APRIL 28 MFA PRESS BRIEFING: UIGHUR DETAINEES, SWINE FLU,

UNCLAS BEIJING 001136 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PHUM CH JA FR MX SUBJECT: APRIL 28 MFA PRESS BRIEFING: UIGHUR DETAINEES, SWINE FLU, ASO VISIT ¶1. Key points at the April 28 MFA press briefing: -- The Uighur detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay are "members of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement" and "should be handed over to China." -- China takes the swine flu issue "seriously" and has "jump started" a program to respond to the threat. -- President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso during his upcoming visit and "exchange views on issues of common and respective interest." Uighur Detainees -------------- ¶2. The Uighur detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay are "members of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement" and "should be handed over to China," said MFA spokesperson Jiang Yu at the April 28 regularly-scheduled MFA press briefing. China will "handle them according to law" and opposes "any country accepting these suspects" into its territory. Pork Ban -------------- ¶3. China takes the swine flu issue "seriously" and has "jump started" a program to respond to the threat, said the spokesperson. A "multi-department mechanism" has been established to strengthen quarantine capabilities and monitor points of entry. China has also "enhanced cooperation with the World Health Organization to enhance the effectiveness" of its response. The disease has not entered China, but this eventuality "cannot be ruled out." On April 26 the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine and the Ministry of Agriculture jointly banned imports of pork from affected areas in the United States and Mexico, said Jiang. China hopes relevant countries "can be understanding" of the ban. Japan-China Ties and Nuclear Transparency -------------- ¶4. President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso during his upcoming visit and "exchange views on issues of common and respective interest," said Jiang. China-Japan relations are currently at a "critical stage" and China would like to establish a sound and stable basis for bilateral ties. Responding to statements made by Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone criticizing the transparency of China's nuclear arsenal, Jiang said that China's nuclear policy is "completely transparent." China also actively supports complete denuclearization, said Jiang. China-France Ties -------------- ¶5. President Hu Jintao met with Speaker of the French National Assembly Bernard Accoyer on April 24, said the spokesperson. Accoyer delivered a letter from French President Nicolas Sarkozy inviting Hu to visit France. China is willing to enhance communication and cooperation with France to deepen bilateral relations and combat the financial crisis. Chiang Mai Initiative -------------- ¶6. China attaches great importance to cooperation in the ASEAN plus three, said Jiang. Regarding the Chiang Mai Initiative to manage regional short-term liquidity problems, which will be discussed by the ASEAN plus 3 in an upcoming meeting of the Asia Development Bank in Bali, Jiang noted that all parties have "reached a consensus" and are working on implementation. China hopes that a consensus can be reached on foreign exchange reserves by the end of May, said Jiang. PICCUTA