NOVEMBER 25 MFA PRESS BRIEFING: SED, SIX-PARTY TALKS,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 004329 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON EFIN TW CH RS PE SUBJECT: NOVEMBER 25 MFA PRESS BRIEFING: SED, SIX-PARTY TALKS, TIBET, PRC MILITARY BUILDUP, TOY SAFETY, U.S. ECONOMIC STIMULUS ¶1. Key points at the November 25 MFA press briefing: -- China will host the U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) December 4-5 and hopes the meeting will lay the "building blocks for enduring cooperation." -- China has proposed to host the next round of Six-Party Talks on December 8 and is consulting with the other parties on this issue. China is working to make "good preparations to implement the second phase" of the North Korean nuclear disablement process in a "comprehensive and balanced way." -- On Tibet, the MFA spokesperson refused to respond in detail to a question on the recent Dharamsala meeting of Tibetan exiles and whether China plans to continue talks with the Dalai Lama's representatives, merely stating, "We have talked about this issue many times in the past." On French President Sarkozy's upcoming meeting with the Dalai Lama, the spokesperson said Beijing expects every country to respect that Tibet is a part of China and hopes that the PRC and France can "overcome all distractions and maintain overall bilateral relations." -- China's military policy is "defensive in nature," and China "unswervingly pursues peaceful development." -- Chinese authorities have "strengthened inspections" of toys, "especially those for export." If any problems are discovered, China will "not allow the products to be exported." -- China "hopes the United States will maintain a stable economy," which will be good for China and the entire world. China looks forward to "strong communication, cooperation and coordination" with the United States in this regard. STRATEGIC ECONOMIC DIALOGUE -------------- ¶2. At the November 25 MFA press briefing, spokesperson Qin Gang said China will host the U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) December 4-5. Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan and U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson will lead the dialogue, accompanied by other senior representatives from their respective governments. China hopes the SED will lay "building blocks for enduring cooperation" and "strategically manage economic risk" to cope with "traditional challenges and promote an environment for trade and cooperation." SIX-PARTY TALKS -------------- ¶3. Qin said China has proposed to host the next round of Six-Party Talks on December 8 and that it is maintaining communication and consultation with the other parties on this issue. China is working to make "good preparations to implement the second phase" of the North Korean nuclear disablement process in a "comprehensive and balanced way." When asked later for clarification on whether the December 8 date was fixed, Qin said China was still waiting for replies and feedback from the other Six-Party members and would finalize plans according to their "opinions." Qin said how long the talks last would depend on discussions among the Six-Party members. TIBET -------------- ¶4. Qin refused to respond in detail to a question on the recent Dharamsala meeting of Tibetan exiles and whether China plans to continue talks with the Dalai Lama's representatives, merely stating, "We have talked about this issue many times in the past." When asked about France hosting the China-EU dialogue, as well as French President Nicholas Sarkozy's planned meeting with the Dalai Lama on December 6, Qin said the Chinese Government attaches "great importance to the EU-China relationship" and wants to "expand cooperative relations at all levels to ensure win-win progress." The Chinese Government position on the Dalai Lama issue is "clear and consistent," Qin stated. China "opposes the Dalai Lama's separatist activities overseas" and "opposes leaders of other countries participating in meetings with him in any way." China expects every country to commit to respecting that Tibet is a part of China. Qin added that "Tibet-related issues are an internal Chinese affair," and he hoped China and France can "overcome all distractions and maintain overall bilateral relations." CHINESE MILITARY BUILDUP -------------- ¶5. When asked about comments reportedly made by U.S. Navy Admiral John J. Donnelly in Australia stating that the United States is moving 60 percent of its submarine fleet to the region to counter China's buildup of its submarine fleet, Qin replied that China "unswervingly pursues peaceful development" and China's military BEIJING 00004329 002 OF 002 policy is "defensive in nature." China "advocates the new concept of security" by building dialogue and working with other nations. China's defense buildup does not "pose a threat to any other country," Qin declared. CHINESE TOY SAFETY -------------- ¶6. When questioned about the safety of Chinese-made toys ahead of the Christmas shopping season, Qin responded that China "takes product safety very seriously" and is a "big toy producer" whose exports "bring happiness to children and adults" around the world. The Chinese Government requires toy producers to "pay attention to quality" and "strengthen management and supervision." Chinese authorities have "strengthened inspections" of toys "especially those for export," and if any problems are discovered, China will "not allow the products to be exported." ¶7. Qin acknowledged "several incidents" in recent years, stating that the Chinese Government took a "serious and objective" view of them. Some Chinese products were made "according to the design of foreign clients" and there were sometimes "problems with the design by the foreign side." The Chinese Government "urged" Chinese producers not only to focus on production, but also to "pay attention to" design. If they "found problems" with the design "they should refuse" the order. Qin said Christmas was not far away and wished Children around the world a "Merry Christmas." U.S. ECONOMIC STIMULUS -------------- ¶8. The Chinese government has "taken note" of some of U.S. President-elect Obama's appointments to cabinet and advisor positions, Qin said, commenting that China is ready to work with them to "strengthen cooperation" and "promote U.S.-China collaboration in a wide range of fields." Asked about the U.S. President-elect's plan for an economic stimulus package, Qin said China believes all countries should "take measures in accordance with their national conditions to restore confidence and ensure economic growth." The United States, as the "largest economy," will have the "greatest impact" on other nations around the world. China "hopes the United States will maintain a stable economy," which will be good for China and the rest of the world. China looks forward to "strong communication, cooperation and coordination" with the United States in this regard. UNITED NATIONS TORTURE REPORT -------------- ¶9. Qin repeated his November 22 comments in response to a question about the United Nations Committee Against Torture, reiterating that the report "was not objective, fair or just." The report was made by "biased committee members" who "chose to ignore the substantial progress the Chinese Government has made in recent years." Qin said the report was also based on "untrue and unverified information." The "report made groundless accusations against China," alleging that China "persecutes" Tibetans and Uighurs and that the PRC "overused armed forces in the March 14 incident and persecuted the Dalai Lama." Qin said all of these charges were "totally fabricated and groundless." CHINESE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SECURITY OVERSEAS TRIP -------------- -------------- ¶10. Chinese Minister of Public Security Meng Jianzhu will visit Cambodia and Vietnam November 28-December 6 at the invitation of Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sar Kheng and Vietnamese Minister of Public Security Le Hong Anh. "CHINESE DEMOCRACY" -------------- ¶11. When asked about the release of the "Guns N' Roses" album "Chinese Democracy," Qin said that according to his understanding, many people do not like this music as it is "too loud." MFA HUTONG REMODELING -------------- ¶12. In response to a question about the planned demolition of an MFA-owned Qing dynasty hutong in Beijing's Nanluoguxiang neighborhood, Qin said the Chinese Government would proceed with a plan to "renovate" the hutong neighborhood so as to "strengthen [its] management." The MFA has decided to "renovate and open" the hutong to the public. Qin said the MFA was doing a "good job" to move the people living in the hutong and to "venerate" the relics in accordance with the standards for protection of Beijing cultural relics.