ABKHAZIA AND OSSETIA: CHINA WILL NEITHER RECOGNIZE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 003318 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2028 TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR GG RU CH SUBJECT: ABKHAZIA AND OSSETIA: CHINA WILL NEITHER RECOGNIZE NOR PUBLICLY REJECT RUSSIA'S RECOGNITION REF: STATE 91894 Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Aubrey Carlson for reasons 1.4 (B/D). SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) China will not recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, but will not publicly reject Russia's recognition of the two breakaway regions, a Chinese MFA official indicated August 27. China will continue to urge Russia, including in private discussions at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Dushanbe this week, to resolve the conflict with Georgia via negotiation and consultation. China supports a UN Security Council role in mediating the conflict but opposes "confrontation or friction" with the parties. End Summary. No Recognition, No Public Rejection -------------- ¶2. (C) PolOff, together with UK and French Embassy PolOffs, on August 27 delivered to MFA International Organizations and Conferences Department UN Division Acting Director Sun Xiaobo reftel points calling on China to reject publicly Russia's recognition of the independence of the breakaway Georgian provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. (Note: The MFA canceled a scheduled meeting at which PolMinCouns and UK counterpart were to deliver reftel points.) Sun said that China has consistently advocated that the major parties to the conflict in Georgia resolve their differences through dialogue and consultation. China has noted the Russian move to recognize the breakaway regions, but is still "calculating" its response and has taken no formal position. "Speaking personally," Sun said it would be "very unlikely" that China would recognize the two regions, but China would also be "very prudent" about publicly rejecting the Russian move. China's goal, he said, is to bring this difficult issue to a "soft landing" and it would take any actions with that goal in mind. Chinese Approaches to Russia -------------- ¶3. (C) Sun said China has approached Russian officials, including at senior levels, to urge that Russia "not escalate" the conflict with Georgia and instead rely on dialogue and consultation. China's delegation would discuss this with Russia in Dushanbe at the SCO summit, which President Hu and FM Yang are attending. Sun, however, had no information on how the Georgia conflict would be treated in official SCO outcome documents. UNSC Role and UNOMIG Renewal -------------- ¶4. (C) Sun said China continues to support a UN Security Council (UNSC) role in resolving the conflict and appreciates the work of the French Government on mediation. However, China opposes any "confrontation or friction" with parties to the conflict. Sun acknowledged that MFA officials are not looking forward to UNSC discussion of the extension of the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) mandate in mid-October, when China holds the UNSC Presidency. Though China has supported UNOMIG's work in the past, the issue will be very difficult, and it is no longer clear that Abkhazia agrees to the presence of UN observers. "It will be a headache," concluded Sun. RANDT