Guangzhou Consuls General and Fujian Authorities Hold

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GUANGZHOU 000325

SIPDIS

E/O 12958: N/A
TAGS: CFIS KTIP KFRD ASEC PGOV CH CMGT CVIS
SUBJECT: Guangzhou Consuls General and Fujian Authorities Hold
Second Working Group Meeting on Illegal Migration

REF: Guangzhou 0176


1. (U) Summary and Comment. Fujian government officials appear to
have received our message about the need to work together to address
fraud and illegal migration issues. At a May 26 meeting in
Guangzhou, six Guangzhou-based consuls general and their staff met
with Fujian officials to discuss document verification, law
enforcement and public outreach to individuals who wish to travel to
the U.S., Australia, Canada, France Germany and the United Kingdom.
Unlike the first meeting of the working group in February (Reftel),
this meeting focused on coordination among working-level experts,
with the CGs only participating in the opening and closing plenary
sessions. The Fujian reps acknowledged serious problems but several
of their suggestions, such as authorizing 96 agencies to handle all
visa applications province-wide, were not acceptable to the
consulates. Fujian is also hopeful of bringing economic, trade and
cultural issues into the working group, though Consuls General
believe this will lessen the focus on migration issues. A third
working group session is planned in the Fall in Fujian. End Summary
and Comment.

SAME BED, DIFFERENT REMEDIES


2. (U) The opening plenary session featured remarks by British
Consul General Brian Davidson on behalf of the six CGs and by Madame
Chu Yanli, the Deputy Director General of the Fujian FAO. Davidson
suggested that we work to establish streamlined procedures for
verifying official documents from Fujian; further, he called for the
development of multilateral cooperation mechanisms for coordinating
how our law enforcement officials pursue fraud-related
investigations. Madame Chu acknowledged serious problems on
document fraud and illegal migration, but said that Fujian has been
dealing harshly with violators, especially criminal rings and
snakeheads. She said that Fujian was prepared to provide a list of
96 agencies that would be approved for handling applications to
consulates in the Guangzhou consular district. (The same list would
be sent to Shanghai as some consulates cover Fujian out of
Shanghai.) Madame Chu invited us to post the list on our websites.
In response, throughout the day, consulate officials pointed out
that we do not presently nor will we require applicants to work
through intermediaries or endorse any group of visa agents.


3. (U) Madame Chu also mentioned that the Fujian FAO is prepared to
verify Chinese documents presented to Consulates for visa
applications, though the number of documents which it can currently
handle is extremely small. Most of the documents originate in
Fuqing, Changle and Lianjiang, as well as Fuzhou city, all of which
are difficult areas to monitor in terms of fraud. Participants also
discussed how we might assist Fujian in verifying foreign-Consulate
issued visas and passports. Note: The U.S. Consulate Fraud
Prevention Unit has in the past found that document verification
requests routed through the FAO have faced delays of up to several
months. We have had much better success dealing directly with the
People's Security Bureau or other government agencies to verify
documents and have decided that a single point of contact for
verification would create a bottleneck insofar as our efforts are
concerned. End Note.

PUBLIC OUTREACH - LOTS OF IDEAS


4. (U) Madame Chu also promised greater access to Fujian media for
consulates to tell their stories regarding legal migration, noting
that the Fuzhou Daily had recently published interviews with the
British and German Consuls General. At the working group meeting on
outreach following the plenary, consulates noted their concerns on
limited access to Chinese students. FAO representative Li Ling said
we should give at least a two-week notice in advance of a proposed
visit so university authorities could consider our requests. Note:
The consulate already provides this notice; there are other factors
- not based on time - that lead to denials. End Note. Consulate
officers proposed several new forms of outreach including newspaper
question-and-answer columns and web chats on well-known Chinese web
sites. Li Ling said he would follow up with the FAO Information
Office. He also said that it might be possible to display consulate
brochures or information about lawful methods to travel or immigrate
at the Exit-Entry Bureau offices, where Chinese citizens go to apply
for passports. He added that this would require approval from the
People's Security Bureau.

ORGANIZED IMMIGRATION FRAUD - THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM


5. (U) No problem in Fujian will be harder to deal with than
organized immigration fraud. The work group reviewed Public Security
Bureau procedures relating to organized migration fraud

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investigations, mechanisms for case referral, evidence needed for
host-country prosecutions and timeliness of the provision of
information. PSB Deputy Director Xiao Yuan Hong cited recent
collaborative efforts between the US Consulate's ARSO/I and his
Bureau in disrupting a substantial organized fraud network as an
example of joint cooperation, but was non-committal about any formal
agreements or procedures without Central Government approval. The
Consulate delegations again rejected the idea of training or working
with local visa "agents" to facilitate legitimate visa applications.
One area in which participants did agree would be beneficial was on
reciprocal training on Chinese and foreign documents. The FAO's Li
Lin suggested that some applicants for U.S. visas were frustrated by
a "lack of transparency" as to why student visa applications are
refused or put in for additional administrative processing. The
U.S. Consulate assured him that student visa applications are given
top priority by the Consulate and when administrative processing is
necessary, it is usually resolved within a few weeks.

LOOKING AHEAD - PLANS TO MEET AGAIN


6. (U) Deputy Director Chu and the Consuls General expressed found
the discussions useful and agreed to meet again in September or
October at Wuyi Mountain in Fujian province. Madame Chu suggested
that those discussions also touch on investment in Fujian, tourism,
education and cultural affairs - a suggestion that clearly would
dilute the focus of the working group.


GOLDBERG