PRC/UN: UN SYG VISIT FOCUSES ON CLIMATE CHANGE,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 002263 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/07/2034 TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON EAID ENRG SENV CH SUBJECT: PRC/UN: UN SYG VISIT FOCUSES ON CLIMATE CHANGE, CHINESE OBSERVERS NEGATIVE ON UNSC REFORM Classified By: Deputy Political Section Chief Ben Moeling. Reason 1.4 (b/d). SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) UN Secretary General (SYG) Ban Ki-moon visited China July 23-26 to seek support from senior Chinese leaders for upcoming UN discussions on climate change. Contacts reported that the Chinese leadership remained non-committal on the SYG's call for China to play a greater global leadership role. China remained staunchly opposed to any compulsory cuts in its carbon emissions, said one observer, but another academic emphasized that Beijing realized that China can not develop at the cost of future generations. In a roundtable with Chinese scholars to discuss UN Security Council reform, SYG Ban reportedly received the message that China prefers an "intermediate solution" through the creation of additional renewable non-permanent seats, despite the idea's limited marketability. An MFA official emphasized that China had no specific position on particular countries and parameters, and an academic cautioned that China would not take the lead on this issue in any case. End Summary. Routine Visit with a Side of Climate Change -------------- ¶2. (SBU) UN Secretary General (SYG) Ban Ki-moon visited China July 23-26 to meet with Chinese officials including President Hu Jintao, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi. The SYG used the stop (one of his routine annual visits to P-5 countries) to launch a joint program between the UNDP and the National Development and Reform Commission of China (NDRC). According to MFA International Organizations and Conferences (IO) Department UN Affairs Division officer Jiang Hua, the four-year, US$14 million dollar project aspires to phase out high-energy consuming incandescent lamps in China and promote energy efficient ones. China will save 160 billion to 216 billion kWh of electricity in the ten years after the project is completed in 2012, which will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 175 million tons to 237 million tons. Climate Change: Somebody Else's Problem -------------- ¶3. (C) In a July 28 meeting, Zhen Qirong, professor of international politics at China Foreign Affairs University, told POLOFF that the Chinese leadership was non-committal on the SYG's call for China to play a greater global leadership role on climate change. China remained staunchly opposed to any compulsory cuts in its carbon emissions, and Zhen maintained that the responsibility for solving the problem rested with developed countries. He asserted that developed countries had an obligation to help developing nations through funding, technology, and resources to achieve sustainable global development. In contrast, Vice-President of the UN Association of China Pang Sen told POLOFF July 27 that Beijing was sensitive to the issue of climate change and realized that China can-not develop at the cost of future generations. However, he cautioned that China faced many pressures, including the potential for social unrest, and there remained a limit to what China could do on climate change. Regarding a cap on emissions, Pang said that if the limits were reasonable, China would be willing to discuss such a possibility, but cautioned that China would not sacrifice its "national interests" to achieve an agreement. (NOTE: Other key government climate change contacts have generally been opposed to any carbon emission caps placed on China, in line with the "common but differentiated" responsibilities stated in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate change (UNFCCC.) END NOTE.) MFA Urges More Dialogue, Not Action on UNSC Reform -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) MFA's Jiang Hua said that the SYG exchanged views on UN Security Council reform with FM Yang Jiechi during the visit, but she stressed that the SYG had little influence over Security Council reform and that any plan would require consensus among the full UNGA. Jiang emphasized that China had no specific position on including specific countries in expansion measures, but she noted China's primary goal was to expand representation of developing countries. China hoped all members would come to any negotiation on expansion with an open mind and without preexisting conditions. Jiang said that an "intermediate" solution of creating additional renewable non-permanent members might prove workable in the BEIJING 00002263 002 OF 002 future, but was unlikely at present due to "insistence" by the G-4 on their aspirations for permanent seats. UN SYG, PRC Scholars Discuss UNSC Reform -------------- ¶5. (C) Executive Board Member of the UN Association of China Qian Wenrong told POLOFF July 29 that during his visit the SYG also met with Chinese scholars to discuss UNSC reform. Most of the academics pushed for an "intermediate solution," which would create additional renewable non-permanent seats. However, Qian acknowledged that South Africa and most other African nations reject this idea and will insist that any expansion of the UNSC must include an African country with full veto rights. Qian said that many developing countries were concerned that the influence of the UNGA would be diluted by Security Council expansion and the G-77 was especially opposed to any reform. Qian echoed the point that the SYG's influence over the process was limited. PRC Scholar: China Will Not Take the Lead on UNSC Reform -------------- -------------- ¶6. (C) The UN Association of China's Pang Sen asserted that while the UN was sidelined on many international problems, on issues such as Iran and North Korea only the UNSC had the legitimacy to authorize sanctions or the use of force. Pang noted that the SYG was not eager to push for UN reform, given recent criticism over his leadership and personnel decisions. Pang said that China supported Latin America and African countries' membership in the UNSC. However, he acknowledged that it would be difficult for China to concede on Japan's UNSC membership given the complicated relationship between the two countries. Pang posited that African countries would be unlikely to accept Japan's permanent membership with a veto unless an African country was given a seat as well. Pang said that the existing proposals were unworkable but cautioned that China would not take the lead on the issue. GOLDBERG