Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BEIJING68
2009-01-09 08:54:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Beijing
Cable title:  

PRC VFM HE YAFEI IN INDIA: STILL SEEKING TO REDUCE

Tags:  PREL KSCA PTER AF PK IN CH 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO2985
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #0068/01 0090854
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 090854Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1776
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD IMMEDIATE 6803
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL IMMEDIATE 0472
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI IMMEDIATE 4704
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 000068 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/09/2033
TAGS: PREL KSCA PTER AF PK IN CH
SUBJECT: PRC VFM HE YAFEI IN INDIA: STILL SEEKING TO REDUCE
TENSION IN SOUTH ASIA

REF: A. BEIJING 11

B. JANUARY 9 EAP/CM-EMBASSY BEIJING EMAIL

Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Aubrey Carlson. Reasons
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 000068

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/09/2033
TAGS: PREL KSCA PTER AF PK IN CH
SUBJECT: PRC VFM HE YAFEI IN INDIA: STILL SEEKING TO REDUCE
TENSION IN SOUTH ASIA

REF: A. BEIJING 11

B. JANUARY 9 EAP/CM-EMBASSY BEIJING EMAIL

Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Aubrey Carlson. Reasons 1.
4 (B/D).


1. (C) Summary: PRC Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei's January
5-6 trip to India focused on encouraging India to ease
tensions with Pakistan, MFA Asian Affairs Department DDG Sun
Weidong told PolMinCouns January 9. Given Pakistan's
willingness to cooperate on counter-terrorism efforts, China
hopes India "will not close the door on dialogue" with
Pakistan. DDG Sun urged the United States to use its
"special influence" in South Asia to bring current tensions
to a "soft landing soon." China will not form a judgment on
India's information on Pakistani involvement in the Mumbai
terror attacks but hopes India and Pakistan will cooperate to
combat terrorism. PolMinCouns stated that the United States
encourages India-Pakistan information sharing and emphasized
that Pakistan holding accountable the perpetrators of the
Mumbai attacks is a crucial first step in surmounting
tensions and resuming positive movement in relations between
India and Pakistan. End Summary.


2. (C) As a follow-up to his December 28-30 visit to Pakistan
(ref A),Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei traveled to India
January 5-6 to "persuade" India to maintain peaceful means in
addressing the situation in South Asia and to ease tensions
with Pakistan, MFA Asian Affairs Department Deputy Director
General Sun Weidong told PolMinCouns January 9. VFM He, sent
to New Delhi as Special Envoy, met with Indian External
Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee (where the two sides
exchanged letters from their respective foreign ministers on
the current situation in South Asia and bilateral issues),
National Security Advisor Narayanan and Foreign Secretary
Menon.

PRC: Pakistan willing to cooperate
--------------


3. (C) DDG Sun said the Chinese side offered the Indians
details of VFM He's recent trip to Pakistan, stressing that
Pakistan is willing to take effective measures against
terrorism and does not seek conflict with India. Pakistan

hopes to resume the "peace process" with India as soon as
possible and wishes to resolve bilateral conflicts through
dialogue and negotiations, DDG Sun said.


4. (C) China's position is that India and Pakistan are the
"key" to peace, stability and development in South Asia,
according to Sun, and that maintaining stability between
India and Pakistan "is in India's long-terms interests." The
stability and development of Pakistan are also "vitally
important" to fighting terrorism. Noting that India and
Pakistan are "friendly neighbors," DDG Sun said that China's
relations with its two South Asia neighbors "are treated in
parallel and are not a zero-sum game." China determines its
policies "according to the merit" of the issues and does not
take an "unbalanced position toward any side." China hopes
the two sides will solve their problems through diplomacy and
cooperation in order to "fight terrorism together and promote
peace in the South Asia sub-continent." China hopes India
"does not close the door to dialogue" but rather considers
measures to gradually ease tensions with Pakistan and "reopen
dialogue and cooperation at the proper moment."

India: Pakistan must act on information
--------------


6. (C) DDG Sun reported that the Indian side welcomed He's
visit, reiterated its anti-terrorism stance and shared with
the Chinese evidence on Pakistani involvement in the November
26 Mumbai terror attacks. The Indian Government believes it
has provided enough evidence to Pakistan for the Pakistani
Government to further investigate and respond to India, DDG
Sun said. India has requested Pakistan to hand over suspects
involved in the Mumbai attacks for trial in India and to take
"effective and substantive" measures to prevent further
terrorist attacks. India does not wish to engage in war with
Pakistan and believes a stable Pakistan supports regional
counter-terrorism efforts, DDG Sun stated. India indicated
that though bilateral channels with Pakistan remain open,
returning relations to a "normal" state soon will be
difficult.

PRC: United States must bring "soft landing"
--------------


7. (C) The United States and China have common interests in

BEIJING 00000068 002 OF 002


maintaining peace in the region, DDG Sun said, and he urged
the United States to use its "special influence" in South
Asia to maintain peace and promote counter-terrorism efforts
"in a balanced and fair manner." China hopes the United
States "pushes India and Pakistan in the same direction
rather than apart" and through dialogue and bilateral
consultations brings the current tensions to a "soft landing
soon." China wishes to keep close contact with the United
States on the South Asia situation, DDG Sun added.


8. (C) Asked whether or not the Chinese Government finds the
evidence of Pakistani involvement in the Mumbai attacks
presented by India convincing, DDG Sun said that China is
still studying the large amount of materials India presented.
Sun noted that Pakistan refers to India's presentation as
"material," not "evidence," and claims "to need more proof."
"China will not make a judgment" on the information, DDG Sun
said, adding that China wishes to see India and Pakistan
resolve the issue through cooperative dialogue.


9. (C) Asked about India's request to hand over for
prosecution Pakistan-based individuals involved in the
attacks, DDG Sun said India and Pakistan do not have an
extradition treaty but that cooperation is in their common
interests. (Note: While aware of the SAARC Regional
Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism, DDG Sun did not
comment as to its application in addressing the Mumbai
terrorist attack, except to say that that agreement is for
handling multilateral issues, not bilateral disputes.) DDG
Sun said Pakistani officials emphasize that Pakistan has also
been a victim of terrorism, having lost over 2000 citizens in

2008.


10. (C) Pressed on whether or not India asked China to
influence Pakistan to act on India's demands, DDG Sun said
that while India recognizes China's close ties to Pakistan,
China believes current tensions must be resolved through
dialogue between Pakistan and India. China will in its own
way and through its own channels continue to encourage both
sides to cooperate, but China will not act as go-between.

United States stresses need for Pakistan to act
-------------- --


11. (C) PolMinCouns presented points on SCA A/S Boucher's
ongoing visit to South Asia (ref A),stressing the need for
Pakistan and Afghanistan to work together to defeat insurgent
activities on their shared border. PolMinCouns also noted
U.S. planning for the next Friends of a Democratic Pakistan
meetings and the Donors' Conference in Tokyo that Japan has
offered to host. The United States encourages India-Pakistan
information sharing and cooperation to bring to justice those
responsible for the Mumbai attacks. PolMinCouns emphasized
that Pakistan holding accountable the perpetrators of the
Mumbai attacks is a crucial first step in surmounting
tensions and resuming positive movement in relations between
India and Pakistan.

"Good momentum" in China-India relations.
--------------


12. (C) Turning to China-India bilateral relations, DDG Sun
stated that "good momentum" continues between the two
countries, citing frequent high-level visits, a bilateral
trade volume expected to have surpassed USD 50 billion in
2008 and increased people-to-people contacts. As two
emerging economies, DDG Sun said, "China and India can learn
much from each other." DDG Sun commented that differences
continue on resolving the border issue but leadership on both
sides has agreed that the issue should not be allowed to
affect the overall bilateral relationship.
Randt