PRC SCHOLARS SHARE VIEWS ON AFRICOM, SOMALIA,

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 001169

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2029
TAGS: CG CH MARR MOPS PGOV PREL SO EINV
SUBJECT: PRC SCHOLARS SHARE VIEWS ON AFRICOM, SOMALIA,
PEACEKEEPING, DRC

Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Aubrey Carlson. Reasons 1.
4 (b/d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: China "shares African concerns" about U.S.
Africa Command (AFRICOM)'s perceived "militarization" of U.S.
policy in Africa, according to two Chinese scholars on
Africa. Our contacts expressed skepticism about the
effectiveness of prosecuting Somali pirates and urged the
United States to give China a concrete proposal for
cooperating on combating piracy. The scholars said China
would continue to participate in UN peacekeeping operations
(PKOs) while showing "strategic patience" and avoiding a
"hasty approach." The withdrawal of Indian peacekeepers from
the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was unlikely to affect
China's investments in the country. End summary.

Skepticism about AFRICOM
--------------


2. (C) In an April 28 meeting to exchange views on AFRICOM's
mission and programs, Ministry of State Security-affiliated
China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations
(CICIR) Institute of Asia and Africa Studies scholars Xu
Weizhong and Zeng Qiang expressed skepticism about AFRICOM's
stated objectives. Xu said African scholars and officials
had told him that they were suspicious of AFRICOM and
concerned about what they perceived as the "militarization"
of U.S. policy in Africa. He argued that the assignment of
State Department and USAID officials to AFRICOM had created
the impression that the military was in command of all U.S.
activities in Africa. Zeng suggested that African countries'
unwillingness to host AFRICOM headquarters reflected their
concerns about AFRICOM's true objectives. He also questioned
the "contradiction" in U.S. policy in Africa of promoting
both government capacity-building and democratization,
stating that promoting democracy in some African countries
would weaken the state's ability to maintain peace and
security.

Somalia
--------------


3. (C) Questioning whether other countries wanted China to
prosecute Somali pirates, Xu stated that such prosecutions
would require "special courts" but would not succeed in
deterring piracy. Xu suggested the United States put forward
a detailed, concrete proposal for cooperation with China on
combating piracy.

Peacekeeping Operations in Africa
--------------


4. (C) Xu said China would continue to contribute to
peacekeeping operations (PKOs) in Africa as long as they were
under the UN framework and had the consent and cooperation of
African countries. China had to demonstrate "strategic
patience" and avoid a "hasty approach," Xu said, in deciding
its participation in PKOs. Asked about the recent NGO
International Crisis Group report on China's peacekeeping in
Africa, Zeng acknowledged a lack of coordination between
Chinese ministries involved in peacekeeping. He said each
ministry had its own interests and "a unified approach is
sometimes difficult to find."

Democratic Republic of Congo
--------------


5. (C) Zeng downplayed concerns about the impact of the
withdrawal of Indian peacekeepers from the DRC on China's
investment in the country. He said most Chinese investment
was in DRC's southern region while the conflict was in the
east, adding that the security situation in the DRC was
improving. Xu said China would be unlikely to send
peacekeepers to the DRC but would continue to support the UN
PKO in the DRC while showing "strategic patience."
PICCUTA