DEPUTY SECRETARY STEINBERG'S SEPT 29, 2009

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIJING 002968 SIPDIS PACOM FOR FPA PICCUTA E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2029 TAGS: OVIP STEINBERG JAMES PREL MNUC ECON KS KN JP, IR, CH SUBJECT: DEPUTY SECRETARY STEINBERG'S SEPT 29, 2009 CONVERSATION WITH CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER YANG JIECHI Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Aubrey Carlson. Reasons 1. 4 (b/d). ¶1. (SBU) September 29, 2009; 2:30 p.m.; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Beijing ¶2. (SBU) Participants: U.S. -------------- The Deputy Secretary Amb. Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., Embassy Beijing Joseph Donovan, EAP Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Rear Admiral Charles Leidig, Joint Chiefs of Staff Amb. Joseph DeTrani, Mission Manager for North Korea, DNI Derek Mitchell, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Sung Kim, Special Envoy to the Six Party Talks Pamela Park, Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary Gregory May, Embassy Political Officer (notetaker) James Brown, Interpreter CHINA -------------- Yang Jiechi, Minister of Foreign Affairs Zheng Zeguang, Director General, Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs, MFA Zhang Kunsheng, Director General, Protocol Department, MFA Ding Xiaowen, Deputy Director General, Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs, MFA ¶3. (C) SUMMARY: In a September 29 meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, the Deputy Secretary stressed the urgency of the Iran nuclear issue and the importance of the P5-plus-1 showing a united front to Iran. FM Yang said the P5-plus-1 should "go the extra mile" to send a positive signal to Iran at the October 1 Geneva talks. The P5-plus-1 should be willing to discuss regional issues in Geneva provided Iran engaged on the nuclear question. FM Yang reiterated PRC desire for a diplomatic solution and praised the United States' willingness to engage with Iran. The Deputy Secretary said the United States was open to a diplomatic resolution but Iran had to take steps to build confidence and transparency and put itself on a different path. FM Yang offered a positive assessment of U.S.-China relations and urged greater cooperation on transnational and global issues. China was looking forward to President Obama's visit and hoped the United States would create a "good atmosphere" by recognizing China's concerns over Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang and trade protection. On climate change and the Copenhagen summit, FM Yang said China hoped the issue would not be politicized and the United States and the world would recognize China's sincere efforts. The Deputy Secretary stressed that the United States and China should work together to make Copenhagen a success. FM Yang praised the success of the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh and U.S.-China cooperation in responding to the financial crisis. The Deputy Secretary said the United States hoped China, Japan and South Korea would coordinate policy on North Korea at their upcoming October 10 trilateral meeting. End Summary. Iran -------------- ¶4. (C) In a September 29 meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, the Deputy Secretary stressed that events of the past several days had crystallized the importance of the Iran nuclear issue. The P5-plus-1 foreign ministers statement issued at UNGA was very important, and the United States valued China's role in creating the statement. The P5 had to continue to work together and present a united front to Iran. The next few weeks would be critical. The United States would not shut itself off from a diplomatic solution and would come to the P5-plus-1 talks with Iran in Geneva October 1 with proposals for concrete steps that Iran could take to build confidence and transparency. Iran had to be serious about a diplomatic solution and take the necessary steps. The United States realized that reaching a long-term resolution would take time, but Iran had to act now to set itself on a different path. BEIJING 00002968 002 OF 003 ¶5. (C) FM Yang noted that Presidents Obama and Hu had discussed Iran at their last meeting and China understood the importance of the issue to the United States. The P5-plus-1 statement at UNGA, FM Yang said, was "good and balanced" and sent the right signal to Iran and the international community. China looked forward to a good start to the Geneva discussions October 1. The Iranians were a "clever people" and the "heart of the issue must be handled properly." Iran was a regional power and an important country in the Middle East, and Iran wanted to discuss regional issues in Geneva. China believed such issues could be addressed provided the nuclear issue was also discussed. All sides should "go the extra mile" to send a positive signal to Iran and see what the response was. China agreed to a dual-track approach to Iran, but ultimately there had to be a diplomatic solution. Sanctions, could only work up to a point. Hopefully, FM Yang continued, the Geneva talks would stir up internal discussions inside Iran given the Obama Administration's openness to engagement. Bilateral Relations and POTUS Visit -------------- ¶6. (C) The Deputy Secretary said Presidents Obama and Hu had established a strong personal relationship and President Obama was excited about his upcoming visit to China. The center of gravity in the bilateral relationship had shifted from what came between us to how the United States and China could work together. The Deputy Secretary said both sides should increase work on nonproliferation and preparations for the nuclear security summit next spring. ¶7. (C) FM Yang commented that the two presidents had had a good meeting on the margins of UNGA and noted that the session had gone over the scheduled time. The two sides now had to carry out the consensus reached by Presidents Obama and Hu. The United States and China should intensify interaction on transnational issues like climate change, the G-20, and Security Council reform. There should first be a "meeting of the minds" on Security Council reform before the issue could go forward, and the United States and China should consult each other "from time to time." In an environment of increasing globalization, the information age, climate change, and the financial crisis, the U.S.-China relationship had to be anchored by cooperation on critical international and global issues. The two sides, FM Yang said, had to transcend ideological barriers and take a new approach to transnational issues. Need "Good Atmosphere" on Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang -------------- -------------- ¶8. (C) China, FM Yang continued, was looking forward to President Obama's state visit and wanted to make it as substantive as possible. The visit would offer a chance to discuss climate change, the financial crisis, and "hot spot issues." FM Yang stressed that Taiwan, Tibet, East Turkestan independence (Xinjiang),and trade protection were issues of "major, major concern to China." China hoped to have a "good atmosphere" for President Obama's state visit. This, FM Yang added, could make a difference in furthering the relationship. Climate Change -------------- ¶9. (C) FM Yang said China hoped the climate change issue would not be politicized. China believed in taking "common but differentiated" responsibility, and the United States and China needed to make a positive and collaborative signal on climate change during President Obama's visit. China wanted Copenhagen to be a success. During these "trying times," China was working to grow its economy yet was still paying attention to environmental protection. Provincial governors and city mayors had "hard targets," and all had to toe the line on the environment. China hoped that its achievements and sincere efforts to deal with climate change would be recognized by the United States and the world. ¶10. (C) The Deputy Secretary responded that while Washington and Beijing might have a history of pointing fingers at one another on climate change, both sides had to work together to ensure the success of the Copenhagen summit. Both the United BEIJING 00002968 003 OF 003 States and China would be blamed should Copenhagen fail. Neither side could evade the issue, and the United States and China both had responsibilities. President Hu Jintao's speech at UNGA had demonstrated a welcomed commitment to addressing climate change, and President Obama had been dedicated to the issue from the beginning. The United States and China, the Deputy Secretary said, should do more brainstorming and exchange ideas on global warming. Financial Crisis and G-20 -------------- ¶11. (C) FM Yang praised the success of the Pittsburgh summit and remarked that the United States and China had enjoyed good cooperation in addressing the financial crisis. The views China presented at the G-20 had been "echoed by most around the table." The Deputy noted that the financial crisis had created new opportunities to change some global governance structures, and the United States wanted China to play a more central role in the future. China-Japan-South Korea Trilateral Meeting -------------- ¶12. (C) FM Yang told the Deputy Secretary he had just returned from a Shanghai meeting with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts. The session, Yang said, was to prepare for the October 10 meeting in Beijing between Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, and South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak. The Deputy Secretary said the United States was "untroubled and enthusiastic" about China-Japan-South Korea trilateral exchanges, which had always been conducted in a transparent manner. The United States hoped the three sides would use the October 10 meeting to discuss North Korea. ¶13. (U) The Deputy Secretary has cleared this message. HUNTSMAN