BURMA: SYG SAYS CHINA NOW WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 001047 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2017 TAGS: PREL UNSC PHUM BM SUBJECT: BURMA: SYG SAYS CHINA NOW WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORTS BURMESE REGIME Classified By: Ambassador Zalmay M. Khalilzad, per 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) During a November 19 meeting with Amb Khalilzad (other issues covered septel),SYG Ban Ki-Moon professed uncertainty about his Special Advisor Ibrahim Gambari's participation in the East Asian and ASEAN Summits. Ban reported that although the Singaporean Foreign Minister had initially asked that Gambari attend these meetings, supposedly with Burmese concurrence, Burma subsequently asked China to block Gambari's participation. Chinese PR Wang therefore called the SYG during his visit to Spain to urge that Gambari not attend the meetings, and while doing so, complained that the SYG only listens to one member of the P-5 -- the U.S. -- and not to other members. Despite the Chinese intervention, Ban said he decided to send Gambari to the summits anyway, on the basis that his presence had been requested by Singapore. In the end, the SYG noted that it did not appear that Gambari would be allowed to speak at the ASEAN meeting, a situation with which the SYG said he was not happy. However, Gambari will still be present and will be able to conduct his own side meetings. Based on this exchange, the SYG concluded that China has decided to defend Burma wholeheartedly. Khalilzad