OCTOBER 13 MFA PRESS BRIEFING: DPRK MISSILES, NOBEL PRIZE,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 002847 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PARM CH KS KN RS IR AF IN PK UK SUBJECT: OCTOBER 13 MFA PRESS BRIEFING: DPRK MISSILES, NOBEL PRIZE, A/S CAMPBELL VISIT ¶1. Key points at the October 13 MFA press briefing: -- North Korea's recent short-range missile test would not affect the improving situation on the Korean Peninsula. -- China congratulated President Obama on being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. -- During his visit to China, A/S Campbell would discuss issues of bilateral, international and regional importance, including the upcoming visit of President Obama to China. -- A British citizen currently facing the death penalty in China was convicted of drug trafficking in 2008 and was now having his case reviewed by the Supreme People's Court. North Korean Missiles -------------- ¶2. China had noted reports that North Korea had recently tested short-range missiles, said spokesperson Ma Zhaoxu at the October 13 regularly scheduled MFA press conference. The test would not affect the improving situation on the Korean Peninsula, asserted Ma. China hoped relevant parties would jointly promote peace and stability and the denuclearization of Korean Peninsula. Nobel Peace Prize -------------- ¶3. China had taken note that President Obama had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In particular, China noted that the award was given for his role in promoting diplomacy and people-to-people exchanges. China congratulated President Obama on the award, said the spokesperson. A/S Campbell Visit to China -------------- ¶4. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell would visit Beijing from October 12-14. During his visit, he would meet with Vice Foreign Ministers He Yafei and Wu Dawei, as well as officials from the Ministries of Education and Commerce. During his meetings, he would discuss issues of bilateral, international and regional importance, including the upcoming visit of President Obama to China. British Citizen Death Penalty Case -------------- ¶5. A British citizen currently facing the death penalty in China had been convicted of drug trafficking in 2008 and was now having his case reviewed by the Supreme People's Court, said Ma. The British citizen had been treated in line with relevant laws. During his trial, the defendant had been given an opportunity to defend himself and had been provided with an interpreter. Regarding claims that the British citizen was mentally unstable, Ma said that the British Embassy had proposed a psychological examination but "did not offer proof." The defendant himself claimed that neither he nor his family had a history of mental illness, said Ma. China-India Border -------------- ¶6. The China-India border had not been officially demarcated and China and India had different positions on the issue, noted the spokesperson. China was dissatisfied that despite the grave concerns of China, Indian leaders had recently visited a disputed area. To ensure the stable development of bilateral relations, China hoped India would take seriously Chinese concerns and not provoke an incident. SCO Meetings -------------- ¶7. The upcoming meetings of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) would be a major multilateral meeting since the start of the financial crisis, said Ma. The meeting would build on the accomplishments of the previous meeting at Yekaterinburg and the spokesman was "sure it would be a success." Over the course of the SCO meetings, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao would meet with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. During his October 13-15 visit to China, Putin would sign deals on technological and economic cooperation and attend events related to the 60th anniversary of bilateral relations. Wen would also meet with Iranian Vice President Reza Rahimi October 14. Wen and Chinese President Hu Jintao would meet with Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani during his visit from October 12-15 to exchange views on bilateral and other issues. BEIJING 00002847 002 OF 002 Nepal -------------- ¶8. The spokesperson refused to comment on Nepal's domestic political situation in response to a question on political stability in that country. HUNTSMAN