DEMARCHE DELIVERED: PAKISTAN'S IDP CRISIS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 001349 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/19/2024 TAGS: PREL EAID PREF PHUM UN CH PK SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: PAKISTAN'S IDP CRISIS REF: STATE 50276 Classified By: Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs Aubrey Carlson, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) China recently donated USD one million for assisting Pakistan's internally displaced persons (IDPs) and will likely provide more, MFA Asian Affairs Department South Asia Division official Xing Lei told PolOff May 19 in response to reftel points urging China to provide aid. Xing said China was concerned with the IDP situation and had informed the Pakistanis of the assistance during Pakistani Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir's visit to Beijing for the May 12-14 China-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue. ¶2. (C) Xing relayed that MFA Asian Affairs Department Director General Yang Yanyi recently had visited Islamabad to discuss regional economic cooperation, meeting with the acting Pakistani Foreign Secretary and other high-level officials. DG Yang was told by the Pakistanis that the situation in Swat was a "dilemma" for Pakistan, and that action against the Taliban had to proceed quickly because the situation was already causing humanitarian problems, Xing said. WEINSTEIN