HONG KONG H1N1 UPDATE (5/15): CG PUSHES BACK WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HONG KONG 000940 SIPDIS STATE FOR CA/OCS/EP, M/PRI/SES-O, AAIT, OESIHA, MED, HHS FOR OGHA, CDC ATLANTA FOR CCID E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/15/2024 TAGS: AEMR AMGT ASEC CASC KFLO KFLU KPAO KSAF MG PINR, PREL, TBIO, HK, CH SUBJECT: HONG KONG H1N1 UPDATE (5/15): CG PUSHES BACK WITH CE TSANG AND HEALTH SECRETARY - CORRECTED COPY REF: HONG KONG 887 Classified By: CONSUL GENERAL JOSEPH DONOVAN REASONS 1.4 (B,D) ¶1. (SBU) Summary: In May 15 phone calls to Chief Executive Donald Tsang and Health Secretary York Chow, as well as active public diplomacy work with the press and demonstrators at the Consulate, the Consulate General has pushed back briskly against Hong Kong government allegations that the United States is not doing enough to counter the spread of H1N1 influenza. End Summary. ¶2. (C) On May 15, the Consul General (CG) phoned Hong Kong's Secretary for Health York Chow to express strong concern about Chow's May 13 press conference, where Chow announced he had sent a letter to U.S. Secretary for Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius (reftel). In his letter and press conference, Chow urged the U.S. to institute exit screening measures to prevent passengers carrying the H1N1 virus from boarding aircraft and spreading the virus around the world. Chow immediately opened the phone conversation by asking if we had a response to his letter. Without waiting for the CG's answer, Chow claimed that, based on interviews with returning travelers, "the U.S. appears to be doing nothing" to stop the spread of H1N1. Chow continued that there are "no warning signs or publicly available information at U.S. airports telling ill passengers not to board flights" or what to do if they feel unwell and no exit health screening of any kind is taking place to prevent ill travelers from boarding flights. ¶3. (C) The CG countered by telling Chow that his statements about U.S. lack of action were incorrect; the USG was working hard to counter the H1N1 virus, and was actively telling travelers to stay home and postpone travel if they feel ill. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) was partnering with U.S. state and local health departments to manage travelers who appear ill and are denied boarding by the airlines. The CG cautioned Chow that his public statements had needlessly enflamed public sentiment (as evidenced by a series of press reports and editorials critical of the United States). The CG advised Chow that it would be more appropriate to pass future government-to-government messages directly to the Consulate General and not through press conferences. Chow said that it was never his intent to excite the public, but only to open a dialogue with the U.S. on efforts to contain the spread of H1N1. ¶4. (SBU) Chow asked the CG if it could be possible for him to meet with HHS Secretary Sebelius at the upcoming World Health Assembly. The CG said he would convey the request to Washington. ¶5. (C) The CG later called Chief Executive Donald Tsang. Referencing his earlier conversation with Secretary Chow, the CG assured Tsang that the U.S. was taking a very proactive approach to the H1N1 virus outbreak and outlined some of the USG's many concrete measures. The CG stressed to Tsang that USG actions were fully consistent with WHO recommendations. The CG expressed to Tsang his concern about Chow's public statements over the last several days, including his announcement about the contents of his letter to Secretary Sebelius and a press report in which Chow said he had urged PRC Minister of Health Chen Zhu to exert pressure on the U.S. These inflammatory statements have distorted what the USG is doing to control the spread of H1N1, the CG said, leading to inaccurate press coverage of U.S. efforts and active HKG seeding of public sentiment against the U.S. These statements had led to today's demonstration at the Consulate General's gates (see para 6),said the CG. The CG urged Tsang, should his government wish to communicate with the USG, to directly contact the Consulate, and not talk through the press. Tsang replied that he understood what the CG was saying and would ensure this incident would not repeat. ¶6. (SBU) At approximately 1530 hours, just before the CG spoke with CE Tsang, a 12-person demonstration sponsored by the Hong Kong Democratic Party arrived at the Consulate General, with 6-8 press in tow. After pausing briefly for pictures in front of our sign, they continued with police escort to the back entrance of the consulate, to present a letter addressed to President Obama. The letter urged the United States "to have close monitoring measures of the passengers leaving the U.S. and well inform them that the Hong Kong government has applied stringent screening of all arriving passengers." The consulate's spokesman received the HONG KONG 00000940 002 OF 002 letter and provided in return a short hand-written note from the Consul General thanking them for their concern and emphasizing how seriously the USG was taking the H1N1 outbreak. Attached to the CG's note was a document outlining the USG's active responses to date, as well as the WHO's cautions against travel restrictions and the likely ineffectiveness of screening to control the spread of H1N1. Points in this document were drawn from inter-agency cleared guidance. The leader of the demonstration accepted the note with thanks, and proceeded to rad aloud to the small crowd and the press the ke points from our paper, translating into Cantonee as he went. We then overheard him remark to the crowd that he had "been demonstrating for many yers," but had never before received such an immedate and responsive reaction. The crowd then disersed. DONOVAN