Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08OTTAWA39
2008-01-09 13:03:00
SECRET
Embassy Ottawa
Cable title:
CANADIAN SUPPORT ON ANTI-SATELLITE TEST DEMARCHE
how-toVZCZCXRO7792 OO RUEHGA RUEHHA RUEHQU RUEHVC DE RUEHOT #0039 0091303 ZNY SSSSS ZZH O 091303Z JAN 08 FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7121 INFO RUCNCAN/ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING IMMEDIATE 2235 RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN IMMEDIATE 1095 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA IMMEDIATE 1331 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE 0906 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS IMMEDIATE 0982 RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME IMMEDIATE 1356 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL IMMEDIATE 1509 RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV IMMEDIATE 1457 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO IMMEDIATE 3338 RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS IMMEDIATE 0616 RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
S E C R E T OTTAWA 000039
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/08/2018
TAGS: PREL PARM MNUC MARR CH CA
SUBJECT: CANADIAN SUPPORT ON ANTI-SATELLITE TEST DEMARCHE
REF: STATE 1265
Classified By: PolMinCouns Scott Bellard, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
S E C R E T OTTAWA 000039
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/08/2018
TAGS: PREL PARM MNUC MARR CH CA
SUBJECT: CANADIAN SUPPORT ON ANTI-SATELLITE TEST DEMARCHE
REF: STATE 1265
Classified By: PolMinCouns Scott Bellard, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (S) In response to reftel demarche by PolMinCouns on
January 8, Director General for East Asia Gordon Houlden of
the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
confirmed that Canada had raised the January 2007
anti-satellite test numerous times with the Chinese, both in
Beijing and Ottawa, and would do so again now. Andrew Shore,
Deputy Director of DFAIT's Non-Proliferation and Disarmament
Division, noted that Canadian delegations had also raised the
issue with their Chinese counterparts at the Conference on
Disarmament and at the Committee for the Peaceful Use of
Outer Space. Both said that at no time had the Chinese ever
offered any substantive response. Houlden noted that
Canadian-Chinese relations continued to be at a low point in
the wake of Prime Minister Harper's and Parliament's warm
reception of the Dalai Lama in fall 2007, and the subsequent
total shut-out of official meetings in Beijing for visiting
Deputy Foreign Minister Len Edwards.
2. (S) According to DG Houlden, the Canadian assessment is
that the Chinese Foreign Ministry had been out of the loop
prior to the test, and the Chinese military may indeed not
fully vetted the issue with the senior PRC leadership, or had
perhaps "buried" the proposal in a mass of other documents
rather than pushing for a formal policy decision. Both
Houlden and Shore commented that Chinese diplomats seemed
quite aware of the harm to China's international image, and
had tried to maintain that Chinese policy remain "unchanged"
and that China would "never pursue an arms race in outer
space." Houlden added that Beijing appears to have heard
the international community on this issue and has refrained
from further tests, and predicted that China would not do
anything provocative in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics.
Shore noted that the Chinese military may also feel it has
already proved the technology works and may no longer feel a
need for further tests, at least for the time being.
Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at
http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada
BREESE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/08/2018
TAGS: PREL PARM MNUC MARR CH CA
SUBJECT: CANADIAN SUPPORT ON ANTI-SATELLITE TEST DEMARCHE
REF: STATE 1265
Classified By: PolMinCouns Scott Bellard, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (S) In response to reftel demarche by PolMinCouns on
January 8, Director General for East Asia Gordon Houlden of
the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
confirmed that Canada had raised the January 2007
anti-satellite test numerous times with the Chinese, both in
Beijing and Ottawa, and would do so again now. Andrew Shore,
Deputy Director of DFAIT's Non-Proliferation and Disarmament
Division, noted that Canadian delegations had also raised the
issue with their Chinese counterparts at the Conference on
Disarmament and at the Committee for the Peaceful Use of
Outer Space. Both said that at no time had the Chinese ever
offered any substantive response. Houlden noted that
Canadian-Chinese relations continued to be at a low point in
the wake of Prime Minister Harper's and Parliament's warm
reception of the Dalai Lama in fall 2007, and the subsequent
total shut-out of official meetings in Beijing for visiting
Deputy Foreign Minister Len Edwards.
2. (S) According to DG Houlden, the Canadian assessment is
that the Chinese Foreign Ministry had been out of the loop
prior to the test, and the Chinese military may indeed not
fully vetted the issue with the senior PRC leadership, or had
perhaps "buried" the proposal in a mass of other documents
rather than pushing for a formal policy decision. Both
Houlden and Shore commented that Chinese diplomats seemed
quite aware of the harm to China's international image, and
had tried to maintain that Chinese policy remain "unchanged"
and that China would "never pursue an arms race in outer
space." Houlden added that Beijing appears to have heard
the international community on this issue and has refrained
from further tests, and predicted that China would not do
anything provocative in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics.
Shore noted that the Chinese military may also feel it has
already proved the technology works and may no longer feel a
need for further tests, at least for the time being.
Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at
http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada
BREESE