UPDATE ON NEW CONSULATE COMPOUND: GUANGZHOU URBAN PLANNING

UNCLAS GUANGZHOU 000662

SIPDIS

OBO FOR JOE TOUSSAINT, JAIME SALCEDO AND RAY PEPPER

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ABLD AMGT CH
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON NEW CONSULATE COMPOUND: GUANGZHOU URBAN PLANNING
OFFICE CONCERNS

(U) THIS DOCUMENT IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE PROTECT
ACCORDINGLY.


1. (SBU) Acting Admin Officer and Guangzhou Design Institute (GZDI)
met with the Director for Consular Affairs of the Guangzhou Foreign
Affairs Office Luo Jun and members of the Guangzhou Urban Planning
Office (UPO) on June 6 to discuss UPO's proposed design changes of
the NCC. Prior to the meeting, the consulate sent the FAO and UPO
two official letters (but not via Dip note) re changes UPO had
requested on the Master Plan. One letter simply asked for a
complete list of issues from the UPO perspective and the other,
drafted by SOM, focused on the perimeter fence and the Vehicle CAC
which UPO had asked be modified or changed.


2. (SBU) At the meeting, the UPO asked the U.S. side to present a
Dip Note about the Perimeter Fence (the Wall and Clear Fence),which
would then be reviewed at the highest level. UPO wants a clear
fence (chain link) surrounding the compound that would not exceed
2.5 meters; the Master Plan's wall is currently not acceptable UPO's
perspective. Our Dip Note will provide exact specifications and a
note about the security reasons for a solid wall. (In the future,
per Luo Jun's request, such requests will be sent via Dip Note to
the FAO for coordination. Luo Jun and Admin officer will track each
specific request and resolve issues or move problems up to the nest
level or to Beijing for discussion.)


3. (SBU) As for the Vehicle CAC, we asked the UPO to reply to our
original official request regarding outstanding issues and were
informed we would receive UPOP's response next week. UPO, noting a
concern raised by police (who were not present at the meeting),said
the U.S. needed only two, not three entrance gates, and that the
gates should be located on the main street, not on the side streets.
GZDI explained the need for the three gates and necessity for the
design location but we are at an impasse on this point.


4. (SBU) Currently we are waiting for the wall specifications from
SOM so we can draft a Dip Note and the complete (as stated by the
UPO) list of changes requested by UPO.

GOLDBERG