May 27 MFA Press Briefing: Upcoming South Korean President

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 002030 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM EAID KS KN CH SUBJECT: May 27 MFA Press Briefing: Upcoming South Korean President Visit, Six-Party Talks, Human Rights, Sichuan Earthquake Aid ¶1. Key points at the May 27 MFA Press Briefing: -- South Korean President Lee arrives in China for a state visit May 27 and both countries aspire to bring their relationship to a "new level." -- VFM Wu Dawei will meet chief Six-Party Talks negotiators this week and China hopes "other relevant parties" can have "effective communications" at the bilateral level. -- China has made "great progress" on human rights and relief efforts after the Sichuan earthquake demonstrated that the Chinese Government puts its people first. -- During the U.S.-China Human Rights Dialogue China reiterated its position that disputes should be settled in a constructive manner with no double standards. -- Earthquake relief pledges currently total 1.9 billion RMB (USD 275 million); foreign rescue teams have all left and China expresses its "sincere thanks." South Korean President in China on State Visit -------------- - ¶2. At the May 27 regular MFA press briefing, MFA Spokesperson Qin Gang said ROK President Lee Myung-bak would arrive in China the same day for a state visit. China and South Korea are important partners and Chinese leaders look forward to deep and extensive discussion with Lee of major regional and international issues. Both countries aspire to bring their bilateral relationship to a new level. The U.S.-ROK military partnership is "left over from history" and we cannot approach today's security issues with an outdated mentality. Countries that share the same security interests should strengthen exchanges and build mutual trust to safeguard jointly regional security, Qin stated. China stands ready to work with South Korea and other nations in this regard. Six-Party Talks -------------- ¶3. Qin said VFM Wu Dawei will meet in Beijing the chief Six Party Talks negotiators from the United States, North Korea, South Korea and Japan, and exchange views on how to advance the Six-Party Talks. He said that China hopes "other relevant parties" can have "effective communications" at the bilateral level, so that the parties can implement the second phase of the Six Party process in a comprehensive and balanced way. Asked when the DPRK will deliver its nuclear declaration, Qin said China hopes that the Six-Party Talks will continue to make progress as quickly as possible. He noted that there have been recent "frequent exchanges" between the United States and North Korea. China believes this is "very good and conducive" and hopes the two sides will continue this momentum. China would like to play a constructive role in this regard, said Qin. With strengthened mutual trust in the region, parties involved can reach a consensus on the "framework" of a Northeast Asia security mechanism. Human Rights -------------- ¶4. With respect to criticism from the international community of China's human rights record, Qin said China had made "great progress," and that citizens' rights and interests are protected by law. The Sichuan earthquake demonstrated that the Chinese Government is putting its people first and sparing no efforts, he said. March disturbances in Lhasa were criminal acts of violence, including looting and arson, Qin stressed, and the Chinese Government will deal with the criminals responsible according to the law. Qin questioned what percentage of the "international community" these "biased-minded" countries actually represented. U.S.-China Human Rights Dialogue -------------- ¶5. Qin said that in the U.S.-China Human Rights Dialogue, led by Chinese MFA International Organizations Director General Wu Hailong and U.S. State Department Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor David J. Kramer, China reiterated its position that disputes should be settled in a constructive manner with no double standards in line with the principle of mutual respect. Wu reportedly told Kramer that he is fully confident of the human rights situation in China. Kramer reportedly said the United States stands ready to work with China to settle disputes in a constructive way, and that progress has been encouraging. Qin said that Kramer expressed sympathy and condolences regarding the Sichuan earthquake and spoke highly of China's performance in the disaster's aftermath, demonstrating the Chinese Government's respect for human rights. Kramer also met with Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Assistant Foreign BEIJING 00002030 002 OF 002 Minister Liu Jieyi and other officials during his visit, said Qin. Sichuan Earthquake Aid Efforts -------------- ¶6. So far, 155 governments and NGOs and "eight dozen" international organizations have donated to earthquake relief efforts. The value of aid pledges currently totals 1.9 billion RMB (USD 275 million), and the MFA has already received roughly one third of that amount. Fifty-four governments and civil organizations have also donated materials including over 210,000 tents. Foreign rescue teams have "all left for home" and China sends its "sincere thanks" for their help. PICCUTA