OCTOBER 15 MFA PRESS BRIEFING: CHINA-IRAN RELATIONS, SCO

UNCLAS BEIJING 002884 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PARM CH IR AF UK SUBJECT: OCTOBER 15 MFA PRESS BRIEFING: CHINA-IRAN RELATIONS, SCO DISCUSSIONS ON AFGHANISTAN, ASIA-PACIFIC COOPERATION ¶1. Key points at the October 15 MFA press briefing: -- PM Wen Jiabao met with Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi at the October 14 SCO Prime Minister's meeting. The MFA spokesperson stated that "China values its relationship with Iran," seeks to advance "cooperation and coordination in international affairs" with Iran and is "committed to settling the Iranian nuclear issue." --Afghanistan had been a topic of multilateral and bilateral meetings at the SCO meeting. --China was "ready to work with the United States to strengthen cooperation in Asia-Pacific affairs." -- Egypt will host the fourth ministerial forum on China-Africa cooperation in early November. China-Iran Relations -------------- ¶2. At the October 15 session of the regularly scheduled Ministry of Foreign Affairs press conference, spokesperson Ma Zhaoxu said Premier Wen Jiabao met with Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi on October 14 at the Eighth Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Prime Minister's meeting. According to Ma, Wen told Rahimi that "Sino-Iranian relations were in good shape" as evidenced by the "frequency of high-level visits" and cooperation on a wide range of issues. "China values its relationship with Iran" and is ready to maintain contact to develop mutual trust" and advance "cooperation and coordination in international affairs," Ma said. China is also "committed to settling the Iranian nuclear issue." Rahimi congratulated China on holding a successful SCO meeting and said that Iran valued friendly relations with China and that improved relations is the common aspiration of the Iranian and Chinese peoples, Ma said. SCO Discussions on Afghanistan -------------- ¶3. Ma said that China, and other Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states, are following the situation in Afghanistan closely. SCO member states have made contributions to Afghanistan "in their own ways" and, for its part, China hopes that Afghanistan will be able to achieve peace and stability "at an early date." Ma said the situation in Afghanistan was discussed in multilateral and bilateral fora during the SCO meeting but did not offer any specific information the meetings or on developments in Afghanistan. China-Africa Ministerial -------------- ¶4. Ma said Egypt would host the fourth ministerial forum on China-Africa cooperation in early November. The meeting would review and follow-up on action items from the Beijing summit and "map out cooperation" for the next three years to "promote China-Africa relations across a broad range of issues." Egypt would serve as the president for the meeting and China would serve as co-president. China was "working with relevant nations" to prepare for the meeting, Ma said, adding that China hopes to "cooperate with the African community" to implement the Beijing consensus. Asia-Pacific Architecture -------------- ¶5. Asked about the role of the U.S. in regional architecture, Ma replied that regional cooperation is a product of economic globalization, economic integration and the geography of the Asia-Pacific region. Asia-Pacific cooperation is "multi-tiered and complimentary" and China is "ready to work with the United States to strengthen cooperation in Asia-Pacific affairs." Follow-up on A/S Campbell Visit -------------- ¶6. Asked whether Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell had invited China to send officials to Washington D.C. to discuss Afghanistan, and Ma said he was unaware of such an invitation. HUNTSMAN