DEMARCHE REQUEST: CHINESE LAUNCH OF VENEZUELAN

UNCLAS STATE 114820


SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL TSPA KSCA CH

SUBJECT: DEMARCHE REQUEST: CHINESE LAUNCH OF VENEZUELAN
SATELLITE


1. (U) This is an action message, please see paragraph 6
below.


2. (SBU) Venezuela is planning to operate a satellite that
may create significant interference problems for two
U.S.-licensed satellite operators, SES Americom and Intelsat.
The satellite, known both as Venesat-1 and Simon Bolivar,
was built by China under contract from Venezuela. Department
understands that China is planning to launch the satellite
around November 1, 2008.


3. (SBU) Under an arrangement with Venezuela, Uruguay has
agreed to let the Venesat-1/Simon Bolivar satellite occupy a
geostationary orbital slot for which Uruguay is the
"Notifying Administration" at the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU). The ITU administers treaty
procedures for nations to use to prevent unacceptable
interference between their respective satellite systems. As
the Notifying Administration, Uruguay is legally responsible
for both the paperwork and the proper operation of the
Venesat-1/Simon Bolivar satellite. Venezuela did not have a
suitable filing/orbital slot of its own to use and has made
the arrangement noted above with Uruguay.


4. (U) The ITU procedures require that countries planning
to begin communications satellite operations &coordinate8
in advance with other countries whose operations are already
established and formally recorded in the Master Register of
the ITU. Therefore, Uruguay, on behalf of itself and
Venezuela, must resolve all interference concerns with the
U.S.-licensed operators before Venesat-1/Simon Bolivar can
receive international recognition for its operations to
begin.


5. (SBU) The necessary coordination work has been going on
for some time; however, Venezuela recently informed the
U.S.-licensed operators of a modification that Venezuela
asked China to make on the satellite to allow a "C-band" beam
to extend beyond the northern areas of South America to
include Cuba. Introducing this modification creates a
technical interference likelihood for the U.S.-licensed
satellite operators. The U.S.-licensed operators and USG
were only informed of the modification this summer after the
satellite was assembled and being readied for its scheduled
November 1 launch. The likely most effective remedy for the
problem would be to delay the satellite launch so that the
late modification can be reversed. But the expense and delay
involved may make this an unattractive option for Venezuela
and China, and Venezuela appears interested in resolving the
problem after launch. Waiting until after launch will
preclude reversal of the offending modification and require
alternative measures that may weaken the satellite's overall
utility. We are not, however, requesting the Chinese stop
the launch.


6. (SBU) Post is requested to inform relevant authorities in
the Chinese government of our concerns and may draw as
appropriate on the
following points.

-The United States understands that China is making final
preparations for the launch of a Chinese-manufactured
satellite, Venesat-1/Simon Bolivar, on behalf of the
governments of Venezuela and Uruguay.

-As you may be aware, there are two U.S.-licensed
companies that have satellites near the orbital location
planned for Venesat-1/Simon Bolivar. Those satellites
have been in operation for years, and their orbital
locations and frequency assignments are fully recorded in
the Master Register of the International Telecommunication
Union (ITU),conferring full international recognition and
protection for their operation. These satellites, and
their internationally recognized orbital location and
frequency assignments, face a threat of unacceptable
levels of electrical interference from Venesat-1/Simon
Bolivar because of recent changes made to the antenna
characteristics of that satellite.

-The ITU's Radio Regulations, a treaty to which the
governments of China, Venezuela, Uruguay, and the United
States are signatories, requires that the interference
issues be resolved between the ITU &Notifying
Administrations8 (Uruguay and the United States in this
instance) before the orbital location and frequency
assignments of the Venesat-1/Simon Bolivar are recorded by
the ITU in the Master Register and the satellite can begin
operation.

-The United States is actively engaged with Venezuela and
Uruguay to find a technical solution to the interference
problem. We note that some possible solutions may require
physical modification to the Venesat-1/Simon Bolivar
satellite, which cannot be done after launch. While other
solutions are possible, they may require significant
constraints on the future operation of the satellite which
might be avoided with a physical modification made before
launch.

-The United States is concerned that, absent a technical
solution prior to launch, the satellite will either cause
unacceptable interference to U.S.-licensed networks already
recognized in the ITU Master Register, or that the operations
of the Venesat-1/Simon Bolivar will have to be so handicapped
that its utility will be significantly diminished for its
users. Obviously neither your government nor China Great
Wall Industry Corporation would want to have facilitated such
adverse outcomes.

-We are speaking directly with the governments of Venezuela
and Uruguay to try to reach a conclusion acceptable to all.
We urge that you similarly engage with the Venezuelans with
the goal of encouraging them to get to acceptable conclusion.



7. (U) Washington appreciates Post's assistance in
delivering these points.
RICE


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