Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07SHANGHAI269
2007-05-07 08:38:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Shanghai
Cable title:  

DOD GENERAL COUNSEL'S RULE OF LAW MEETINGS

Tags:  PGOV KJUS ETRD EINV PHUM PINR CH 
pdf how-to read a cable
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RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 0594
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0721
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RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 6176
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 SHANGHAI 000269 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DOJ FOR OPDAT LEHMANN AND CRAWFORD AND FOR OFFICE OF
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS LATIMER
NSC FOR WILDER AND TONG
DOD FOR J. ANDERSON
STATE PASS FOR USTR STRATFORD, WINTER< MCCARTIN, ALTBACH, READE
TREAS FOR AMB HOLMER, WRIGHT, TSMITH
TREAS FOR OASIA - DOHNER/HAARSAGER/KUSHMAN
USDOC FOR ITA/MAC - DAS KASOFF, MELCHER, MCQUEEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/7/2017
TAGS: PGOV KJUS ETRD EINV PHUM PINR CH
SUBJECT: DOD GENERAL COUNSEL'S RULE OF LAW MEETINGS

REF: SHANGHAI 111

CLASSIFIED BY: Mary Tarnowka, Section Chief, Political/Economic
Section , U.S. Consulate Shanghai.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)



C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 SHANGHAI 000269

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DOJ FOR OPDAT LEHMANN AND CRAWFORD AND FOR OFFICE OF
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS LATIMER
NSC FOR WILDER AND TONG
DOD FOR J. ANDERSON
STATE PASS FOR USTR STRATFORD, WINTER< MCCARTIN, ALTBACH, READE
TREAS FOR AMB HOLMER, WRIGHT, TSMITH
TREAS FOR OASIA - DOHNER/HAARSAGER/KUSHMAN
USDOC FOR ITA/MAC - DAS KASOFF, MELCHER, MCQUEEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/7/2017
TAGS: PGOV KJUS ETRD EINV PHUM PINR CH
SUBJECT: DOD GENERAL COUNSEL'S RULE OF LAW MEETINGS

REF: SHANGHAI 111

CLASSIFIED BY: Mary Tarnowka, Section Chief, Political/Economic
Section , U.S. Consulate Shanghai.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)




1. (C) Summary: During DOD General Counsel William J. Haynes
April 20-22 visit to Shanghai, he discussed rule of law issues
with Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (SASS) Institute of Law
Academics, expatriate and Chinese legal experts at a Consul
General-hosted dinner, and at the New York University/Jiaotong
University Law Center where he participated in a roundtable with
approximately thirty Jiaotong students and professors. SASS
academics claimed that the government was committed to moving
society towards a rule of law system, but that this process
would take a long time. Legal experts said that there had been
progress on rule of law issues and ordinary Chinese people were
becoming more aware of their rights. Jiaotong University
President Zhang Jie welcomed more rule of law cooperation with
the United States. End Summary.

--------------
SASS Institute of Law
--------------


2. (SBU) On April 20, DOD GC Haynes participated in a
roundtable with SASS Institute of Law faculty, chaired by SASS
Vice President and prominent U.S.-China bilateral relations
scholar Huang Renwei. According to SASS Institute of Law Deputy
Director Lin Yinmao, the institute had conducted research on a
wide-range of legal subjects including administrative law,
criminal law, constitutional law and trade law. It had
submitted some of its reports directly to the National People's
Congress and Shanghai Municipal People's Congress and,
therefore, acted as an advisory body to both the local and

national governments.


3. (SBU) Lin said that its current research projects included
topics such as judicial law enforcement, corporate crime,
mechanisms to resolve WTO disputes and China's administrative
litigation system. She noted government had been focused in
recent years on issues that affected ordinary people such as
housing problems and how to manage migrants. Lin said that the
institute's future research emphasis would be on defining what
role the government should and should not play in society. She
acknowledged that society was changing and moving from a central
to a market economy. Because of these changes, the government
must adjust the way it managed society and limit its role.


4. (SBU) She added that China understood the importance of rule
of law and that legal reform was connected to economic
development. Many academics in China were trying to define the
rule of law, which in Chinese had the same sound as rule by law.
She said that China was gradually moving away from "rule by
law", which was personality-based, to rule of law. However,
this process took time and every country had different
conditions. She emphasized, however, that the goal of
establishing rule of law was there.


5. (SBU) Haynes noted that, in the United States, everyone,
even the Department of Defense, had to obey the law and asked
what mechanisms the Chinese government used to govern its
officials. Lin agreed that all government officials must be
accountable to the people and the government needed to
compensate people whose rights had been violated. In China,
there were several laws governing officials, specifically the
Administrative Review Law, Administrative Litigation Law, and
Supervision Law. She added that every government agency also
had its own legal department which advised officials on the law.
In addition, think-tanks such as SASS also played an indirect
role in supervising officials. While SASS had no direct
supervisory powers, it still "had a voice" and could write about

SHANGHAI 00000269 002 OF 003


issues and advise the government on legal issues.

--------------
Legal Experts Dinner
--------------


6. (C) At the Consul General-hosted dinner, Shanghai expatriate
and Chinese legal experts briefed CG Haynes on the state of rule
of law in China. The dinner guests said that there had been
some rule of law progress in China. Jiaotong University Law
School Deputy Dean Zhou Wei said that while one could not
publicly advocate for democracy or an end to the one-party
system, academics were free to discuss this issue among
themselves and to publish articles about political reform in
scholarly journals. He added that there had been some
experiments that increased public participation and democracy in
small towns. (Note: He did not provide specifics. End Note.)
The government was moving cautiously because of concerns about
stability. According to Zhou, people were feeling increasingly
uneasy because the crime rate had increased throughout the
country and there continued to be poverty in the countryside.
Beijing was worried that political reforms could lead to
instability and before implementing any new reforms wanted
guarantees that reforms would be successful, which was
impossible of course.


7. (C) Clifford Chance Partner Stephen Harder said that people
in China were becoming increasingly aware of their legal rights.
For example, there had been more and more stories of ordinary
people sticking up for their rights. In addition, there were
more avenues for people to express themselves. For example,
many Chinese people were shareholders and understood that they
had shareholders' rights. Another illustration, he said, was
that ordinary Chinese people were learning about voting as they
cast votes for contestants in the "Supergirl" TV program. He
also noted that there were already in existence some structures
that could support democracy. For example, the National
People's Congress (NPC) voted on legislation. While the NPC
currently acted as a rubber-stamp, one day the delegates might
become more independent and cast independent votes. Zhou agreed
that ordinary people were becoming more aware of their rights.
He noted that the government had recently reduced the fees paid
by plaintiffs to file suits against the government. This would
allow more people to file suits and press for their rights.


8. (C) Jiaotong Professor and Fulbright Scholar Dan Guttman
attributed the increased awareness to the proliferation of
magazines and newspapers in China. He said that these
newspapers and magazines must all make a profit and had been
more active in reporting on issues. In addition, Chinese people
were traveling more and becoming exposed to how things worked in
the West. Consulate FSN Rule of Law Coordinator noted that many
people of her generation (early 30's) were able to get
information about events and issues because they had access to
the Internet.


9. (C) Harder noted China's increased activity in the
international arena and said that China appeared to be courting
countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Jiaotong
Professor, Squire Sanders Counsel, and environmental lawyer
Charles McElwee added that many complained that China was "on a
race to the bottom". China was undermining international
environmental efforts by ignoring these standards when it signed
deals with these countries. Guttman noted that China had become
a major player in the assistance arena. According to Guttman,
the China Export Bank would soon overtake the World Bank in the
amount of loans it distributed worldwide. He said the China
Export Bank had provided USD 15 billion in loans, while the
World Bank had provided USD 23 billion.

--------------
Jiaotong University Visit
--------------

SHANGHAI 00000269 003 OF 003




10. (SBU) During DOD GC Haynes' visit to the Jiaotong/NYU Joint
Law Center, he was warmly greeted by Jiaotong University
President Zhang Jie. Zhang noted that the Jiaotong's law school
was relatively new. He welcomed more cooperation between the
United States and Jiaotong University on rule of law issues.
DOD GC Haynes also participated in a roundtable with
approximately thirty Jiaotong students and professors. The
students probed DOD GC Haynes on his position and the role of
military lawyers in the United States. DOD GC Haynes stressed
to the students that every government official, civilian or
military, had made a vow to the constitution. No one was above
the law and all officials were accountable for their actions.
He also noted the importance of legal aid and encouraged the
students to participate in legal aid or pro bono projects.


11. (C) Bio Note: Jiaotong President Zhang appeared to be very
comfortable during his meeting with DOD GC Haynes. He spoke
excellent English and was able to joke easily. Zhang is a
Physicist and considered to be a leading academic in China.
According to contacts at Jiaotong, he perfected his English
during his eight-year stay in England as a visiting scholar.
Zhang said that since becoming Jiaotong President five months
ago, he has had no free time. He longed to return to his
laboratory to continue his research on nuclear fusion.


12. (U) This message was cleared by DOD GC Haynes' staff.
JARRETT