UNITED STATES AND UK JOINTLY DEMARCHE CHINA ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 001290 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/07/2028 TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR UNSC KPKO SU CH SUBJECT: UNITED STATES AND UK JOINTLY DEMARCHE CHINA ON UNAMID REF: CARTIN-THORNBURG 4/4/2008 E-MAIL Classified By: Political Officer Ted Lyng. Reasons 1.4 (b/d). ¶1. (C) Summary: The Chinese MFA says deploying new helicopters to Darfur is not a priority while China focuses on deploying the remainder of its engineering contingent. The remainder of the Chinese engineering force should deploy in early April. MFA made no immediate response to PolOff's request that China provide APCs to Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs). China is open to the idea of a chief negotiator for Darfur, but such a new position should enhance rather than replace the existing UN and African Union (AU) special envoys for Darfur. End Summary ¶2. (C) POLOFF and UK First Secretary Gareth Ward on April 7 jointly delivered to MFA International Organizations and Conferences Department UN Division Deputy Director Sun Xiaobo a demarche on Sudan and speeding UNAMID's deployment. U.S. talking points were drawn from ref. Remaining Engineers to Deploy in April -------------- ¶3. (C) The remainder of the Chinese engineering force will deploy to Darfur in early April, Sun said. While Sun did not have official confirmation or a precise date of deployment, he said MFA understands that "all the equipment is in place" to allow the engineers to deploy early this month, which will in turn be conducive for the deployment of other peacekeepers. ¶4. (C) Regarding outstanding delays to the overall deployment of peacekeepers, Sun said progress has been made, and that several obstacles, such as night flight clearance, have been cleared. He noted that lines of communication between the UN Secretariat and the Government of Sudan are open and that SIPDIS dialogue will ultimately result in solutions. He noted that it is important to determine what is delaying deployment of peacekeepers so as to work through the problems, rather than using "pressure and accusations." Helicopters: Not a Priority -------------- ¶5. (C) The provision of helicopters is a critical element of the success of the deployment of peacekeepers, UK POLOFF said. He noted that the Chinese MI-8 helicopter is an appropriate model for use in Darfur. Because some Chinese pilots may lack the basic English proficiency required for deployment, the UK offers to provide English training. Sun responded that the Chinese military has made deploying the remaining engineers the priority and is not now focusing on providing helicopters. However, "the option (i.e. of deploying helicopters) is still open," he said, though Sun did not respond to the offer of English teachers. POLOFF requested that the Chinese also consider providing Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) directly to African Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs). Sun did not respond, but MFA later called to inquire how many APCs the United States is requesting on behalf of the TCCs. Political Process Also Important -------------- ¶6. (C) Sun repeated past Chinese statements that the political process is as important as the deployment of peacekeepers. He noted the importance of participation from all rebel groups in the political process. China supports the idea of a chief negotiator for the Darfur region, but such a new position must facilitate dialogue but not try to replace the existing two UN and AU special envoys for Darfur. Rather, the role of the chief negotiator would be to "enhance" the efficacy of the two existing special envoys. RANDT