DRAFT DIPLOMATIC NOTES FOR NORTHERN DISTRIBUTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 016171

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/19/2019
TAGS: AF CH MARR PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: DRAFT DIPLOMATIC NOTES FOR NORTHERN DISTRIBUTION
NETWORK

REF: A. STATE 13026 B. BEIJING 00384

Classified By: EAP DAS JOHN NORRIS FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D)


1. (U) This is an action request. Embassy Beijing please
see paragraph 3.


2. (C) SUMMARY: This cable responds to Embassy Beijing's
request for guidance (Ref B) for draft language for an
exchange of diplomatic notes regarding transit of non-lethal
materials through China via commercial means. END SUMMARY.


3. (C) Embassy is instructed to provide this draft text to
appropriate interlocutors in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
for their consideration. Post may also note that civilian
and/or military staff from the U.S. Transportation Command
(TRANSCOM) are available to provide additional information
and have done so for several countries transited by the
Northern Distribution Network.


4. (U) Begin text of U.S. request:

The Embassy of the United States of America presents its
compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the
Government of COUNTRY NAME and has the honor to communicate
the following.

The United States of America requests approval to arrange the
transit of cargo through COUNTRY NAME by commercial means.
This cargo will be transported using COUNTRY NAME's rail,
road, and port networks, and will not include any of the
items listed in Attachment 1.

The Embassy of the United States of America avails itself of
the opportunity to renew to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
the assurance of its highest consideration and regards.

Embassy of the United States of America

(name)

Attachment 1, Categories of Goods and Materiel Not to be
Transported

Neither sensitive items nor lethal items will be transported
by commercial means through China to include, but not limited
to, the following categories of goods and materiel (including
all sub-categories and components thereto):

-- Gunpowder

-- Military explosive material

-- Blasting and detonating fuses, percussion and detonating
caps, primers, electrical blasting caps

-- Flares, rain missiles, fog signals, and other pyrotechnic
devices

-- Radar equipment, sonar equipment, radio-navigation aids,
communications equipment, radio equipment for remote control
of arms and military equipment and remote command and control
of forces

-- Tanks and other self-propelled armored vehicles with or
without armament, and parts of them

-- Airborne vehicles (helicopters and aircraft); spacecraft
(including satellites) and suborbital and space CARRIER
rockets

-- Military and salvage ships, auxiliary military ships,
except rowing boats

-- Telescopic sights, periscopes, telescopes manufactured as
part of machines, night vision devices, other optical
devices, and lasers sights, whether usable with or without
weapons


STATE 00016171 002 OF 002


-- Military weapons

-- Revolvers and pistols,

-- Fire-arms and other blasting-charge devices

-- Spare parts to hardware

-- Bombs, grenades, torpedoes, mines, rockets, and similar
military purpose devices and their parts, cartridges, shells,
other types of ammunition and their parts, including small
shot and cartridge wadding, and cartridges for smooth-bore
weapons and their parts


5. (U) Begin text of host nation response:

Diplomatic Note

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of COUNTRY NAME expresses its
compliments to the Embassy of the United States of America
and in response to the Embassy's diplomatic note of (date)
has the honor to inform that COUNTRY NAME expresses its
consent to the transit of commercial cargo of non-lethal
purpose through the territory of COUNTRY NAME for onward
transit to Afghanistan, excluding the goods and materials
noted in Enclosure 1 of the above-referenced diplomatic note.
The Ministry avails itself of this occasion to renew to the
Embassy the assurances of its highest consideration.

CAPITAL CITY, January 14, 2009

End talking points/nonpaper.


6. (U) Please contact EAP/CM's Josh Cartin with any
questions or follow-up issues on this subject (202-647-6782 -
cartinjm@state.sgov.gov ) and slug any reporting on this
issue for EAP/CM, OSD and JCS).
CLINTON