PRC RESPONSE TO U.S. UNGA THIRD COMMITTEE

UNCLAS BEIJING 002962 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CH PHUM PREL SUBJECT: PRC RESPONSE TO U.S. UNGA THIRD COMMITTEE PRIORITIES REF: STATE 109397 ¶1. (SBU) On October 23, PolOff delivered to MFA International Organizations and Conferences Department Human Rights Affairs Division Deputy Director Yao Shaojun reftel points on U.S. priorities for the upcoming session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) Third Committee session (covering human rights-related issues). Yao thanked PolOff for sharing U.S. concerns on Third Committee issues, which he said he would report to his superiors. Yao shared his "preliminary reaction" on the U.S. priorities. ¶2. (SBU) On no-action motions, Yao pointed out that in the Chinese view, such motions were a legal tool and were in the rules of procedure for the Third Committee. Yao suggested that a fundamental means to stop the use of no-action motions would be to stop the "politicization" of human rights issues, both in the Third Committee and the Human Rights Council. ¶3. (SBU) With regard to country-specific resolutions, Yao related that China believed the best way to resolve such human rights concerns was to have a "sincere dialogue" with those countries or offer "sincere help" to them. Such "naming and shaming," both in history and in practice, did not lead to the desired results. In general, China did not support country-specific resolutions, Yao added. If there were a need for such a resolution, China hoped that there would be a broad consensus among the countries in the region surrounding the subject country. ¶4. (SBU) On defamation, while China saw the U.S. point of view, it was a reality that this type of speech existed, Yao stated. In response to the three suggested U.S. alternate means to combat negative stereotyping of religion (see reftel para 6),Yao said that the best way forward would be to find common ground by combining OIC country objectives and concerns with the U.S. point of view. Yao urged the U.S. to have more dialogue with OIC countries on this issue. ¶5. (SBU) Finally, Yao said he believed that China would have "no problem" with the U.S. biennial resolution on free elections and expressed hope that such a resolution would not contain any "political content." HUNTSMAN