CODEL CARNAHAN MEETING WITH CHINESE IPU DELEGATION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 000899

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/RSA Moody

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL SENV CH ET SU
SUBJECT: CODEL CARNAHAN MEETING WITH CHINESE IPU DELEGATION

SUMMARY
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1. (SBU) On April 7, CODEL Carnahan met the Chinese delegation from
the National People's Congress (NPC) on the margins of the
Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly, held in Addis Ababa. The
two delegations emphasized the importance of the bilateral
relationship and discussed opportunities for cooperation on climate
change and on conflict in Sudan. End Summary.


2. (SBU) On April 7, Representatives Russ Carnahan, Mazie Hirono,
Jim McDermott and Diane Watson met with Zha Peixin, Vice Chairman of
the NPC Foreign Affairs Committee and Wang Chaoqun, newly promoted
Chair of the NPC's Environment and Natural Resources Committee, on
the margins of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly, held at
the United Nations Convention Center in Addis Ababa. Staff from
both delegations were also present. Zha, who worked in the PRC
liaison office in Washington, DC in the 1970s, speaks English
fluently but used a PRC interpreter in deference to his delegation.

"Most Important Bilateral Relationship"
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3. (SBU) Representative Carnahan noted that early and high level
meetings between the United States and China showed the importance
of the bilateral relationship. He noted that he had met with the
Chairman of the NPC Foreign Affairs Committee in 2008 and that a
Chinese trade delegation had visited Missouri to discuss a mutually
beneficial air hub. Zha offered that the change in U.S.
administrations has ushered in a "new chapter of China-U.S.
relations" and added that President Hu Jintao had a "productive"
meeting with President Obama on the margins of the G-20 summit.
"Both sides want to work for a positive, cooperative and
comprehensive relationship," Zha said, highlighting such mechanisms
for bilateral cooperation as the Strategic Dialogue and the
Strategic Economic Dialogue. Zha added that "Both sides [at the
G-20] also reiterated that this is the most important bilateral
relationship in the world, with more and more common interests. We
have great potential for cooperation in tackling the global
financial crisis, energy security and climate change, and we are
making great strides in improving relations for the benefit of both
our people." Reiterating that the U.S.-China relationship is "the
most important bilateral relationship in the twenty-first century,
Zha said China "stands ready to push it to a new level."


4. (SBU) Zha welcomed the U.S. observer delegation back to the IPU
after a ten year absence. Zha said that the U.S. Congress and the
NPC have enjoyed positive relations recently and that there are a
number of exchange mechanisms between the two legislatures.
"Through regular contacts we can improve pragmatic cooperation and
make fresh contributions to our bilateral relations," Zha said,
adding that the NPC is also prepared to have regular contacts on the
sidelines of major international conferences and other international
parliamentary exchanges.

China Ready to Cooperate on Sudan
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5. (SBU) Representative Watson highlighted China's role in East
Asian regional security and in global development, and raised a
question about small arms trade in East Africa. Representative
Watson added that solutions to problems in developing countries must
be diplomatic, not military. In response, Zha agreed that
developing countries need diplomatic solutions to their problems and
said China's arms exports are small in comparison with those of the
United States and that China has been "highly responsible" in this
area, consistent, Zha added, with China's policy not to interfere in
the internal affairs of other countries. Turning to Darfur, Zha
said that China follows the humanitarian situation closely "in that
part of the world," and that the best way forward is continued
tripartite consultations between the United Nations, the African
Union (AU) and Sudanese authorities, and to promote domestic
reconciliation. Noting China has sent peacekeepers to Darfur, Zha
said China is willing to see the hybrid peacekeeping force further
strengthened. Some progress has been made on Darfur, and the AU and
"Arab countries" can help. China remains ready to strengthen
cooperation with the U.S. in this area, Zha said.


6. (SBU) Representative Hirono cited President Obama's pledge to
reduce greenhouse gases and asked about China's progress in carbon
capture technology. In response, Wang noted that he was
newly-appointed, but said that China believes there has been a
policy shift in the U.S. on climate change. China's stance, Wang
said, is to work within existing United Nations frameworks and the
Kyoto Protocol, address climate change through a "common but
differentiated principle," discuss carbon production in "per capita"

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terms, and take a historical perspective on carbon production.
"Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said China cannot commit itself to
specific emissions targets," Wang said, "because developing
countries took decades to develop. However, China stands ready to
work with others on new approaches." Wang said China relies
primarily on reforestation for carbon capture and has produced the
largest "artificial greenery" in the world. In the 1990s, China's
forest cover had dropped to twelve percent, but has subsequently
risen to eighteen percent and the government plans to boost that
total by an additional two percent as part of its eleventh five-year
plan. China is also diversifying its electric supply thanks to
projects such as the Three Gorges Dam, Wang said. Wang added that,
although China is still "coal dependent," the country is interested
in clean-coal technology.


7. (SBU) Zha added that China is top in aggregate pollution but
produces one third less pollution per capita than more developed
nations. "China is still a developing country," Zha said, "but
takes seriously conservation measures." China plans to reduce per
capita pollution by twenty percent over the next five years and ten
percent overall, Zha noted.


8. (SBU) CODEL Carnahan has cleared this cable.

YAMAMOTO