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