wang Mingfang from the School of Politics and Administration, and Dean Mao Gang and Lecturer Song Ling from the English Department. Officials from Lanzhou University's Foreign Affairs Office attended as well. Western China's Islamic Identity Affects Sino-U.S. Relations - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶5. (C) Professor Wang Jinguo noted the strong historical and cultural links among Gansu's Muslim population and the countries west of China, stressing that Islam acts as a unifying principle among western Chinese provinces and Central Asian states, ultimately linking them all culturally to the Middle East. These links to the Islamic world affect public opinion on a range of issues, including Iran, stability in the Middle East and counterterrorism. Professor Wang Mingfang echoed this sentiment, suggesting that the "dilemma" of Islam in western China argues for greater China-U.S. cooperation. An understanding of western Chinese attitudes on such issues, she added, is essential for U.S. understanding of the domestic political variables the leadership in Beijing must consider when weighing foreign policy decisions. The West: A Challenge for Beijing - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶6. (C) Lanzhou's position at the geographic center of China, Wang stressed, marks the beginning of the major non-Han parts of China and the gateway to the enormous western provinces. The sheer scale of the geography of Gansu, Xinjiang, Qinghai and the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR),Wang said, is seen by Beijing as a major security challenge, exacerbated by the affinities people in western China feel for the predominantly Muslim countries to the west. According to Wang, Beijing has BEIJING 00007576 002 OF 003 come to view "soft power" as the primary means for countering this natural pull, and is attempting to foster an inclusive culture in provinces such as Gansu with a diverse ethnic mix. In this context, Wang stressed, the growing imbalance between strong eastern development and unremitting poverty in some western areas creates dangerous tension. The need to ease this tension, he said, is the genesis for Beijing's push for "Scientific Development" and a "Harmonious Society." Provincial officials underscored the high expectations locals have for the new policy slogans (see paragraphs 12-13). Education Links to Central Asia, Elsewhere - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶7. (C) University officials noted that Lanzhou University hosts "over 100" graduate students from overseas, and said this number is growing, with the majority coming from Central Asian countries. Students in Lanzhou normally come to study Chinese, but often go on to full courses of study, and continue to come despite the low level of financial aid available. Japanese and Korean students are also well-represented, and the school this year opened a Japanese language department. Brain Drain; Democratic Spirit among Those Who Remain - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶8. (C) Dean Mao said that graduates of the English program, who are well-trained to work with foreign companies, suffer from a lack of opportunities in Lanzhou. Joint ventures in Gansu are few and growing only slowly, he said, and many of his graduates migrate east after graduation, further inhibiting Gansu's climate for inward direct investment. Still, Mao said, Lanzhou continues to act as a magnet for students and recent graduates from "all over western China," due to even more limited opportunities elsewhere in the region. ¶9. (C) Mao also noted that local authorities in Gansu are increasingly allowed to experiment with democratic methods for determining local leadership. Gansu, with its multi-ethnic population, history of immigration and "frontier spirit," is a natural fit for such democracy experiments. This is especially the case in Gansu's two autonomous regions, which are nominally run by Hui and Tibetan leaders, respectively. Russia, SCO Seen from China's West - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶10. (C) Wang, a Russia specialist, said that despite the recent warming trend, Russian links with China continue to lack depth, in contrast to the links the western China maintains with the Islamic world. He said that western provinces like Gansu might be expected to have closer ties to Russia given their geographic proximity both to Russia and its Central Asian sphere of influence, but this is not the case. Indeed, the primary purpose of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is to deepen Sino-Russian relations through an artificial mechanism. The SCO also serves as a mechanism for leveraging the historical connection many western Chinese feel with Central Asian countries by showing Beijing's interest in the region. Wang said this is aimed at undermining "destabilizing forces" within China. "Scientific Development": It's the West's Turn - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶11. (C) EmbOffs met separately with officials from the Gansu Provincial Government, including Liu Jiehua from the Commercial Affairs Office, Zhang Jun from the Development Planning Office, and Cao Tianmin, Director of the Planning and Reform Office. ¶12. (C) Asked to interpret the concept of "Scientific Development" being promulgated by Beijing, Zhang said that Gansu's current relative economic backwardness is "part of the plan." He explained that development of the eastern provinces was prioritized in the 80's and 90's as a way to bring about rapid economic development. From Gansu's perspective, Zhang said, Beijing is indicating that "now it is our turn," and he expects Beijing to turn its attention to central and western provinces in a renewed development push. Success in this push, he implied, will be critical for the Central Government's continued legitimacy in this ethnically and religiously diverse province. ¶13. (C) At the same time, Zhang said he expects additional initiatives from Beijing on environmental protection and sustainable deveopment for Gansu. Agricultural development rmains a high priority for the Provincial Government, he added, but he hopes new priorities in national development BEIJING 00007576 003 OF 003 will help Gansu move into higher value-added industries. Provincial officials are creating incentives, for example, to diversify from petroleum production to petroleum engineering services and petrochemicals and from traditional agriculture to agricultural processing. Zhang acknowledged that Gansu suffers from many geographic disadvantages and persistent poverty, and that in the near-term exploitation of Gansu's natural resources will continue to serve as the major focus of development. Zhang also expressed frustration at the trap that Gansu's remoteness and lack of capital has created: what the province most needs is the development of its human capital, but its natural limitations make this very difficult to achieve. Interaction with the United States: Lots of Visitors, Not Much Cash - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶14. (C) Zhao Shenglan, Deputy Director of the Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, pointed with pride to the large number of semi-official visitors Lanzhou hosts from the United States. Drawing on their active sister state program with Oklahoma and two smaller scale sister-city arrangements, the FAO office sees dozens of U.S. visitors a year, including mayoral visits and Congressional staff delegations. The volume of visitors has yet to translate into large-scale investment for Gansu, however. A deal with the U.S. firm National Oilwell International to produce petroleum engineering equipment in Lanzhou is Gansu's most visible joint venture, and officials are clearly pleased with its high technology content and growth potential. Hopes that this venture, which dates back to 2000, would provide a model for other U.S. companies have yet to be realized, Zhao said. Olympics: Pride, Tempered by Frustration - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶15. (C) Asked about the view of the Beijing Olympics from Gansu, the Development Planning Office's Zhang stressed that the Games are a "national project," although he acknowledged Gansu has no specific role to play. Calling the event "big business," he stressed that people in Gansu support the project, but wished that Beijing would recognize that the Games should be an "all-China Olympiad," and share the economic benefits as well. Even in Gansu, Taiwan is Not Far Away - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶16. (C) Liu treated EmbOffs to a lengthy complaint about U.S. policy toward Taiwan, saying that he wanted to discuss the "big question" facing China in its efforts to improve U.S.-China relations. He pointed to recent tensions arising from the proposed UN referendum in Taiwan. Liu stressed that the United States and China, as two major powers in the world, have a responsibility to make the world more secure. While noting that the United States and China share a broad and thriving economic relationship, Liu asked pointedly, "Why must you make Taiwan an issue?" EmbOffs referred Liu to recent comments on Taiwan by high-level U.S. officials, which underscore yet again U.S. commitment to the one China policy and a peaceful resolution to cross-Strait issues. RANDT