BEIJING-BASED G-5 CHIEFS OF MISSION ON HIGH-LEVEL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 001064 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2029 TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KIRF EFIN ECON CH FR JA GM UK SUBJECT: BEIJING-BASED G-5 CHIEFS OF MISSION ON HIGH-LEVEL VISITORS AND EXCHANGES Classified By: Acting DCM William Weinstein. Reasons 1.4 (b/d). Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) At the regular meeting of G-5 Ambassadors in Beijing April 17, German Ambassador Michael Schaefer told the group that a Bundestag delegation had been able to hold a dinner meeting with Charter '08 writers and signers after the German Embassy informed the MFA and asked the Chinese government not to interfere. The same delegation was scheduled to visit Tibet and Xinjiang. French Ambassador Herve Ladsous reported that multiple high-level French government visitors would come to China in the coming weeks, including Economy Minister Christine LaGarde and Speaker of the French National Assembly Bernard Accoyer. During his visit to Japan, Chinese MFA DG for International Organizations and Conferences Wu Hailong stated for the first time that the Chinese government had an obligation to provide its citizens not only food and clothing, but also a clean environment. Upcoming British high-level visitors included the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband, who was scheduled to meet with Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming. A Vice-Admiral attended the PLA Navy's 60th Anniversary celebration and fleet review in place of British First Sea Lord Sir Jonathan Band. Upcoming exchanges between China and Germany included rule of law training in Shenzhen, environmental policy planning with entrepreneurs, and a visit of youth leader and Bundestag member Philipp Missfelder at the invitation of the Communist Party of China. End Summary. Participants -------------- ¶2. (C) German Ambassador Dr. Michael Schaefer hosted Japanese DCM Kunio Umeda, French Ambassador Herve Ladsous, UK Ambassador William Ehrman and Acting DCM William Weinstein April 17 for the regular gathering of Beijing-based G-5 Chiefs of Mission. Upcoming French Visitors -------------- ¶3. (C) China would host a series of high-level French visitors in the coming weeks, including Minister of Economy, Industry and Employment Christine LaGarde for the April 23 inaugural flight of an Airbus assembled at a joint venture plant in Tianjin, and Speaker of the National Assembly Bernard Accoyer April 19-26 for a visit to French-produced third-generation EPR nuclear power plants near Shenzhen, 
French Ambassador Ladsous reported. The Speaker of the National Assembly is the third ranking official in the French government, and Accoyer's visit would be the first of a person of his rank to visit China since 1982. Former French President Jacques Chirac may visit in early August, to meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, as well as former Chinese President Jiang Zemin in Hangzhou. French Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Pierre Lellouche would visit the week of April 20-24 to meet with PRC Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei. Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming was considering another "buying mission" to France, Ladsous said, largely to make up for France's exclusion from the last Chinese buying mission to Europe. British High-Level Visitors -------------- ¶4. (C) UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband would visit China in the near future to meet with Commerce Minister Chen Deming. Vice Premier Wang Qishan would visit London May 11 for the China-UK Economic and Financial dialogue, and would meet with Gordon Brown. State Councilor Dai Bingguo would visit the UK in June, and will be accompanied by Chinese Ambassadors to major European nations. British First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Jonathan Band did not visit China for the 60th Anniversary of the founding of the PLA Navy in Qingdao April 20-23, but a Vice-Admiral attended in his place. Japan: Boundaries, Visitors, Environment -------------- ¶5. (C) The Chinese passed a Note Verbale to the Embassy of Japan declaring the establishment of a Department of Boundary and Maritime Affairs within the Foreign Ministry, partly as a BEIJING 00001064 002 OF 002 result of an inter-agency meeting at the end of March on safeguarding Chinese national interests in Indonesia and the South China Sea, Japanese DCM Umeda said. (Note: we also received the formal notification of the establishment of the new Department on Friday, April 17.) Currently in Tokyo for meetings, Chinese MFA Director General for International Organizations and Conferences Wu Hailong emphasized climate change, energy savings and sustainable growth, noting for the first time that China's major focus is providing its citizens not just with food and clothing, but also with a clean environment. Business leaders from Kansai would visit China to meet with Vice Premier Wang Qishan in the coming weeks. Former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda attended the Bo'ao Forum for Asia, where he met with Premier Wen Jiabao. Prime Minister Taro Aso planned to come to China April 29-30 for his first official visit. Japan would hold its second high-level economic dialogue with China in the near future, and four to five Chinese Ministers were expected to participate. Germany: Upcoming Exchanges -------------- ¶6. (C) Members of the German Bundestag were visiting China and planned to go to Tibet and Xinjiang for a two to three day visit. German Ambassador Michael Schaeffer held a dinner for the visiting Bundestag members with writers and signers of the Charter '08 document. Ambassador Schaeffer said the he informed the MFA in advance in writing asking Chinese officials not to interfere, and all invited members were thus able to attend. The Communist Party of China had invited Philipp Missfelder, a young, up-and-coming and "somewhat rebellious" youth leader and Bundestag member to visit China, Schaeffer said. The German Ministry of Justice would be doing rule of law work related to social rights in Shenzhen in the near future. The German Ministry for Environment would hold a meeting in Shenzhen for 25 entrepreneurs from both China and Germany to discuss eco-industrial policy before continuing on to Liaoning Province for a dialogue on reform. German Minister for Economics and Technology Karl-Theodore zu Guttenberg would visit China July 7-10 for his first trip outside of Germany. PICCUTA