CHINA REACTS TO IAEA REPORTS ON IRAN AND SYRIA

S E C R E T BEIJING 000478 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/CM DEPT FOR ISN/RA: RICHARD NEPHEW DEPT FOR IO/FO: MATT GOLDSTEIN E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/25/2019 TAGS: PARM KNNP IAEA MNUC TRGY IR SY CH SUBJECT: CHINA REACTS TO IAEA REPORTS ON IRAN AND SYRIA REF: STATE 16285 Classified By: PolOff Mark Lambert. Reasons 1.4 (b/d). ¶1. (S) PolOff delivered reftel demarche on the IAEA's recent reports on Iran and Syria to MFA Arms Control and Disarmament Department Nuclear Division Deputy Director Zhang Shen on February 25. As instructed, PolOff requested China's support for a strong P5 1 statement demanding Iran's full and immediate cooperation with the IAEA in light of the report's conclusion that Iran is continuing its enrichment program and has not taken any meaningful steps to cooperate with the IAEA in the past six months. Zhang agreed that a careful study of the IAEA report indicated a lack of cooperation by Iran and continued enrichment activities. He noted that the P5 1 countries would negotiate a statement on Iran in Vienna and said China was currently studying the draft statement on Iran provided by the U.S. delegation. ¶2. (S) On Syria, Zhang agreed that the IAEA report indicated little progress, but said China still hoped Syria and other countries would "strengthen cooperation." When asked for China's support in making the IAEA report on Syria public, Zhang was noncommittal and questioned whether there was such a precedent. He said China would "study the issue." PICCUTA