EU/CHINA: FERRERO-WALDNER WILLING TO RAISE GAO

C O N F I D E N T I A L USEU BRUSSELS 000414 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/ERA; EAP/CM; DRL/FO SUSAN O'SULLIVAN; DRL/IRF EMILIE KAO E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/22/2019 TAGS: PREL PHUM CH EUN SUBJECT: EU/CHINA: FERRERO-WALDNER WILLING TO RAISE GAO ZHISHENG DURING UPCOMING VISIT REF: 3/16/09 O'SULLIVAN/KAO/BOWLES E-MAIL Classified By: USEU Pol M-C Chris Davis for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) This is an action request. See paragraph 3. ¶2. (C) European Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner plans to visit China during the week of March 30, and may be willing to raise the case of political prisoner Gao Zhisheng if asked by the United States to do so, according to Michalis Rokas, Deputy Director for China at the European Commission's DG RELEX. During a meeting on March 23, Rokas told Poloff that Ferrero-Waldner would meet Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, and hoped to also see Premier Wen Jiabao during her upcoming visit. Rokas said that Ferrero-Waldner had been torn about whether to raise the case during her meetings, but ultimately decided that the U.S. should bring up the case since Gao's family had escaped to America. In response to Poloff's question on Gao's status, Rokas said that there was a "total blackout" on news regarding Gao's status or whereabouts, and that EU Member State delegations had no information. ¶3. (C) Action request: Rokas said he believed that Ferrero-Waldner would reconsider her decision and raise Gao's case directly with either Foreign Minister Yang or with Premier Wen, if the U.S. requested that she do so. Post is prepared to deliver such a request if so instructed. End action request. MURRAY .