CHINA URGED TO SUPPORT FRENCH UNSC RESOLUTION ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 001799 SIPDIS DEPT FOR IO/UNP-PAUL WICKBERG AND EAP/MLS-AARON COPE USUN FOR JEFF RENEAU E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2033 TAGS: PREL PHUM UNSC CH BM SUBJECT: CHINA URGED TO SUPPORT FRENCH UNSC RESOLUTION ON BURMA REF: STATE 49813 Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Aubrey Carlson. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Visiting EAP Deputy Assistant Secretary Thomas Christensen urged China on May 10 to support a draft resolution prepared by France calling on Burma to remove obstacles preventing the delivery of humanitarian assistance. MFA North American and Oceanian Affairs Department Director General Zheng Zeguang said the PRC had not seen the draft resolution. He said that in general the United States should avoid politicization of the disaster and "avoid rhetoric" that might cause the Burmese Government to suspect ulterior political motives in the U.S. offer of assistance. DAS Christensen stressed that American offers of aid are sincere and are not politically motivated. Separately, an MFA International Organizations Department official told PolOff that China does not even support discussing the issue of humanitarian assistance in the Security Council, much less a draft resolution. End Summary. ¶2. (C) In a discussion with MFA North American and Oceanian Affairs Department Director General Zheng Zeguang on May 10, EAP Deputy Assistant Secretary Thomas Christensen urged China to support a draft resolution prepared by France describing the humanitarian situation in Burma and calling on the regime to remove obstacles to the delivery of assistance. DAS Christensen stressed that it is not enough for Burma to accept aid, it must also urgently allow skilled disaster personnel to conduct relief operations. Numerous nations, including the United States and China, have offered generous support, yet U.S. Disaster Assistance Relief Teams have been denied visas, he told Zheng. ¶3. (C) Describing conditions in Burma as "tragic," Zheng said Rangoon has begun welcoming assistance "from around the world." This process has been "understandably slow," because senior leaders are in the field overseeing relief efforts. Burma is the PRC's number one priority right now. Beijing has conveyed U.S. offers of assistance to Burma twice, most recently following Secretary Rice's telephone conversation with FM Yang Jiechi when Executive Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Burma's Ambassador in Beijing. China is prepared to send assistance to Burma, including a medical team. As a neighbor, China wants to help and hopes its assistance can reach the disaster area as quickly as possible, Zheng said. ¶4. (C) Zheng said that to his knowledge, the PRC has not yet seen the French draft resolution, so he could not comment on how Beijing would react to it. Zheng told DAS Christensen that, "speaking as a friend," he hopes the United States can avoid politicizing the disaster. Congressional action and statements by prominent figures complicates the situation. If the United States "can avoid rhetoric" that Rangoon might view as masking a "political agenda," the U.S. offer of assistance will be better received. DAS Christensen said the United States is sincere about its offer of humanitarian assistance and urged China to convey this message to Burma. U.S. views about the regime and the political process there reflect serious U.S. concerns. That said, the United States is currently focused on the humanitarian disaster. He explained that the French draft resolution recognizes the severity of conditions in Burma and calls on Rangoon to accept aid and disaster experts. If China decides it cannot support the French resolution, the United States hopes China will not oppose it. ¶5. (C) Separately, PolOff relayed reftel points and the draft UNSCR text to MFA International Organizations and Conferences Department UN Division Deputy Director Sun Xiaobo May 10. Sun responded that while China shares the international community's concern and desire to help address the current humanitarian crisis, it needs to be done on the basis of respect for the Government of Burma without politicization of the current situation. The involvement of the Security Council would directly politicize the issue, he said. As such, China does not believe it appropriate for the Security Council to take up the issue and does not support the French draft resolution. When asked if China would consider abstaining from a vote, Sun said that he was not in a position to say, but noted that "the starting point" of our discussion was incorrect. "We are not in support of the Security Council having a meeting to discuss this topic, much less adopting a resolution in this regard," he said. RANDT